Bulgaria criminalization of EU sanctions violations

Bulgaria has moved to criminalize the violation and circumvention of European Union restrictive measures. The process began in a parliamentary legal commission, where a government-proposed bill to strengthen enforcement against bypassing sanctions received support from several parties, including Progressive Bulgaria, We Continue the Change, Democratic Bulgaria, and DPS. The Vazrazhdane party opposed the measure, with its leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, expressing concerns that the legislation could lead to the criminalization of importing certain goods, such as Russian literature.

Following the commission's vote, the Bulgarian Parliament approved amendments to the Criminal Code at first reading. These changes transpose an EU directive and establish a new chapter titled ‘Crimes against the restrictive measures of the European Union’. The law introduces penalties including imprisonment, fines, and the loss of certain rights for violating restrictions on frozen assets, travel bans, and financial transactions. It also criminalizes attempts to bypass sanctions by transferring property to third parties, though violations involving amounts under 10,000 euros are exempt from criminal liability. Justice Minister Nikolay Naydenov noted the urgency of the legislation, stating that the European Commission had initiated infringement proceedings against Bulgaria due to the delay in transposing the directive.