The Cabinet approved Bulgaria's position in a case before the European Court of Justice on air quality

The government approved Bulgaria's position in a case before the European Court of Justice for imposing sanctions for non-compliance with our obligations for air quality.

Our country has provided information that it has taken measures and complied with the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU in 2017, as well as its obligations under European legislation regarding the agglomerations of Sofia, Plovdiv, North, Southwest and Southeast. Bulgaria points out that there is a steady and lasting tendency for constant reduction of the number of exceedances of the average daily norm of fine dust particles (PM10), as well as its achievement on the territory of more municipalities. Data for the average annual norm of PM10 are presented, which prove its observance for 2020 in the agglomerations of Sofia, North, Southwest and Southeast.

The significant improvement of air quality in recent years in terms of PM10 in all areas and agglomerations in the country proves that Bulgaria applies effective measures so that the period of exceeding the limit values ​​is as short as possible.

In the course of the court proceedings, Bulgaria will request the Court to reject the filed claim as inadmissible, respectively unfounded, as well as to reject the request of the EC for imposition of sanctions. In case these requests are not respected, the party will insist before the Court to impose a minimum amount of periodic penalty for partial respect of the claim of the EC only in respect of non-compliance with the average daily norms.