Ombudsman Challenges Road Traffic Act and Euro

The Ombudsman institution will take a significant step by filing a constitutional complaint by the end of this week. This was announced by Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva, sparking a debate regarding the latest amendments to the Road Traffic Act.

The provision that imposes a condition on motor vehicles when passing a technical inspection will be challenged before the Constitutional Court. According to this rule, the vehicle will not be able to receive an inspection if the owner or the person presenting the car at the station has not paid all administrative acts in force, such as fines and tickets.

Before journalists, Ms. Delcheva explained the necessity of this complaint. The change in the law is expected to come into force from May 2026. The authorities hope that the Constitutional Court will be able to make a decision within this period, before the new regulation begins to operate.

In the context of the upcoming introduction of the euro, the Ombudsman stressed that the information campaigns conducted by various institutions and organizations have fulfilled their task. The Ombudsman institution, in partnership with the National Social Security Institute, organized a campaign in more than 10 cities. The focus was on the elderly, providing them with information on how to recognize counterfeit banknotes, how to act in the period between January 1 and February 1, when both currencies will be in circulation, as well as on the automatic conversion of contracts, which eliminates the need to re-sign or conclude new ones.

The topic of heating and the formula for calculating the building installation was also touched upon by Velislava Delcheva. The Ombudsman noted that there is still a lack of clarity on this issue, as there is a legal vacuum that dates back to September. Then the Supreme Administrative Court stopped the use of the current formula. Afterwards, a decision of the Court of Justice of the EU defined the formula as inaccurate, unclear and non-transparent, not providing the opportunity for citizens to understand how their energy bills are calculated.

With the onset of the heating season, the Ombudsman informed that she had sent a letter to the Minister of Energy and the relevant heating companies, requesting clarification on the situation. She specified that last week a working group met at the Ministry of Energy, including representatives of the heating companies, experts and thermal accountants. At this meeting, it was decided to seek a solution to the problem as soon as possible.