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Sat, Feb 11 2012
Greek border 'embargo' hits Bansko hard
Photo: Tsvetelina Nikolaeva
The "embargo" on the Greek-Bulgarian border has had a serious impact on the economy of Bansko, costing the Bulgarian tourist town 480 000 euro a day.
The Bansko Tourist Association has sent a letter to Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and to Parliamentary speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, saying that "small and medium-sized tourist establishments in the town are facing widespread bankruptcies", Dnevnik daily reported on January 20 2010.
"We ask the Bulgarian Government to offer assistance to affected proprietors and establishments. We demand compensation from European Funds as the crisis has affected hotels and restaurants from across southeastern Bulgaria."
"This is the second year in a row that Bulgarian business have been taken hostage by Greek farmers who want to resolve internal problems that have no bearing whatsoever on Bulgaria," the letter said.
The letter goes on to say that scores of hotel proprietors and restaurants owners are reeling from the blockade which has "kicked tourists away" and "frozen business in Bansko".
"Who is going to compensate for the damage in our town and other regions in Bulgaria?" the letter asks.
Earlier on January 20 reports in the Bulgarian media said that the economy is losing three million leva every day due to the closure of border checkpoints by protesting Greek farmers.
The "preliminary estimates" come from the "crisis task force" set up by Economy Minister Traicho Traikov, who along with Transport and Agriculture ministers, Alexander Tsvetkov and Miroslav Naidenov respectively, delivered a report before Parliament on January 20.
Naidenov said that he has sent a letter to the European Commission along with his Romanian counterpart, Mihail Dumitru, in which they demand that the EC take immediate action against Greece because its farmers are violating the constitutional right to free movement across borders, both of businesses and civilians.
Borissov told Bulgarian media that he had held discussions with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barosso on January 19 during which he had requested up to 10 million euro in compensation, greater than the sum of six million initially reported in the media on January 19.
The Bansko Tourist Association has sent a letter to Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and to Parliamentary speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, saying that "small and medium-sized tourist establishments in the town are facing widespread bankruptcies", Dnevnik daily reported on January 20 2010.
"We ask the Bulgarian Government to offer assistance to affected proprietors and establishments. We demand compensation from European Funds as the crisis has affected hotels and restaurants from across southeastern Bulgaria."
"This is the second year in a row that Bulgarian business have been taken hostage by Greek farmers who want to resolve internal problems that have no bearing whatsoever on Bulgaria," the letter said.
The letter goes on to say that scores of hotel proprietors and restaurants owners are reeling from the blockade which has "kicked tourists away" and "frozen business in Bansko".
"Who is going to compensate for the damage in our town and other regions in Bulgaria?" the letter asks.
Earlier on January 20 reports in the Bulgarian media said that the economy is losing three million leva every day due to the closure of border checkpoints by protesting Greek farmers.
The "preliminary estimates" come from the "crisis task force" set up by Economy Minister Traicho Traikov, who along with Transport and Agriculture ministers, Alexander Tsvetkov and Miroslav Naidenov respectively, delivered a report before Parliament on January 20.
Naidenov said that he has sent a letter to the European Commission along with his Romanian counterpart, Mihail Dumitru, in which they demand that the EC take immediate action against Greece because its farmers are violating the constitutional right to free movement across borders, both of businesses and civilians.
Borissov told Bulgarian media that he had held discussions with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barosso on January 19 during which he had requested up to 10 million euro in compensation, greater than the sum of six million initially reported in the media on January 19.
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Greek farmers cause rolling disruptions at Bulgarian-Greek border
Only the Zlatograd-Xanthi checkpoint was left spared by the Greek farmers' blockade on January 22 2010
Bulgarian lorries threaten to shut Greek border at Easter in retaliation
Greek farmers are currently staging their protests for the fourth straight day and have staunchly refused to give in to Greek government pressure and Bulgarian demands for them to clear out
Greek farmers refuse to lift border blockade
Embargo on the border is in full swing, fourth day on the trot
Greek border blockade costs 3M leva every day
The Bulgarian economy is losing three million leva a day. Meanwhile, 3km-long queues of lorries have formed at the Kulata-Promahon border crossing point
Boiko Borissov demands 6M euro compensation over Greek border blockade
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has held an emergency meeting with the European Commission, insisting that Sofia receive compensation from damage caused by Greek farmers
Partial blockade at Greek border continues
Greek farmers constantly change their minds as to whether traffic will be allowed to pass.
One Greece-Bulgaria border pass blocked only for lorries, three working normally
The blockades are expected to last at least five days as Greek farmers protest to demand more government subsidies.
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no comment!
Epami Dianne just hates everything Bulgarian so she will go on bitch about anything connected with us.
Bitch is as bitch does, apperantly;)
The Greek farmers have learnt from the French fishermen.
Dianne - that may well be, but the Bansko traders are right to complain about economic detriment caused by Greek farmers with a grievance against their own government but not the Bulgarians.
Also, it is suspected that - now being a quiet time of year on Greek farms - the farmers like to meet their friends and have a glass or three of ouzo or raki, and where better to do this than on a demo ?
Apparently under Greek law farmers on tractors are exempt from the alco-test, not that this [...]
Read the full comment ever has been applied at all strictly in Greece.....
Typical Bulgarian Municipality. Very quick to claim for compensation and blame others. Very slow to stop the overbuilding that has made Bansko an undesireable Carbuncle.