site.btaBulgaria Threatened with Infringement Procedures over Regional Waste Depots

Bulgaria Threatened with Infringement Procedures over Regional Waste Depots


Stara Zagora, December 21 (BTA) - Bulgaria is still under the
threat of being sanctioned over its regional waste depots,
Environment and Water Minister Ivelina Vassileva told
journalists at the Rakitnitsa Village. She recalled that in
April 2014 an action has been brought before the Court of
Justice of the European Union against this country over its
regional waste management systems, which are not compliant with
the European legislation. Old landfills are nor removed at
certain places either.

Minister Vassileva, along with Regional Governor Georgi Ranov
and Stara Zagora Mayor Zhivko Todorov, inspected the
construction of a regional depot near the Rakitnitsa Village
(Stara Zagora Region), which will service the population of 12
local municipalities. The project has to be completed by the end
of 2015.

Twenty-one regional waste management systems are being built at
the moment and the construction of many of them is delayed
mostly due to ongoing appeals of the procedure. Minister
Vassileva said there has been a delay of the construction of the
depots in Samokov, Yambol and Byala, Rousse Region. The
Environment Ministry has set up a system for strict control,
mobilization of resources and support for the construction of
these facilities. Payment is reportedly made within two or three
days after the handling of the relevant documents, submitted to
the Ministry.

The depots are being built with financing under Operational
Programme Environment. A total of 830 million leva were
allocated to Bulgaria for the 2007-2014 period. The funding
envisaged for the waste management systems during the new
programming period amount to 524 million leva. Bulgaria is ready
to ensure financing under the budget for accelerated closure of
the old landfills, in order to make up for the delay into
ensuring compliance with the EU legislation, the Environment
Minister noted.

She also said that the interedepartmental working group, set up
by order of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov after the latest
floodings, will come up with proposals for changes in the Water
Act by the year's end.