Austrian greeting
Barbara Prammer, president of the Austrian national council (the lower house of the Austrian parliament), hailed the arrival of new members Bulgaria and Romania, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported on January 3. “The enlargement of the EU is a big success. We overcame the division in Europe. This enlargement guarantees peace and establishes dominance of the European values,” Prammer said. She emphasised the importance of the expansion of relations, especially of economic co-operation, between Austria and the two newly admitted members in the recent years. She noted the good contacts at a parliamentary level and pointed out the growing role of the national parliaments in European life. “In this process, the partners play an important role and we consider the Bulgarian and Romanian parliaments new partners in the European Union,” Prammer said.

Food controls in force
EU food safety and hygiene requirements, as well as public health control exercised in this field, entered into force in Bulgaria on January 1 2007, the Ministry of Health said in a press release on January 3, BTA reported. By joining the EU, Bulgaria also acceded to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Community. EU requirements for non-admittance of the import of goods posing a human health hazard and products subject to obligatory control upon import according to a European Commission Decision also entered into force with Bulgaria’s accession. Control over the observation of EU requirements will be exercised by the Regional Inspectorates for Public Health Protection and Control.

EU flag raised
The Bulgarian army should become a modern European army as soon as possible, Defence Minister Vesselin Bliznakov said on January 3. Bliznakov also noted that for two years, the Bulgarian army has represented this country in the EU in the best possible way by its contribution to the EU military operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said that the modernisation and the professionalisation of the armed forces will continue in 2007. He noted that another priority in the new year would be the introduction of a partial integrated model in the Defence Ministry. The Chief of the Bulgarian General Staff, General Zlatan Stoikov, said that 4092 servicemen need to be enlisted to complete the armed forces’ professionalisation.

EU commissioners meet
The first meeting of the European Commission for 2007 and the first meeting with a total of 27 commissioners will be held on January 10 in Brussels, RIA Novosti reported on January 3. The two newest commissioners, Bulgaria’s Meglena Kouneva (consumer protection) and Romania’s Leonard Orban (multilingualism) will serve until the end of the present commission’s term of office – 31 October 2009.

First new prices
On January 1, water prices increased. Residents of Plovdiv, Lovetch, Troyan, Berovitsa and Breznik will pay water supply companies about 0.20 leva more for each cubic metre of water. From spring 2007, prices throughout the country will increase. In addition, traders in mineral water also started increasing prices: 1.5 litres will cost 0.6 leva, a 10 stotinki increase.
Prices of rakiya (Bulgarian home made grape brandy) remain the same as before EU accession. The price of whisky is also unchanged, Bulgarian-language daily Standart reported on January 3.

Commemorative coins
Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) released into circulation a silver commemorative coin with partial gold plating on January 1, to mark Bulgaria's accession to the EU, and a circulating coin of a nominal value of 50 stotinki on the same occasion, BNB said in a media statement. The obverse of the “Bulgaria in the EU” silver coin with partial gold plating features the logo of BNB with the year 1879 written on the ribbon. Below it are the year of issue - 2007, and the nominal value of the coin - 1.95583 leva (one euro). The reverse depicts an opened old Bulgarian book on a pillar of the old Bulgarian capital Pliska. The coin was designed by Bogomil Nikolov, Ekaterina Dimitrova, Peter Stoikov and Vladimir Yosifov.

EU checkpoints
The full integration of Bulgaria and Romania into the EU as of January 1 makes the seven checkpoints on the border between the two countries unnecessary. The number of employees at the customs offices from Vidin to Silistra will be reduced by 58. Customs checkpoints at the Danube river ports and about 700 customs employees at the Regional Customs Directorate and the local customs offices from Vidin to Silistra will remain. The customs control service of Kapitan Petko Voivoda checkpoint near Svilengrad, Ilinden and Koulata checkpoints, all on the border with Greece, ceased operation at midnight on January 1.

Passport please
The major Bulgarian checkpoints serving EU external borders are already in operation according to European standards. Kapitan Andreevo, the biggest checkpoint on the border with Turkey, is ready to guarantee the security of the EU external border. The first traveller who entered Bulgaria from Turkey through Kapitan Andreevo in the early hours of 2007 received a special coin commemorating Bulgaria's EU accession and a copy of the History of Slavs and Bulgarians by Paisii Hilendarski. As of January 1, Turkish and Macedonian nationals need entry visas to cross into Bulgaria. Regarding veterinary control at boarder checkpoints with Turkey and Macedonia, all required measures have been taken and specialists have been provided with state-of-the-art equipment. A new project to redevelop the Kalotina checkpoint on the border with Serbia has been approved. It is financed by the World Bank.

Vignette prices
The annual vignette sticker for vehicles of up to eight seats rose to 67 leva from 58 leva. The monthly vignette became 25 leva and the weekly was set by the Government at 10 leva. Buses with more than eight seats and trucks will pay 500 leva for the annual vignette, 170 leva for the monthly, 65 leva for the weekly and 20 leva for the daily vignette. Heavy trucks and machines will have to pay 950 leva for the annual vignette, 300 leva for the monthly, 110 for the weekly and 20 leva for the daily vignette. Foreigners will have pay 34 euro, 13 euro and five euro for annual, monthly and weekly vignettes, respectively. Buses with foreign plates will pay 256 euro, 87 euro, 33 euro and 10 euro for annual, monthly, weekly and daily vignettes, respectively. Heavy trucks will pay 485 euro, 153 euro, 56 euro and 10 euro for annual, monthly, weekly and daily vignettes, respectively.

Public love
Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov continued to top the list of Bulgarian politicians in terms of public approval.  The survey by the National Centre for Research on Public Opinion in early December showed Borissov on top with a small lead over President Georgi Purvanov. Culture Minister Stefan Danailov was in third place with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev fourth. The ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party had the highest support with Borissov’s GERB in second place.  Ataka and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms were behind GERB with nine per cent. All the right-wing parties had between five and two per cent of public support. This included the Union of Democratic Forces, National Movement Simeon II and Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria.

Car accidents
A total of 1038 people died in car accidents on Bulgarian roads in 2006, said the Interior Ministry’s website. There were 8182 car accidents. A further 10 161 people were injured. In just the first two days of 2007, car accidents numbered 28, with six dead and 31 injured.

Bulgarian Christmas results
The Bulgarska Koleda (Bulgarian Christmas) charity campaign raised close to 2.5 million leva between December 1 2006 and January 3 2007. The campaign raises funds for treatment of sick Bulgarian children and for medical equipment and materials for children’s hospitals.

Best of Christmas
Every one of the 567 children from St Kliment Ohridski high school in Aksakovo municipality near Varna received Christmas gifts on December 21. The gifts were the result of co-operation between Best of Bulgaria and Aksakovo municipality. Best of Bulgaria Property Services is the Bulgarian subsidiary of Best of Cyprus, which operates in London and Cyprus.