EN Official Journal of the European Union C 241/24

DECISION No 581

of 2 July 2009

on the opening of a procedure for granting authorisation for exploration of oil and natural gas — underground natural resources in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 1, section 3 of the Underground Natural Resources Act, at Block ‘Kilifarevo’, located in the territory of North Central Bulgaria and notification of a tendering procedure for the granting of authorisation

2009/C 241/11

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

Pursuant to Article 42, paragraph 1, section 1 and Article 44, paragraph 3 in conjunction with Article 5, section 2 and Article 7, paragraph 1, section 9 of the Underground Natural Resources Act,

THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS HAS DECIDED:

1. To open a procedure for granting authorisation for exploration of oil and natural gas at Block ‘Kilifarevo’, with a surface area of 20 km2 and with the coordinates of boundary points 1 to 4 in accordance with the Annex.

2. To announce that the granting of authorisation under section 1 will be based on a call for tenders.

3. To specify that the period covered by the authorisation for exploration will be five years after the date of the entry into force of the exploration contract, with a right to extension of this period under Article 31, paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Underground Natural Resources Act.

4. The deadline for purchasing the tender dossier is 16:00 on the 120th day after the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. The tender dossier can be purchased from Room 427 at the building of the Ministry of the Environment and Water, bul. Knyaginya Mariya-Luisa 22, Sofia.

5. The deadline for submission of applications for participation in the call for tenders is 16:00 on the 135th day after the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. The applications for participation in the call for tenders should be submitted to the registry of the Ministry of the Environment and Water, bul. Knyaginya Mariya-Luisa 22, Sofia.

6. The deadline for submission of bids is 16:00 on the 155th day after the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union. The bids should be submitted to the registry of the Ministry of the Environment and Water, bul. Knyaginya Mariya-Luisa 22, Sofia.

7. Bids received by the deadline in section 6 shall be opened by the Committee under section 10.2 in the presence of representatives of the participants on the 156th day after the date of publication of this Decision in the Official Journal of the European Union at the building of the Ministry of the Environment and Water, bul. Knyaginya Mariya-Luisa 22, Sofia. Within 14 days from the date of opening of the bids the Committee shall examine and evaluate the bids and classify the participants.

7.1. If none of the bids under section 7 meets the requirements specified in the call for tenders, the Committee shall extend the deadline so that the participants can improve their bids, of which they will be informed in writing.

7.2. Within 14 days of receipt of the bids under 7.1 the Committee shall convene a meeting at which it will examine and evaluate the improved bids and classify the participants.

8. The deposit for participation in the call for tenders is set at BGN 15 000.

8.1. The deposit must be paid by the deadline for the submission of applications for participation in the call for tenders under section 5.

8.2. The deposit shall be paid to the bank account indicated in the tender dossier.

8.3. The deposit of the successful bidder and the deposits of participants who have failed to meet the requirements specified in the call for tenders will be forfeited. The deposits of the other participants will be reimbursed within a period of 14 days after the publication in the State Gazette of the Decision of the Council of Ministers granting authorisation for exploration to the successful bidder.

9. The Council of Ministers shall lay down other requirements related to the call for tenders:

9.1. In the event of an appeal under Article 47, paragraph 3 of the Underground Natural Resources Act the deadlines in sections 6 and 7 shall be extended by the number of days required to take a decision on the appeal, of which the participants whose applications have been accepted will be notified in writing.

9.2. The price of the tender dossier is BGL 13 500.

9.3. The tender dossier may be purchased by persons with power of representation or by authorised representatives.

9.4. The call for tenders will take place even if only one applicant is admitted to participate.

9.5. Applicants for participation in the call for tenders must comply with the requirements specified in Article 23, paragraph 1 of the Underground Natural Resources Act.

9.6. The applications for participation in the call for tenders shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with Article 46, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Underground Natural Resources Act and the conditions of the competition dossier.

9.7. The bids should comply with the requirements and conditions indicated in the tender dossier.

9.8. The bids shall be evaluated as set out in the tender dossier, on the basis of the applicants’ managerial and financial capacities, proposed work programmes, and the resources devoted to environmental protection and training or technical innovation.

9.9. If by the deadline under section 5 no application for participation in the call for tenders has been received or no applicant has been accepted for participation in the call for tenders, the call for tenders shall be cancelled.

10. The Minister for the Environment and Water is authorised:

10.1. To send the text of this Decision for publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and in the State Gazette, and also on the website of the Council of Ministers.

10.2. To organise the conduct of the call for tenders. The minister shall be appointed president of the committee. The members of the committee shall be appointed by its president in accordance with Article 44, paragraph 7 of the Underground Natural Resources Act.

11. Appeals against this Decision can be addressed to the Supreme Administrative Court within 14 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Prime Minister Sergei STANISHEV Principal Secretary of the Council of Ministers Vesselin DAKOV