Bulgaria’s Parliament gives ‘amnesty’ to pre-2001 illegal buildings
Buildings put up between 1987 and the end of March 2001 without construction permission will be exempt from mandatory demolition, Bulgaria’s Parliament voted on October 11 2012.
The “amnesty” was granted when the National Assembly gave its final approval to amendments to the Spatial Planning Act.
Buildings dating from that period will be exempt from demolition or bans on them being used.
However, the buildings will require certification that they meet construction regulations that were in force at the time that they were built. These certificates must be issued by the bodies that were in charge of such regulations at the time of construction.
Such certification will be required when the buildings are sold. Applications for regularization of a building must be submitted within a year of the amendments approved on October 11 being published in the State Gazette and thus coming into force.
Opposition parties criticised the amendments, saying that they were in the interests of “oligarchs” whose palaces would be legalised.
(Photo: Martyn E. Jones/sxc.hu)
