Bulgaria Confirms Slim Losses from Greek Blockade

Business | February 14, 2010, Sunday // 12:56|  views

The border crossing point Kulata - Promahonas between Bulgaria and Greece was opened briefly on Sunday. Photo by EPA/BGNES

As protests by Greek farmers against falling subsidies entered their fourth week, Bulgarian transport minister has confirmed that the officially reported losses of business are worth no more than BGN 13,5 M, way below the estimated BGN 140 M.

A hundred and eighteen companies have lodged complaints after collecting and submitting documents to prove the amount of losses they have suffered as a result of the blockades.

Bulgaria is demanding compensation of EUR 10 M from its neighbor for the loss of business as a result of the farmers' actions along its southern border. The country has also repeatedly called on the European Commission to urgently intervene and bring to an end the blockade at the border between the two EU countries.

“The odds are that Bulgaria will receive the compensations it seeks as we have carefully collected and sent all the needed documents to the European Commission,” Minister Alexander Tsvetkov told the national radio.

Farmers started their campaign in mid-January to demand higher and faster subsidy payments, but began removing blockades last week despite the government's adamant refusal to increase any payments to support crop prices.

As protesting farmers scaled back highway blockades inside the country in opposition to the government's austerity measures, the majority of those protesting at the Greek-Bulgarian border refused to comply with their colleagues decision and vowed to maintain their tractor blockade under their demands are met, disrupting the transport of goods to and from Bulgaria.

On February 14 the Greek farmers terminated briefly the blockade at all four border check points on the Bulgaria-Greece border.

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Tags: greece, border blockade, Greek farmers, greece, Kulata-Promahonas, farmers' protest

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