Bulgaria's road police now has the right to take away the driving license of EU citizens who violate Bulgarian driving regulations.

Bulgarians who fail to observe local driving regulations while abroad in the EU will have their driving licenses confiscated in accordance with relevant legislation of the country, Bulgarian daily Monitor said.

The changes in Bulgaria's driving regulations became valid as of September 1 2007.

Until now foreign drivers usually received only minor fines for violating driving rules in Bulgaria. The new convention's text says that the violator's home country has no right to replace the confiscated driving license with a fine or any other penalty.

According to Bulgarian legislation, drivers who are caught speeding 30 km for the second time will have their driving licenses taken away for a period of three months.

Greece regulations are stricter than that. Drivers will have their driving license taken away for two months at the first violation.

Drunken drivers in Greece can lose their driving licenses for five years, while Bulgarian legislation envisions a penalty of up to one year for such a violation.