There is a milk war being fought in Bulgaria, representatives of the National Association of Milk Producers (NAM) said on September 30.

Michail Tachev, representative of NAM, said, that during pre-accession talk with the European Union (EU), there had been attempts to eliminate part of the competition in the Bulgarian milk sector, Focus news agency reported.
An EU proposed transition period had been declined by Bulgaria, Tachev said.

European institutions had been used in an attempt by a small group of Bulgarian producers to close as many competing companies as possible, he said.

In 2006, NAM was registered and filed a request for a transition period for the Bulgarian milk industry in Brussels. As a result, according to Tachev,  dairy product export problems have been settled.

A second instrument in the milk war in Bulgaria were attempts to lower the milk quota for the sector, Tachev said.

"What followed was the battle for the National Milk Fund (NMF)," Focus news agency quoted him as saying.
According to Dilyana Slavova, executive director of NAM, in the NMF "a group of people tried to determine the rules in order to hamper competition."

The statutes of the NMF stated that it would attempt to get a monopoly on laboratory tests of dairy products produced in Bulgaria.
Tachev said more than one laboratory should be given the rights to test dairy products. A ban on production for 2 to 6 months was a serious blow to producers and would cost them their position in the market, he said.

Then there was un-clarity regarding NMF membership and the rights for board members of NMF to vote, according to Tachev.