In the press

The Plovdiv waste collection fee will be appealed before the European Court in Luxembourg, the European Commission and the European Court of Human Rights, the city’s Tourism Council announced today. Some time ago the Plovdiv Administrative Court annulled the Municipal Council’s decision on the waste fee for 2009; later the Supreme Administrative Court left the fee in force, on the grounds of the claimants’ “lack of legal interest”.

The Municipality of Plovdiv unlawfully included in the waste fee costs that have nothing to do with collecting waste and cleaning the city. […] This was explained yesterday by attorney Evelina Bozhikova, who won at first instance the case against the local municipal council’s decision on the waste fee.

According to the lawyers’ calculations, the municipality unlawfully overcharged 12.88 million leva.

The municipality faces the unprecedented situation of returning to taxpayers money withheld as a waste fee in 2009. The levy was annulled by a decision of the Plovdiv Administrative Court of 30 June […]. More than a hundred companies and citizens had joined the claim. […] On behalf of the companies and citizens the case was led by the renowned Plovdiv attorneys Evelina Bozhikova and Emilia Nedeva.

Attorney Evelina Bozhikova works only in the field of civil law. “Next year I will have thirty years of practice as an attorney,” she reckons. She has specialised in corporate and administrative law, and works successfully in tax and copyright law, competition and privatisation.

“It is emblematic, because we met as best man and maid of honour at a wedding. I was invited by the bride, and Sevdalin by the groom” […], Evelina says.

In the first year of the present administration a team of lawyers drew up clear rules for public-private partnership, revealed Evelina Bozhikova, one of the authors of the project. […] According to attorney Bozhikova, adopting these rules would allow the Municipality of Plovdiv to organise new public-private partnerships without fear, because its interests would be protected.

Evelina Bozhikova has been an attorney at the Plovdiv Bar since 1981. She specialises mainly in commercial and corporate law, tax law, administrative law and litigation.

“I am a Libra, and that gives me a sense of justice. This gift, combined with the profession of the attorney, who has only one boss – the client – has given me the freedom to oppose the status quo. It has made me a fighter. Opposition is a professional challenge for me, but I join the fight as far as I have legal mechanisms for it, because I deeply respect the lawful means of resistance.”

Seventy companies and citizens are now challenging the Municipality of Plovdiv over the waste fee, on the grounds that it was set unlawfully. Case No. 317 has been brought before the Administrative Court against a decision of the local council of 22 January this year, which approved the amount of the levy and the budget for cleaning. […] The case is growing like an avalanche. New companies and citizens are joining it, said attorney Evelina Bozhikova.

The municipality has regained the company “Riton”, after the District Court yesterday issued its decision on the matter. The judges announced the outcome of the claims in the register of court decisions. […] Yesterday the District Court also ruled on the other case, brought by attorney Evelina Bozhikova.