Expropriation of land for energy resources

From 5 June 2009, there will be a new regime for expropriating land for energy resources.

Concession holder will be able offer to acquire the title to real estate within the concession area from its owners and, if they cannot find the owners, they can ask the Minister of Economy and Energy to obtain title information from the relevant state or municipal authorities.

Where real estate within the concession area is needed by a concession holder to extract energy resources for state needs, it can ask the Minister of Economy and Energy to expropriate it.  In this context, state needs means industrial heat and/or electricity production involving at least 50% of the energy resources extracted annually in Bulgaria.

The expropriated property (and other properties owned by the state) is then made available to the concession holder by Government resolution (under the Concession Act) and returned to the state when the concession ends.

Law: amendments to the Energy Act