energy, regional policy, and financial and budgetary provisions. The chapter on freedom to provide services was closed. The total number of chapters Bulgaria and the EU have discussed so far is 26, 13 of which were closed. Bulgaria insists on being allowed transitional periods for all chapters opened on Wednesday, November 28. The time demanded for the adjustment of the energy sector is until December 31, 2012. It will be used to build storage facilities for keeping 90-day reserves of petrol and petroleum products and to collect the amount of fuel prescribed by the EU law. The EU insists on being provided with additional information in relation to this demand. Concerning the chapter on regional policy, Bulgaria wants to change the base used to compute the amount of financing under the EU structural and cohesion funds from 4 to 8 per cent of GDP. The EU considers this impossible at the moment. Bulgarian asked for a transitional period during which its contribution to the EU budget will be fixed in the form of percentage points of GDP. It is too early to discuss Bulgaria's requirements in this respect, the EU said.