In brief
On February 26, 2027, Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport Georgi Peev asked Hungary’s transport minister to establish open navigation corridors for Bulgarian ships stuck in the Hungarian section of the Danube. The demand follows complaints from the Bulgarian Danube Chamber that dredging restrictions are blocking the river. The Bulgarian government has warned that it will bring the issue to European institutions if a solution is not found in time.
On February 26, 2027, Bulgaria’s Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev issued an urgent request to Hungary’s Minister of Transport and Investment, David Vitezy, to open navigation corridors along the Danube that would allow Bulgarian ships stranded in Hungarian waters for two months to proceed.
Peev’s statement, reported by BTA, came after the Bulgarian Danube Chamber (BDC) in Ruse had earlier that day contacted the ministry and Deputy Foreign Minister Hristo Polendakov, arguing that the river is navigable and that the blockage stems from Hungarian restrictions linked to dredging works.
In a phone conversation with Vitezy, the Bulgarian minister noted that securing time slots for vessel passage had become the main issue. The BDC had told Peev and other vessel owners that the main reason for the ships being stuck was the dredging activities on the Hungarian side of the river.
"The Bulgarian government is monitoring the situation and is prepared to raise the issue with European institutions if a timely solution is not found," said Peev, according to the ministry’s release.
Peev warned that the Bulgarian government will not hesitate to seek recourse through EU mechanisms if Hungary fails to provide a viable corridor for its maritime traffic.
