At a briefing following Thursday's extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov addressed protesting miners and energy workers.
“I want to call on all protesters to take note of what I am about to say. What we are doing is the best possible thing for them, and for the country as a whole. A good part of their demands today are based on false or distorted information. The deadline for submitting papers to the European Commission is tomorrow, Saturday, September 30,” Denkov said. His statement was in connection with the Territorial Just Transition Plans discussed on Thursday concerning the closure of coal-fired power plants.
Denkov said that there can be no more postponement because Bulgaria risks losing billions. He added that the papers this country is submitting clearly state that coal power plants will operate until 2023.
Denkov pointed out that there are no set dates for the closure of specific coal-fired power plants. “For economic reasons, some of them will phase out of the energy system simply because it will not be possible for them to function anymore,” he said.
Denkov added that it is crucial to create mechanisms so that qualified personnel can find employment in the region concerned.
The Prime Minister said that negotiations with the European Commission will take place in the next two months. He argued that this time is enough to outline the solutions that have already emerged as a common framework.
“After November 30, the EC should present all Member States with our agreement. And by the end of December, every Member State must have agreed to what we are proposing. If this does not happen, then the funding will be lost, and the consequences for the regions concerned will be dire,” Denkov added.
/DT/
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