
Article 1 
Pursuant to its request submitted on 22 October 2008, the Republic of Bulgaria is hereby authorised to postpone the implementation of Decision 2008/477/EC in North Bulgaria until 31 December 2009 and in South Bulgaria until 31 December 2010, subject to the conditions set in Article 3.
Article 2 
For the purposes of this Decision:

— North Bulgaria means the administrative regions of Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Lovech, Pleven, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Russe, Turgovishte, Razgrad, Shumen, Silistra, Dobrich and Varna,
— South Bulgaria means the area around the town of Triavna, the region of Sofia, the city of Sofia as well as the administrative regions of Blagoevgrad, Pazardjik, Plovdiv, Smolyan, Kurdzhaly, Haskovo, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol and Burgas.
Article 3 
Bulgaria shall submit by 16 January 2010 a report on the implementation of Decision 2008/477/EC in North Bulgaria, the city of Sofia and the Region of Sofia and shall submit by 16 January 2011 a report covering its whole territory.
Article 4 
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Done at Brussels, 16 December 2008.
For the Commission
Viviane REDING
Member of the Commission