site.btaBulgaria Shows Full Compliance with OECD Instruments, Awaits Decision on Joining Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee

Bulgaria has shown full compliance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) instruments and awaits the decision to join the Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee, the Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) said on its website on Thursday. 

This happened during the fifth meeting of the OECD Chemicals and Biotechnology Committee, which is being held at the organisation's conference centre in Paris. Bulgaria presented the country's compliance with 19 OECD Council Acts related to chemicals management.

Given the horizontal nature of the legislation on chemicals management and control of hazards from major accidents with hazardous chemicals, the Bulgarian delegation included experts from the Ministries of Environment and Water, Health, Agriculture and Food, Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as experts from the Executive Environmental Agency, the Regional Environmental and Water Inspectorates, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, the Executive Agency "Bulgarian Accreditation Service", the National Centre for Public Health and Analyses and the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Population Protection.

As part of the preventive policy instruments for the protection of environmental components, Bulgaria has introduced and implemented effective policies and practices to control the hazards of major accidents with hazardous chemicals and to manage chemicals in an environmentally sound manner throughout their lifecycle to limit the pressure from contamination with pesticides, biocides and industrial chemicals, the environment ministry added. This country is also committed to improving the capacity to monitor and control environmental components, to improve the public and business behaviour model towards neutrality and zero pollution, with the application of the polluter pays principle.

Bulgaria aims to achieve the sustainable development goals by implementing international and European requirements to strengthen the role and responsibility of industry to identify risks and provide information on chemicals to ensure their safe use, to achieve clean technologies and a circular economy and to reduce the content of hazardous substances by banning or restricting them, the release says.

An important aspect of implementing chemicals management legislation is informing and training industry and preparing it to meet the requirements and standards related to chemicals management. Activities to provide advice to industry on the implementation of legislation on the management of hazardous chemicals and the prevention of the risk of accidents involving hazardous chemicals are carried out by the National Chemicals Information Bureau. Up-to-date information is published on the Environment Ministry’s website.

As a member of the EU, Bulgaria has implemented European legislation and already applies high standards and policies for environmentally sound management of chemicals and control of hazards from major accidents with hazardous chemicals. The OECD has played a leading role in developing and implementing the highest standards in this area, the Ministry added.

At the end of January, the government approved the inclusion of additional measures in the national roadmap of cooperation activities with the OECD for the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the government press service said.

The national roadmap includes measures and activities aimed at supporting Bulgaria's progress in the OECD accession process.