site.btaSofia Commits to Final Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides after Completion of Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme

The Council of Ministers has adopted a decision to commit to the final disposal of obsolete pesticides and plant protection products following the conclusion of the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme in December 2029, the cabinet reported in a press release after its weekly meeting on Wednesday.

The issue of obsolete pesticides in Bulgaria arose after 1990, as a result of the dissolution of the former Labour Cooperative Agricultural Farm (TKZS), or agricultural cooperatives, and the state-run Agri-Industrial Complexes (APK). To date, two pesticide disposal programmes have been implemented, through which more than 4,800 tonnes of expired pesticides and other plant protection products have been cleaned up. However, 173 warehouses in the country still remain contaminated with unusable pesticides, plant protection products, and hazardous waste, amounting to approximately 2,500 tonnes.

The Programme for Monitoring, Control and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides and Prevention Measures under the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, part of the Second Swiss Contribution to selected EU Member States, is aimed at reducing economic and social disparities within the European Union, is a continuation of previous efforts to dispose of obsolete pesticides from earlier programming periods.

The cleanup, remediation, and treatment of mixed waste will need to be financed by the Bulgarian side after the programme concludes in December 2029. Before the agreement under the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme can be signed, the Bulgarian government must officially commit to implementing these activities.

The Council of Ministers’ decision ensures the sustainability of the measures taken under the programme for the final disposal of obsolete pesticides in Bulgaria.