Bulgarian Parliament approves stricter penalties for EU sanctions violations

The Bulgarian Parliament has approved amendments to the Criminal Code at first reading, aimed at criminalizing the violation and circumvention of European Union restrictive measures. The legislative changes, which transpose an EU directive, introduce a new chapter titled ‘Crimes against the restrictive measures of the European Union’.

Under the proposed law, individuals could face imprisonment, fines, and the loss of certain rights for violating restrictions on frozen assets, economic resources, travel bans, and prohibitions on transactions or financial services. The law also criminalizes attempts to bypass sanctions by transferring funds or property to third parties. However, violations involving amounts under 10,000 euros will not fall under criminal liability.

Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov emphasized the urgency of the bill, noting that the deadline for transposing the EU directive has passed and the European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against Bulgaria. The amendments received support from most parliamentary groups, including GERB, ‘We Continue the Change’, and ‘Democratic Bulgaria’, while the ‘Vazrazhdane’ party voted against the measure.