site.btaBulgaria Vows to Take Tangible Steps for Improving Air Quality

Brussels/Sofia, March 6 (BTA) - Speaking at a news conference after a meeting of the EU environment ministers in Brussels, Bulgarian Environment Minister Neno Dimov said that air quality will remain a top priority during his tenure and that Bulgaria has made considerable progress in this field in the past six years with a number of cities showing improvements.

Dimov was speaking to the press jointly with Karmenu Vella, the EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and with Miguel Arias Canete, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, said the Environment Ministry.

Dimov mentioned as an example Sofia where the average annual air pollution readings have been lowered but the daily permissible levels are exceeded on some says. It shows that more work remains to be done, the Minister said.

The Minister vowed to keep a promise he had made to Commissioner Vella for presenting an action plan for improving air quality on national level with clear measures, deadlines and competent authority. A World Bank project is due before the end of March to propose specific measures to be undertaken.

Commissioner Vella said that Bulgaria is taking steps to address its air pollution issue and is regularly updating the European Commission on these. Improvement is visible in some areas but there are things that remain to be done, he also said, as quoted by the Bulgarian Environment Ministry.