Public Relations and Protocol

Within the Informal EU Transport Council, 29-30 October, 2018, Minister Jeliazkov participated in a joint meeting with Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Ireland and Malta on Mobility Package I. All the participants in the meeting shared the position not to accept vehicle-return regulation as it is a measure to increase empty trips and increase CO2 emissions from heavy-duty vehicles. It was highlighted that drivers shall be free to choose where to have rests.

Within the EU Informal Council of the Ministers of Transport, October 29-30, 2018, Minister Jeliazkov held talks with his counterparts from Austria, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia putting forward Bulgarian arguments on the controversial issues in Mobility Package I. He was firm in his disagreement with the disproportional, discriminatory and dividing rules for member states. Minister Jeliazkov sought support for the proposal removal the regulation for vehicle return highlighting Bulgaria’s peripheral location.

On 29 and 30 October, Minister Rossen Jeliazkov took part in the Informal Council of Transport Ministers of the EU. The Ministers discussed the legislative proposal of the European Commission on the termination of summertime switch and the Bulgarian party highlighted the importance of a harmonized approach and a realistic transition period. In the session on road safety, the significance of the issue for Bulgaria was pinpointed.

The Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, held a meeting with World Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva, to discuss issues of mutual interest with the forthcoming concession of Sofia Airport being the focus of the talks.

Modern infrastructure is essential for providing logistics services, so both the government and businesses are working to develop an integrated, modern and sustainable transport system. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Dimitar Genovsky before the participants in the Sixth Logistics Business Conference. "A good indicator of the success of our efforts is the growth in shipments of goods and people in recent years. In 2017, 136.7 million tonnes of freight and 748.5 million passengers were transported, "he added.

It is good when there are initiatives in our common European home that help to bring about cohesion, mutual acquaintance and, at the same time, justify the resources invested. This was announced by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov at the opening of a national Seminar for Support of the Automatic Translation System in the EU eTranslation.

A platform for information exchange between MTITC representatives, the National Assembly Transport Committee, Bulgarian representatives to the EP and sector organizations, was set up to discuss topical issues on Mobility Package I, announced the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, before EC representatives during the hearing at the National Assembly on negotiations progress on the Package. In his words, the system presents a tool for the timely exchange of positions and decision-making.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Velik Zanchev participated in the Third Meeting of Ministers of Transport of the countries from Central and Eastern Europe and China. The event, which was held in the period 16-17 October 2018 in Belgrade, was opened by the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlović.

Dividing the Road Traffic Act into three separate acts will positively affect road safety, said the Executive Director of EA Road Administration at a seminar on RADAR Project – assessment and measures to reduce road risks of the road safety criterion – A vision for better safety, taking place today and tomorrow in the town of Pravets.

The WiFi4EU Free Wireless Internet Initiative Portal is already active and a European Commission funding competition is due to be launched. In this regard, the Ministry of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications (MTITC) has addressed the 227 Bulgarian municipalities registered so far to check their profiles and documents. The remaining 38 municipalities in Bulgaria can also register for the competition. The application deadline is expected to be short, probably within three days.

Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications Dimitar Genovski together with the Air Force Commander General Major Tsanko Stoykov validated a postcard dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the legendary aviator Simeon Petrov.

At the suggestion of the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov, the government terminated the concession procedure at Plovdiv Airport.

The process was initiated by the Council of Ministers Decree No 1120 of 30 December 2016, and in the course of the procedure the Government designated the Concessionaire Consortium between Hainan and Plovdiv Airport Invest. Within the statutory period, the first-ranked participant informed about the impossibility to conclude a concession contract.

We will all together defend our national consolidated position on the Mobility Package texts proposed during the Austrian EU Council presidency. This is what the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov said at his first meeting with representatives of the branch organizations of freight transport companies. He expressed his willingness to continue the active dialogue with the branch and the Bulgarian representatives in the European Parliament, regardless of their affiliation to different political families.

Minister of Transport, Information technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov proposed to the Council of Ministers to terminate the concession procedure of Plovdiv Airport. The motives for the decision are that the procedure should be carried out in compliance with the new Concessions Act, which introduces the provisions of Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the award of concession contracts. The current procedure to award a concession of Plovdiv Airport was launched and carried out in compliance with the rescinded Concessions Act.

Today, 3 October 2018, the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and communications, with Decision № РК-3 of 03.10.2018 approved the Revision Notice to Notice № 2018/S 127-290417 published in the Official Journal of the EU on 5 July 2018.

The Notice provides for the deadline for filing bids and offers for the concession procedure at Sofia Airport to be extended until 22 November 2018, 16:30 EET. Bids will be opened on 23 November 2018 at 9:00 EET.

The Revision Notice was sent for publishing to the Official Journal of the EU on 3 October 2018.

We need to start working on a new road safety strategy now. This was announced by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, in the framework of the conference "Working together to make our roads safer - an improved model for road safety and good practice". The event was organized by the Ministry of Interior under the auspices of the Bulgarian Presidency.

Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jelizkov met with the Director General of DG “Mobility and Transport” and an EC High Level Coordinator for road safety issues Matthew Baldwin. Minister Rossen Jeliazkov presented the package of measures to reduce road traffic accidents that are currently being elaborated in MTITC.

Minister Rossen Jeliazkov met with the President of Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) Plamen Dimitrov and Petar Bunev, the chairman of Syndicate of Railway Undertakers in Bulgaria

Minister Jeliazkov presented to the trade union leaders the development policies in the Transport sector and the projects currently under way. During the discussion were discussed also topical issues related to the state and development of Bulgarian State Railways and Bulgarian Posts.

Society is accepting the policy of securing buses with belts and awaits for initiatives in this direction, Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov announced during a hearing in the Committee on Transport, Information Technology and Communications at the National Assembly. Representatives of the branch organizations of coache services and the carriers also took part in session of the commission.

At present, BDZ is one of the basic pillars of the Bulgarian economy. The anniversaries are not only historical facts but also legitimate expectations for their development. This was stated by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov during the validation of a post-philatelic edition dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the company's establishment.