The Ministry of Agriculture and Food maintains its position for Bulgaria to be exempt from cultivating GMO crops. According to Directive 2001/18/EC, by October 3, 2015, each member state has the opportunity to indicate whether it wishes to ban the cultivation of GMO products for which an application has been submitted or a permit has been issued. This guarantees the impossibility of adjusting the geographical scope of cultivated GMO crops based on received applications for their cultivation. Through these actions, Bulgaria bans the cultivation of 9 types of genetically modified corn, soy, and carnation:

1. corn Bt11xMIR604xGA21;

2. corn MIR604;

3. corn GA 21;

4. corn Bt11;

5. corn 1507 x 59122;

6. corn 59122;

7. corn 1507;

8. corn MON 810;

9. soy 40-3-2;

10. carnation Moonshadow 1

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has sent 10 notification letters to the European Commission, guaranteeing that GMO products will not be cultivated in our country. Brussels confirmed they have received Bulgaria's request and the companies that have expressed an intention to plant GMO crops here have 30 days to respond whether they agree, clarified the Commission's spokesperson Enrico Brivio: "If the companies do not accept the request, Bulgaria has a second opportunity to impose the ban on GMO cultivation. It must again present a reasoned opinion according to another directive, citing reasons of significant public interest – for example related to environmental protection policy, agriculture, land management, or socio-economic consequences."