EC DENIED ITS SUPPORT FOR MORE COMPENSATIONS FOR KOZLODUY NPP

The Treaty provided for the compensations to stop in 2009. The President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durao Barroso supported the request on behalf of the Commission.

"This support greatly increases the chances for a positive solution. We are speaking of a few hundred million euros."

Bulgaria has been working on this issue since December, 16th, 2005 when the country was not a member of the EU. On the European summit, during the review of 2007-2013 Budget, Stanishev made a declaration that the current situation of receiving compensations only until 2009 did not correspond to principles of solidarity and equal treatment. He also said he would demand that the situation be changed in the implementation of the budget. The PM also said that Bulgaria had sent letters to the European Commission and it already had the support of the institution.

"I cannot confirm that the President of the European Commission officially declared his support for the proposal. The President said that we would review the proposal of the Bulgarian Prime minister", Mark Gray, a spokesman for the European Commission said.

Gray reminded that the EU Accession Treaty of Bulgaria provided for 550 million euros of compensations until the end of 2009. EC spokesman said this was a "significant amount".

Gray explained that EC would review the proposal, but that this was a decision to be made by the member states and not by EC.