site.btaBulgarian Environment Minister Dimov Shares EU Council Presidency Experience with Romanian Counterpart Gavrilescu

112 POLITICS - ENVIRONMENT - BULGARIA - ROMANIA

Bulgarian Environment Minister Dimov
Shares EU Council Presidency Experience
with Romanian Counterpart Gavrilescu


Bucharest, August 6 (BTA) - Bulgarian Environment Minister Neno Dimov shared the experience of the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency and the progress achieved on environmental topics with Romanian Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Gratiela Gavrilescu, Dimov's Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

Dimov paid a working visit to Romania at Gavrilescu's invitation in connection with the EU Council Presidency which will rotate to Romania on January 1, 2019. In a constructive dialogue, the Bulgarian Environment Minister assured his Romanian counterpart that when preparing for the Romanian Presidency, she can rely on full support and the expertise built by Bulgaria.

The two also discussed the "double standards" that have been broadly debated in various configurations of the EU Council in recent months. According to Dimov, this subject is not limited to food quality but extends to other areas with direct bearing on human health and the environment.

The ministers also commented on the bans on diesel cars recently imposed in some West European countries and the ensuring increase of the import of such vehicles to lower income countries, including Bulgaria.

"The pragmatic approach requires that countries which impose such market-distorting bans should be unable to export cars that do not conform to particular standards," Dimov argued.

In his opinion, this responsibility should be regulated at the EU level. At the same time, Member States should be able to adopt national measures specific to their conditions so as to meet their targets for reducing transport emissions and pursue low-carbon mobility, the Bulgarian Environment Minister emphasized. LI/LG
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