Important! Bulgaria's Authorities to Fine Traders for Unjustified Price Hikes After October 8

From October 8, Bulgaria will begin imposing effective sanctions on traders who breach the Law on the Introduction of the Euro. The transitional period, during which institutions issued only prescriptions, will expire, and from that date onward joint inspections by the Consumer Protection Commission (CPCo) and the National Revenue Agency (NRA) will start. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Euro Mechanism convened by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.

The Prime Minister underlined that businesses raising prices without economic justification will face penalties. He stressed that at present there are no objective conditions warranting such increases. According to the law, all 256 retailers of food, beverages, and medicines with an annual turnover above 10 million leva are required to publish daily information on their websites in machine-readable format. These data must include the prices of goods within the broad consumer basket and are intended for analysis through the national platform “Kolkostruva.bg.” Zhelyazkov emphasized the expectation of full cooperation from companies in the implementation of these obligations.

Price monitoring will be conducted against clear criteria. Adjustments are considered justified only when structural cost components - such as energy, wages, fuels, social contributions, or other operating expenses - change. In the absence of such factors, any price increases will be treated as groundless. “I am confident that the market has the tools and a responsible approach to consumers so that the introduction of the euro is not wrongly blamed for price hikes where there is no economic basis,” Zhelyazkov remarked.

Attention is also turning to legislative measures. On October 1, the National Assembly will debate amendments to the Law on Protection of Competition, directly tied to the sectoral analyses of the food industry conducted by the CPCo. The Prime Minister expressed hope that lawmakers will act swiftly, pointing out that ensuring fair competition and sanctioning unfair practices is vital, particularly in the politically sensitive months ahead, when the issue of rising prices will be under intense public scrutiny.