Bulgaria's State Reserve and War-Time Stocks Agency will be able to decide whether to give companies copies of the technical documents it keeps. The change is in amendments to the State Reserves and War-Time Stocks Act, which parliament passed at first reading.

The documents are held at the Central Technical Base in the village of Sokolovo, which is part of the agency. It stores papers on Bulgarian-developed products and licensed documentation.

The bill comes from the Council of Ministers. A total of 132 MPs from Progressive Bulgaria and the DPS voted for it. Twenty-four voted against: MPs from GERB-SDS and two from Democratic Bulgaria. Thirty-two abstained: MPs from Democratic Bulgaria, We Continue the Change and Revival, and one from GERB-SDS. Hristo Gadzhev of GERB-SDS proposed putting off the vote until next Wednesday, but the majority refused. The deadline for proposals before second reading has been extended to two weeks.

Companies with a production permit under the Weapons, Ammunition, Explosives and Pyrotechnic Articles Act will be able to ask for copies. The permit must cover military products that are part of their current war-time task. The firm must file a declaration that it will use the documents only at its own production sites in Bulgaria, for the product in question, and will not pass them to third parties.

The amendments also set deadlines, requirements and the papers needed for an application. Before deciding, the agency has 7 days to check the details with the Defence Ministry, the Ministry of Economy, Investment and Industry, and the State Agency for National Security (DANS). Its head can hand over all the documents, part of them, or refuse. A firm will be able to fix errors in the papers it files.

The bill's explanatory notes say the aim is to set a clear legal procedure for access to the documents at Sokolovo. Its authors tie the rules directly to national security, because of the type of documents.

Gadzhev called the bill lobbyist and written for private interests, and warned it could "open Pandora's box". "How can the door be left open for pure industrial espionage," he said. He said free access by various companies to sensitive technical documents should be limited between the two readings.

Stefan Belchev of Progressive Bulgaria, who chairs the economic committee, replied that only Bulgarian firms licensed under the law would have access. He promised that all comments and proposals would be accepted before second reading.

Atanas Slavov of Democratic Bulgaria said he asked in the defence committee what safeguards there are against abuse. His party fears that "our" firms will get access while others are refused. Slavov sees one plus in the bill, because it sets a clear procedure. But he said the procedure needs to be more precise, and a refusal should be open to appeal. In such a sensitive sector there should not be wide room for discretion, which could lead to abuse of power. Democratic Bulgaria will not back the text at first reading, he said.

Boris Aladzhov of Revival objected that the documents could end up with private firms. Bogdan Bogdanov of We Continue the Change said his party abstained because companies' own developments should be protected. In his view, they should be used only with the firm's permission, or if it cannot do its task for the state and the task is given to someone else.

The bill also adds to and updates the definitions for medical reserves.