1. Bulgarian Geology and Mining Ministry of Environment and Water

2. The Ministry of Environment and Water is responsible for the State policy and strategy in the field of geology and prospecting, exploration and mining of the underground resources, and the environmental protection on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The Ministry co-ordinates and assigns the implementation of investment and other projects for geological and geoecological studies of the country. The Ministry with the other interested Ministries and state institutions develop and propose to the Council of Ministers the state policy and strategy for encouraging the investments in the prospecting, exploration and mining of the underground resources in view of the sustainable development of the country and the national security. The functions and responsibilities of the Ministry of Environment and Waters

3. The Ministry of Environment and water organizes the establishment and maintenance of : the unified register and cadastre of licences for prospecting and/or exploration; register of discoveries and specialized cadastre of deposits of subsurface resources; national balance of reserves and resources for all types of subsurface resources.

4. The Ministry of Environment and Water maintains a National Geo-Fund, which shall collect, process, store and deliver for use for consideration the geological information from surveys and other activities pertaining to the prospecting, exploration and extraction of subsurface resources. The control of the protection and the rational use of subsurface resources shall be exercised by the bodies of the Ministry of Environment and Water.

5. SUBSURFACE RESOURCES ACT This Act was passed by the XXXVIII National Assembly on 26 February 1999; Promulgated State Gazette(SG) No. 23/12.03.1999 Geology and Mining - Legislation Acts of the Council of Ministers: Tariff for the charges that are collected upon submission of applications for granting of licence for prospecting and/or exploration and for granting of concession for extraction. Decree No125/16.06.99; SG No57/25.06.1999. Tariff for the annual charges for the area that are collected from the holders of licences for prospecting and/or exploration. Decree No125/16.06.99; SG No57/25.06.1999. Regulation for the principles and methods for determining the concession payment for extraction of subsurface resources according Subsurface resources act. Decree No127/21.06.99; SG No59/29.06.1999. Regulation for the geological and technical documentation of exploration and mining and extraction sites. Decree No223/01.12.1999; ST No108/10.12.1999. Regulation for the register and cadastre of licences for prospecting and/or exploration. Decree No233/14.12.1999; SG No111/21.12.1999. Regulation for the compilation and keeping of the national balance of reserves, the register of funds of subsurface resources and the specialized cadastre of deposits. Decree No232/14.12.1999; SG No21.12.1999. Regulation for the National Geofund. Decree No264/30.12.1999. ST No6/21.01.2000. Tariff for the charges that are collected in the system of the Ministry of Environment and Water. Decree No 110/21.06.2000; SG No52/27.06.2000.

6. Acts of the Minister of the Environment and Water: Regulation for the terms and procedure for mandatory coordination of the annual designs for prospecting, exploration, extraction and primary processing of subsurface resources, of the designs for liquidation or preservation of geological survey and mining sites and of the designs modifications and additions. SG No 6/21.01.2000. Legislation to be adopted in near future : Changes in Subsurface Resources Act. Strategy for the development of geological exploration and protection of subsurface in Republic of Bulgaria up to year 2010. Approved with decision of Council of Ministers N519/03.07.2001

7. Implementation of Legislation Received Applications for Prospecting and/or Exploration Permits - 229 Permits Granted - 102 Discovery Granted - 8 Concessions Granted - 65 Subsurface Resource Act is in force since 1999. The results form implementation up to 01.05.2001 are as follows: Competent Authorities according Subsurface Resource Act : Council of Ministers - CM Ministry of Environment and Water - MEW Ministry of Economics - ME Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works - MRDPW State Agency of Energy and Energy Resources - SAEER

8. Implementation of Legislation - achievements and challenges

9. Implementation of Legislation - Oil&Gas Exploration

10. Implementation of Legislation - Metallic Mineral Resources Exploration

14. The holder of the licence for prospecting and/or exploration has the rights to: pursue all the necessary activities designed to find deposits of subsurface resources for which the licence has been granted; make assessment of deposits of subsurface resources for which the licence has been granted, inclusive of extraction for technological tests; obtain by right concession for extraction. The holder of a concession for extraction has the rights to: acquire right of ownership on the extracted subsurface resources for which the concessions has been granted, as well as on the technological waste from extraction, in compliance with the terms and conditions of the concluded contract; pursue all the required activities pertaining to extraction, as well as further exploration, storage, processing, transportation and sale of subsurface resources for which the concession has been granted. Major rights and obligations of the holders of the licences for prospecting and/or exploration and of the concession according Subsurface Resources Act

15. The holders of licences for prospecting and/or exploration or the concessionaires are obliged to: keep full and detailed documentation of the geological surveys and other activities; report the results from geological surveys and other activities pertaining to the granted licences or concessions by intermediate reports and final report; submit to the Ministry of Environment and Water the obtained material evidence; submit to the Ministry of Environment and Water annually or upon request, but not less than twice per year, information about the status and changes of reserves and resources within areas; pursue the activities pertaining to the granted licences or concessions for extraction and the relevant contracts in compliance with the requirements for subsurface protection and rational use of the subsurface resources, as provided for in the Subsurface Resources Act and in the Concessions Act, the regulative normative acts thereto and the legislation for protection of the environment.