European Council meeting on Brexit: Bulgaria to back postponement, wants UK to give clear reasons

A few hours ahead of the special European Council meeting on Brexit on April 10, Bulgaria’s government adopted a position that it would join a consensus to postpone the date of the UK’s withdrawal for the EU, “with the clear goal of achieving an ‘orderly’ Brexit,” the government information service said.

“The request for postponement should be clearly substantiated by the British side,” Bulgaria’s government said.

“Our country advocates a coordinated approach by the member states in all possible negotiating scenarios, believing that the Withdrawal Agreement and the transitional period foreseen therein are the best option that will allow enough time for citizens and businesses to adapt to conditions after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom,” the statement said.

In a separate agenda item at the Bulgarian Cabinet meeting, the government adopted a report on the country’s action plan in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

It noted that preparations are proceeding on two levels, at the level of the EU and of national institutions.

At EU level, 19 legislative proposals covering the most urgent measures to address the immediate consequences of Breckit without agreement have been come up with. They will allow visa-free travel to and from the United Kingdom, co-ordination of social security systems, transport links and the EU budget.

At the national level, the relevant authorities have made “significant progress” on the implementation of the no-deal action plan.

Legislative changes have been made to the Foreigners Act in the Republic of Bulgaria, educational activities have been carried out for the administration, and information has been been sent to persons trading with the United Kingdom, according to the statement.

Bulgarian institutions already have separate sections on their sites dedicated to Brexit, to inform stakeholders about changes in the sector.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a section where information concerning Bulgarian citizens and companies is posted. The site also has an English section for British citizens living in Bulgaria: https://www.mfa.bg/en/customnews/main/20588.

A number of other institutions are posting useful information according to their responsibilities, the statement said.

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