A few days ago the EC gave two months to this country to implement the European legislation in 4 areas, clean air being one of those. In case of negligence the Commission might file a trial against Bulgaria in Luxembourg. Some other 15 EU countries are in a similar situation. The bad news is that this one tops the rankings. Data of the European Environment Agency /EEA/ says that Sofia “enjoys” the dirtiest air, while the mining town of Pernik nearby is the leader among non-capital settlements. We are talking mainly about the so-called particulate matter and sulfur oxide. The strongest air pollution is observed mainly in winter, due mostly to the large-scale wood and coal heating activities. Next comes city traffic, which is getting heavier and heavier, while vehicles are still aging. By the way, a program for renewal of public transport has been going on for the past 2 – 3 years, gradually being implemented now. New buses, tramways and trolley cars appear in the streets – something that hadn’t happened for decades. The latest EEA report also tells us that the most polluting TPP in Europe can be found in Bulgaria – the state owned Maritsa Iztok 2, followed by similar facilities from Poland and Romania. Bulgaria takes the 7th position within the community, regarding the size of the expenses necessary for covering the damages of the enterprises, harmful to air, or the so-called hidden price of health. The report says that 95 percent of EU’s city population is exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution. Those are also among the main reasons for premature death within the EU. If urgent measures are not taken immediately “two generations will change, before people can breathe really clean city air”, the participants in a forum of the Committee of the Regions have recently warned. It was a Bulgarian mistake that the air pollution issue was not included among the areas of priority for funding by European funds over the initial 7 years after our EU accession. Two other sectors were the priority – water and waste management infrastructure. The late good news, reported by the new Environmental Minister Ivelina Vasileva is that measures for improvement of air quality will be among the priorities of the new 7-year-long period of EU funding – 2014 – 2020.
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From the distance of time, history and researchers will give their assessment of Bulgaria and its neighbourly relations in the first quarter of the 21st century. But even then, they will rely on the facts and perceptions of contemporaries about them...
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