Bulgaria

[BG] Judgment on Conflict of Interest in the Media Sector

IRIS 2011-2:1/11

Rayna Nikolova

New Bulgarian University

By its judgment No. 14555 dated 30 November 2010 the Supreme Administrative Court imposed a fine of BGN 1,000 on the Chairman of the Съвет за електронни медии (Council for Electronic Media - CEM) for not submitting in time a declaration under Art. 12, item 2 of the Prevention and Disclosure of Conflict of Interest Act (see IRIS 2010-10/17).

Pursuant to Art. 24, para 1 of the Radio and Television Act, the chairperson was elected by the National Assembly on 1 April 2010 as a member of the CEM. He was elected as chairman of the CEM on 7 April 2010. He submitted to the National Assembly a declaration under Art. 12, item 2 of the Prevention and Disclosure of Conflict of Interest Act on 20 May 2010.

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the declaration was submitted after the expiry of the prescribed seven-day term from the date of the election as a member of the Council for Electronic Media. The Court took into consideration that the administrative offence committed was the first of its kind for him and therefore decided to apply the minimum fine set out by the law - BGN 1,000.