Bulgarian restaurants fail to meet EU standards... and other European news

99% of Bulgarian restaurants are not up to EU standard
Holidaymakers going to Bulgaria's Black Sea coast are being warned to be careful where they eat after the revelation that 99% of Bulgarian restaurants do not adhere to European Union standards. The country is expected to join the EU in 2007, but an investigation by a local paper has revealed that only 1% of the 12,000 registered restaurants meet EU standards for quality and hygiene. The investigation also revealed that more than 90% of Bulgarian cooks were unaware of EU restaurant regulations.

Sofia Hotel Balkan aquires Belgrade hotel
Sofia Hotel Balkan in the Bulgarian capital, part of the Sheraton chain, has acquired Belgrade's Hotel Metropole from insurance company Dunav Osiguranje for €27.4m (£18.6m) and will invest €20m (£13.6m) in its renovation to make it a luxury establishment. Sofia Hotel Balkan's owner Yoanis Nikolaos Daskalantonakis said that his company is planning on acquiring two more hotels in Belgrade as part of its strategy to acquire a number of luxury hotels in southeastern Europe.

Source: CEN

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