Ruling overturns refusal on historical BOTAS figures
The Sofia Administrative Court has overturned a decision by Bulgargaz refusing to disclose historical delivery and payment data related to its agreement with Turkish gas company BOTAS. In its final ruling, the court sent the case back to the state-owned supplier for reconsideration. The court also ordered Bulgargaz to cover the claimant’s legal costs.
The dispute concerns annual figures covering the period from 2023 to 2025. The court found that Bulgargaz had not provided sufficient grounds to withhold the annual gas volumes delivered under the arrangement or the payments made over the same period. The judgment annulling the original refusal cannot be appealed.
Requested data covers volumes in MWh and corresponding payments
Journalists requested annual delivery volumes measured in MWh along with the corresponding payments for 2023, 2024 and 2025. They argued that the information relates to the use of public funds and should therefore be available for scrutiny. The request focused on historical data rather than future contract terms.
Bulgargaz rejected the disclosure request in March. The company said negotiations were underway to revise the agreement governing access to Turkey’s transmission system and liquefied natural gas regasification terminals. It argued that publishing commercial information could weaken its negotiating position with BOTAS.
Court distinguishes past deliveries from potential future changes
The court drew a distinction between completed transactions and negotiations about possible future contract changes. It found that no confidentiality arrangement cited in the case justified withholding the requested historical figures. The ruling addressed both the delivery volumes and the payments made during 2023–2025.
According to the decision, disclosure would improve transparency around public resources and make it easier to evaluate the financial consequences of the BOTAS agreement. Bulgargaz must now issue a new decision on the journalists’ disclosure request after reconsideration by the company.
