International Arbitration Comparative Guide

1 Legal framework

1.1 What is the relevant legislation on arbitration in your jurisdiction? Are there any significant limitations on the scope of the statutory regime – for example, does it govern oral arbitration agreements?

Arbitration proceedings in Bulgaria are regulated mainly by the International Commercial Arbitration Act. In addition, the Civil Procedure Code and the International Private Law Code contain provisions on certain arbitration matters.

According to the International Commercial Arbitration Act, the arbitration agreement must be concluded in written form. An agreement is considered to be in written form if it is reflected in a document signed by the parties or in an exchange of letters, telexes, telegrams or other forms of communication. Further, an arbitration agreement is considered to have been concluded when the respondent agrees to arbitration in written form or through a statement included in the minutes of the arbitration proceedings, or participates in the