American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria filed a formal position opposing to the proposed Draft Law amending and supplementing the Protection of Competition Act with reference number 52-654-01-38, and the Draft Law amending and supplementing the Consumer Protection Act with reference number 52-654-01-36, through which we express our disagreement with the identified more significant proposed measures and present the reasoning behind our position.
The introduction of the text says: “We address you guided by the principles of the market economy and the freedom of entrepreneurial initiative, as well as by the understanding of the need for structural changes, improvements, and reforms through sustainable and coordinated policies in the sectors of “Agriculture” and “Food Security” in Bulgaria.
We are fully aware that inflation levels generate political and social tensions, and that expectations have been created for addressing them in favor of Bulgarian citizens. However, we do not agree that the entire focus of the efforts of the legislative and executive authorities should be concentrated solely on one of the main segments of the extremely long and complex chain through which food reaches from farms to the table of the Bulgarian citizen.
Having analyzed the proposed Draft Laws for amendments and supplements to the Protection of Competition Act and the Consumer Protection Act, we conclude that they significantly restrict the constitutionally established principle of free economic initiative, to the detriment of consumers, suppliers, and traders. Entire sections therein abolish fully legitimate contractual practices that operate in developed market economies worldwide and replace them with unacceptable interference in supply chain relations, far exceeding the legitimate public interest and the principle of proportionality.”