The National Assembly adopted amendments to the Health Act, which changes and supplements the State of Emergency Measures and Actions Act. The law will now cover overcoming the consequences of the state of emergency. This requires a change in the name of the law.
Main changes:
Distraint
During a state of emergency and two months after its abolition, no attachments will be imposed on bank accounts of individuals and medical establishments, attachments on salaries and pensions, security measures on medical apparatus and equipment, as well as on the inventory of movable property and real estate owned by individuals, except for maintenance obligations, damages for illicit damage, and claims for salaries.
Delay in payments
The restriction for pre-term due date and cancellation of credit agreements and other forms of financing, provided by financial institutions under Art. 3 of the Credit Institutions Act.
Lease of state or municipal property
The period for special rules for state and municipal leased property is extended to two months after the state of emergency is lifted.
Public procurement
The extended period of two months after the repeal of the state of emergency during which the Public Procurement Act regarding the specific exceptions does not apply.
In addition to the existing exceptions, one more is foreseen. The provisions of the Public Procurement Act do not apply two months after the lifting of the state of emergency for transport services in cases of purchase of hygiene materials and medical devices.
Prohibition on the export of medicinal products
The amendments provide for an extension of the period during which the Minister of Health may prohibit exports of medicinal products. The new deadline is up to two months from the lifting of the state of emergency.
Protection of the production of food manufactured on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, trade and placing on the market in chain stores
The period shall be extended to 31 December 2020.
Tourism
A tour operator who has to refund a sum paid by a traveler for a tourist trip when it has been canceled due to a declared state of emergency may offer the traveler a voucher for the amount paid. If the traveler does not accept the voucher and in the absence of another agreement for a tour package – a replacement between the tour operator and the traveler, the tour operator refunds up to 12 months from the date of cancellation of the emergency, all payments received by the traveler or on his behalf.
Two years after the lifting of the state of emergency, the Ministry of Tourism provides tour operators who use air carriers with a Bulgarian operating license to operate charter flights to the Republic of Bulgaria for tourism, a government subsidy of EUR 35 for each seat of the maximum passenger capacity of the aircraft for each flight performed with Bulgarian air carrier. The subsidy is granted for each seat occupied by a person using a tourist service in the Republic of Bulgaria, only for flights with a capacity of not less than 100 seats. The subsidy can also benefit tour operators who use the services of air carriers with an operating license, issued in another country, provided that the tour operator demonstrates the lack of interest in performing the specific flight by air carriers with Bulgarian operating license.
Payment deadline under the 60/40 scheme
It is explicitly stated that the payment period under the 60/40 scheme will be from 13 March 2020 to 30 June 2020.
Deadlines
The terms that stopped running during the state of emergency continue to run after the expiration of 7 days from the promulgation of this law. The law was promulgated on 13.05.2020.
Application of other provisions of the law
The provisions of Art. 7, 8-10, 14, 17-19, and 22 shall apply during a state of emergency and two months after its abolition.
Other important changes
In 2020, the ban on construction and installation works in the national resorts on the Black Sea coast in Art. 15 of the Law on the Development of the Black Sea Coast is from June 15 to October 1.
