Proposed revisions to Bulgaria’s excise laws regarding the storage of rakia (a traditional fruit brandy) have sparked political and public debate over potential fines for home-distilled alcohol. The draft amendments to the Excise and Tax Warehouses Act were put to public discussion by the Finance Ministry on September 23.
Approached for comment, Finance Minister Galab Donev told journalists on Monday that the draft revisions target homemade rakia being used for commercial purposes, and not the one for personal consumption. He noted that 50% of the rakia produced in Bulgaria comes from distilleries for home use, but some of the bottles end up in retail outlets. Since the beginning of the year, the Customs Agency has seized 15,000 litres of rakia produced for home use in commercial establishments. The draft revisions prohibit the storage of such rakia in commercial facilities to both prevent tax evasion and protect citizens’ health, Donev explained.
“All day I have been having fun looking at memes that portray me as a regulatory authority peering through people’s windows and watching to see if they are drinking homemade rakia or not. I find this extremely amusing. But I want to make it clear that I will not be a regulatory authority for ordinary people who distill homemade rakia for personal and family use. However, I will act as a regulatory authority for those who abuse the trade in homemade rakia. Because this homemade rakia is produced under a special regime, with reduced excise duty rates, and is intended solely for personal use by people who own vineyards or other fruit orchards from which they produce this rakia,” said Donev.
The draft revisions triggered reactions from the opposition parties in the National Assembly.
In a Facebook post, MP of GERB-UDF Alexander Ivanov wrote it was “a bad omen to act against people’s homemade rakia.” According to him, the draft revisions elaborated by the Finance Ministry are a blow to the people’s rakia. “You will be prohibited from storing homemade rakia if you are not the person who paid the excise duty for its distillation or a member of their family. That practically means you will be prohibited from gifting homemade rakia to neighbours, friends, and distant relatives,” Ivanov argued.
MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Atidzhe Alieva-Veli commented on Facebook that Progressive Bulgaria “has set its sights on homemade rakia.” In her words, the amendments proposed by the Council of Ministers mean that anyone who possesses homemade rakia and is not a member of a family that produces it is considered a violator and will be fined EUR 1,000, she noted. “It seems that a long-standing Bulgarian tradition – the production and consumption of homemade rakia – will become a major source of revenue for the state treasury. Our group will propose revisions to prevent this from happening,” the MRF member said.
Democratic Bulgaria is drafting a bill that will allow producers of small quantities of homemade alcohol to comply with the law without fear, without having to hide, and without being harassed by inspections regarding homemade rakia received as a gift from others, the political party’s press office reported. “We are proposing a bill developed in collaboration with experts and various stakeholders that will allow people to freely produce, give as gifts, and sell small quantities of rakia and wine. This initiative will put an end to the nonsense the Government is currently perpetrating. Everything will be within the bounds of the law, without home producers having to worry that someone from the Customs Agency will knock on their door and ask, ‘May I come in to inspect your rakia’,” said Bozhidar Bozhanov, Co-Chair of the Yes, Bulgaria party within the Democratic Bulgaria coalition.
Yes, Bulgaria Co-Chair Ivaylo Mirchev considers it foolish not only the Finance Ministry’s proposal to fine people who have at home homemade rakia received as a gift, but also Minister Donev’s remarks on Monday that these people will not, after all, be fined. “This is so ridiculous – ‘yes, it is forbidden, but we will not go after you.’ But this is what happens when mid-level bureaucrats are promoted to ministers,” Michev commented. He said Yes, Bulgaria has been working for several months on amendments to the Wine and Spirits Act that will bring small producers into the open, so that they can sell limited quantities of rakia and wine produced from their own raw materials. This will bring these small producers into the open and solve the problem of illegal private alcohol in some establishments. “There is a problem, but it cannot be solved by punishing everyone who receives a bottle of rakia as a gift,” said Mirchev.
Continue the Change Chairman Assen Vassilev wrote on Facebook that if he does not finish the bottle of homemade rakia he has in his fridge with friends before the 2027 budget is passed, he will be fined EUR 1,000. The party has launched a petition titled “Hands Off Homemade Rakia.” The Finance Ministry’s proposal would ban the possession of homemade rakia produced by another person, unless you are a member of that person’s family and they are listed as the recipient on the excise document, the political party stated. Its petition outlines three requests for public discussion. The first is to preserve the tradition of homemade rakia by ensuring the possibility of production for personal use and for gifting among friends and neighbours, without these instances being equated with unregulated trade. Second, to repeal the bans and fines on homemade rakia given as gifts for personal use, including the EUR 1,000 fine for individuals who possess homemade rakia received from someone outside their family. Third, homemade rakia produced for personal and family use should be exempt from excise duty, subject to clear safety and control regulations.
Draft Amendments Concerning Homemade Rakia Brandy Spark Political, Public Debate 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-29 12:47:00
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