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In the context of the accession of Bulgaria to the EU the Bulgarian National Assembly adopted amendments to the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act and the Radio and Television Act in August 2006 (see IRIS 2002-2: 3). A new clause is introduced in the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act prohibiting the advertising of tobacco and tobacco products in the mass media. The advertising of tobacco and tobacco products is explicitly prohibited in radio and television programmes (Art. 35, para. 2 Tobacco and Tobacco Products Act). The advertising of tobacco and tobacco products in the press or other printing...

On 10 June 2006 the Protection of Consumers Act came into effect. The purpose of the Act was to protect consumers and persons exercising activities in commerce, production and handcrafts from misleading and unfair advertising. A new definition of “advertising” was introduced in the Act: “any message related to commerce, craft or profession, aimed at the promotion of goods or services, including real estate, rights and obligations (Art. 33, para 1). The Act also established a prohibition of misleading and unfair advertising, as well as for comparative advertising that was not proper according to...

In December 2005, the Parliament amended the Закон за радиото и телевизията (Radio and Television Act, see IRIS 2002-2: 3) without prior consultation among the professional media community and with the Parliamentary Commission on Civil Society and Media. The new provisions concern the duration of advertisements of the public service broadcasters - the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). According to the new rules the duration of advertisements of the public operators was equalled with the duration of advertisements by commercial broadcasters: “The total duration...

In the end of 2005, the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act has been amended in order to bring it in line with the respective EC legislation. The amendments will enter into force on the day of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria to the EU (1 January 2007). The amendments cover the following main areas: 1. Exhaustion of the right of distribution of the audio-visual work: The first sale or other transfer of ownership in respect of the original or copies of the audiovisual work made by the copyright holder in the territory of a Member State of the EU, shall lead to an exhaustion of the right...

In 2001, amendments to the Bulgarian Закон за радиото и телевизията (Radio and Television Act, see IRIS 2002-2: 3) were introduced by the Parliament. According to these amendments the operators broadcasting their programmes through cable or satellite became subject to a registration regime. However, the new provisions were added only in the licensing and registration section of the Radio and Television Act, but were not reflected accordingly in the section concerning the status of the electronic media. In November 2005, new amendments of the Radio and Television Act were adopted by the Parliament...

On 1 January 2005 the provisions of the Закон за здравето (Health Act) concerning direct and indirect advertising of alcoholic beverages in the electronic media came into force. The amended Article 55 reads as follows: “Article 55 (1) Direct advertising of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. (2) Indirect advertisements of alcoholic beverages and advertisements of wine and beer cannot: 1. be directed to persons below 18 years of age, as well as be transmitted in programmes or published in printed publications, designated for them; 2. use persons below 18 years of age as participants; 3. connect...

The legal framework establishing the National Film Centre (NFC) comprises the Film Industry Act (State Gazette issue 105 dated 2 December 2003; see IRIS 2004-1: Extra); the Regulation No 97 of the Council of Ministers dated 13 May 2004 on the restructuring of the NFC from a department at the Ministry of Culture to an “Executive Agency NFC” to the Minister of Culture and for the adoption of the Internal Regulations of the Executive Agency NFC (State Gazette issue 42 dated 21 May 2004) and the Regulation No 104 of the Council of Ministers dated 25 May 2004 on the adoption of the Tariff on the Fees...