At the first reading, the National Assembly gave the green light to two separate bills proposing amendments to the Law on Weapons, Ammunition, Explosives, and Pyrotechnic Articles. The first of these, submitted by the caretaker cabinet of Andrey Gyurov, was passed with 132 votes "in favor," zero "against," and two MPs abstaining. The second bill, submitted by the regular government of Rumen Radev, was supported by 117 deputies, with five voting "against" and 26 abstaining.
The proposals, which were submitted on April 30 of this year, aim to simplify procedures by removing the requirement for certain documents when the relevant information can be obtained through official channels. The main highlights include:
- Eliminating the requirement for individuals holding permits for the acquisition, storage, carrying, and use of firearms and ammunition to submit documents when changing their permanent address.
- Introducing a ban on the use of pyrotechnic articles within urbanized territories during rest hours, as defined by an ordinance of the respective municipal council.
The second bill, submitted on July 7 of this year, also focuses on reducing the administrative burden on applicants. Instead of the previous requirements, it introduces an obligation to provide only the number and date of issuance of the permit for use of the premises (or a copy of a document replacing it, in accordance with the Spatial Planning Act), as well as to specify the issuing authority. This also applies to data regarding the certificate of conformity certifying the suitability of a mobile production unit for explosives. At the same time, the obligation to provide written or electronic notification to the Ministry of Economy, Investments, and Industry in the event of a change in a company's commercial registration is removed.
During the parliamentary debate on the current cabinet's bill, Aleksandar Ivanov from the GERB-UDF parliamentary group commented that he hopes the texts will be reviewed during the period between the first and second reading.