The Sofia Administrative Court has overturned Bulgargaz’s refusal to disclose historical delivery and payment data linked to its agreement with Turkish gas company BOTAS.
In a final ruling, the court sent the matter back to Bulgaria’s state-owned gas supplier for reconsideration. It found that Bulgargaz had not provided sufficient grounds to withhold annual gas volumes delivered under the arrangement from 2023 to 2025 or the payments made over the same period. The company was also ordered to cover the claimant’s legal costs.
Journalists had requested annual delivery volumes in MWh and the corresponding payments for 2023, 2024 and 2025. They argued that the information concerns the use of public funds and should therefore be available for scrutiny.
Bulgargaz rejected the request in March. It said talks were underway to revise the agreement, which gives Bulgaria access to Turkey’s transmission system and liquefied natural gas regasification terminals. Publishing commercial information, the company argued, could weaken its negotiating position with BOTAS.
The court drew a distinction between completed transactions and negotiations about possible future contract changes. It also found that no confidentiality arrangement cited in the case justified withholding the requested historical figures.
According to the ruling, publication would improve transparency around public resources and make it easier to evaluate the financial consequences of the BOTAS agreement. The judgment annulling the original refusal cannot be appealed, although Bulgargaz must now issue a new decision on the disclosure request.
