Bulgaria does not dispute the right to conduct inspections, but the imposition of fines on Bulgarian road hauliers in France in violation of European legislation is unacceptable. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Korman Ismailov, during a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Philippe Tabaro, which took place today in Cyprus.
The Bulgarian side expressed serious concern over the practice of French control authorities imposing fines without utilising the established mechanisms for cooperation. "We are left with the impression that national legislation is being applied with priority over European legislation," the minister noted.
During the conversation, it was confirmed that an expert online meeting, initiated by the Bulgarian side, would be held in early May to find a concrete solution. The issue has been on the agenda of Bulgarian institutions for nearly two years now. Numerous meetings have been held and official correspondence exchanged at the bilateral and European levels, but so far no real progress has been made.
During the conversation, Minister Ismailov received assurances that every report would be examined individually and in detail, and that the French side does not apply a discriminatory approach toward Bulgarian hauliers.
The French minister stated that in 2025, 2,229 Bulgarian vehicles were inspected, and no more violations were found compared to vehicles from other countries.
