The Council for Electronic Media has initiated a procedure to update the List of Events of Major Public Importance, which has not been changed since its adoption in 2011. This is clear from an official response from CEM toVolleyweek.bg. The regulator's actions come after high public interest and numerous signals received regarding the broadcasting of the matches of the Bulgarian national volleyball team in VNL 2026 on MAX One.
The reason forVolleyweek.bgto contact CEM was the European Commission's decision to approve the updated Polish list of events of major public importance. Volleyball holds an important place in it, which raised the question of what protection Bulgarian viewers have and what happened to the list adopted in our country 15 years ago.
On August 6,Volleyweek.bgsent an official inquiry to CEM. We asked whether the Bulgarian list had been notified to the European Commission, whether it had been updated since its adoption in 2011, and whether the regulator considered that the matches of our national volleyball teams at world and European championships and in the VNL represent events of high public interest.

CEM's response came within less than a week and reveals several important circumstances.

The list is from 2011 and has not been updated

CEM confirms toVolleyweek.bgthat the List of Events of Major Public Importance was adopted with Decision No. 140 of July 12, 2011. The same decision also adopted measures to protect audience access to these events.
After its adoption, the decision was sent to the Ministry of Culture to take action for notification to the European Commission.
Fifteen years later, however, CEM confirms toVolleyweek.bgsomething particularly important:
"The list has not been published in the Official Journal of the EU."

The regulator further confirms that since the adoption of the list in 2011, it has not been updated.

Volleyball is already on the list

Particularly important for Bulgarian volleyball is the fact that the international matches of the men's national team are now part of the List of Events of Significant Public Importance.
They were included under No. 6 upon its adoption in 2011.
CEM explicitly states toVolleyweek.bg, that it takes into account "the high public interest in the performance of the national volleyball teams and the high interest of the Bulgarian audience in volleyball as a whole."
This is particularly relevant after the events of June 2026.

The numerous signals regarding VNL also led to actions to update the list

In its official response, CEM confirms that it has received numerous signals regarding the broadcasting of the matches of the men's Volleyball Nations League in June 2026 on MAX One by "A1 Bulgaria".
It is in this context that the regulator announces that it has taken not only actions to clarify and resolve the specific case, but also actions to update the List of Events of Significant Public Importance.

Thus, the problem with access to television broadcasts of the national team in the VNL turns out to be one of the immediate reasons, after which the 15-year-old list is again on the regulator's agenda.

CEM has already contacted the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Culture

The procedure has already begun.
CEM has sent letters to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Youth and Sports requesting the two ministries to submit their proposals for updating the list.
After the draft is prepared, a public discussion will follow, during which interested parties will be able to submit opinions and proposals.
Volleyweek.bg has already sent a journalistic inquiry to the Ministry of Youth and Sports regarding the initiated procedure and the place of volleyball in the future updated list.
After receiving the answerVolleyweek.bg will inform its readers about the position of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

What's next?

Currently, CEM does not announce what specific changes will be made to the list. This will become clear after receiving proposals from the two ministries, drafting a project, and the planned public discussion.
The fact, however, is already present: 15 years after the adoption of the List of Events of Significant Public Importance, a procedure for its updating has begun, and this is happening after numerous signals related to the television broadcast of Bulgaria's matches in VNL 2026.
The international matches of the men's national volleyball team are already present in the current list, and CEM officially recognizes the high public interest in both our national teams and volleyball as a whole.
What specific changes will be proposed and how far the initiated procedure will go remains to be seen.Volleyweek.bgwill continue to monitor the topic.

graphics: volleyweek.bg