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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
It
is expected that the initiation of the EU pre-accession instruments will lead to
a significant increasing of grant amounts. The three instruments are directly
concerned with urban development issues (ISPA for environmental improvements and
transport accessibility, SAPARD mainly for rural development and PHARE for
socio-economic cohesion through various projects, incl. development of business
structure, renewal of residential areas, transport etc.).
International Conventions, Agreements and Forums
In 1995 Bulgaria ratified the UN Convention on Climate Changes and in 1998 it signed the Kyoto Protocol on the limitation of national carbon dioxide emissions. In observation of those documents, monitoring of emissions is carried out and a national emission reduction action plan was elaborated and related to the National Energy Efficiency Programme approved by the National Assembly.
In 1999 Bulgaria ratified the Framework Convention on Transboundary Cooperation which increases the possibilities for direct cooperation between local and regional authorities from both sides of the boundary and facilitates the exchange of activity-related information between various levels and partners. Transboundary cooperation programmes were adopted and agreed between the governments of Greece, Macedonia and Rumania and many meetings and seminars for participants from those countries were conducted. The programs with Rumania and Greece receive financial assistance under the EU PHARE Programme. Bulgaria has participated in the South-Eastern Europe Stability Treaty ever since its creation in 1999, but this has not lead to a tangible effects so far.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
In
1997-1999 a National Housing Strategy was drafted within a project of the
British Know-How Fund, outlining the housing reform orientation, principles and
specific mechanisms.
A National Sustainable
Commission was established in the Republic of Bulgaria with Decision No. 1 of
the Regional Development Council, dated July
2, 1999. Its chairman is the Minister of Environment and Waters and its members
are the ministers of Labour and Social Care, of Healthcare, of Agriculture and
Forests, of Culture, and the deputy-ministers of Tourism, Economy and Regional
Development.
Gradual introduction of the principles for integration of
environment protection requirements into the management of all areas of the
Bulgarian economy has started.
For this purpose all branch plans and
development programmes include special environment management and protection
measures.
Also, achieving of more with less is attempted i.e. efforts are
made to use our skills more than our resources, through, for example,
elaboration of strategies, plans and programs by local authorities using their
own skills and capacities and not expending finances for elaboration by external
institutions.
The goals at hand are also prioritised
which also saves resources. All
environment protection regulatory documents in Bulgaria concern sustainable
development.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
Many organisations are involved in international cooperation, including
public and private organisations and representatives of donor programmes at
various levels and in various sectors, and the imperfect communication among
them causes insufficient coordination and, often, duplication of activities. This is the reason why the Ministry of Environment
and Waters initiated in 1999 annual meetings of donors where they discuss
projects and opportunities for cooperation in the environmental field.
Following
the Istanbul Conference in 1998, direct relations and partnerships between
Bulgarian municipalities and municipalities from other countries have become
significantly more active, and are, in most cases, in line with the objectives
of Agenda 21.
Programmes and Projects
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
This programme
is authorised to support sustainable human
development through good governance. Efficient
coordination of the assistance is an important feature of good governance and,
therefore, UNDP is trying to encourage and participate in the better
coordination of grants in Bulgaria. With
regard to the development priorities for Bulgaria, the UNDP is guided by a plan
agreed with the government. The framework
agreement for cooperation for the period 1997-2000 has reoriented the efforts of
UNDP towards poverty alleviation and jobs creation, capacity building for better
governance and environment protection. Currently
the organisation supports 30 projects throughout the country.
The
Capacity 21 programme of the UNDP is extremely active in the
national and local level implementation of Agenda 21. This program assists in
the testing of sustainable development models at the local level and, as of the
year 2000, at the regional level. A National Sustainable Development Commission
was established through its assistance (1999). Significant analytical and
information work for sustainable development, elaboration of educational
programmes and materials and media relations are conducted.
Bilateral
Cooperation Programmes
The carrying out of the
programs for implementation of the EU directives and their investment plans will
ensure the achievement of the medium-term objective of integration of the
principle of sustainable development into all other sectoral policies.
The implementation
of programmes is evaluated and foreign financial sources are indicated.
The programmes described below are mainly aimed to allow external
impact and are not oriented toward multilateral financing for cooperation in
sustainable development.
A large donor is the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). Other project
donors are the Confederacy
of Switzerland, the US Environment Protection Agency, the UN Development
Programme, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the British
Know-How Fund, the Principality of Monaco, the International Atomic Agency of
Vienna, UNESCO, the Ramsar Bureau of the Wetlands Convention, the World Bank.
The EU is of significant importance through the national PHARE
Programme and through other programmes which are financial tools for integration
into the EU structures.
The GEF has funded the following projects:
Confederacy of Switzerland
– the Bulgarian Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme.
British
Know-How Fund: Solid waste management project.
Program for
reduction of environmental damages caused by previous actions and inactions
The actual implementation of such programs started in 1998. They represent
part of the governmental mechanism for solving problems related to old pollution
the area of privatized industrial plants. The funds are allocated from the state
budget on the basis of two contracts signed with the World Bank.
Economic
Policy Implementation Programmes
Pursuant
to an agreement signed between the governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and
the Kingdom of Denmark for cooperation in environmental protection, mainly three
investment projects are being implemented.
Based on an agreement between the MOEW and the Ministry of
Construction, Territorial Planning and the Environment of the Kingdom of
Holland, several projects are implemented, with special emphasis on jointly
implemented projects.
PHARE Programme
The 1998-1999 financial memoranda are important for institutional
building of the state administration and of institutional projects under the
so-called Twinning scheme.
The Development of Implementation Strategies for Approximation in
Environment (DISAE)
the Tempus Programme, and the Copernicus Programme are the others involved in
technical assistance, approximation of the EU legislation, improvement of state
officials for ecological management of natural resources etc.
Status
No information exists
about the amount of funds dedicated to the areas under Agenda 21. Although
Reports on International Cooperation for Development-Bulgaria are developed
annually, it is difficult to differentiate between and regionalize the projects
under implementation. Viewed by sector, international support is oriented mainly
to government and the economy (56%), infrastructure (17%) and industry (15%).
The remaining relatively small part is distributed approximately equally between
social development, healthcare, environment and “others”.
Bulgaria
participated actively in the elaboration of the Guidelines for Sustainable
Spatial Development of the European Continent, adopted in September 2000 by the
European Conference of Ministers Responsible for Spatial Planning in the
European Council Member States, and in the elaboration of Strategies for Complex
Spatial Development of the Central European, Danubian and Adriatic Space (Vision
Planet).
Challenges
The financial restrictions do not allow broad
participation of representatives, particularly of the public sector, into the
many international Agenda 21 implementation activities.
Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
In
1998 a Regional Conference was held in Sofia within the Campaign for Sustainable
European Cities organised by the International Council for Local Environmental
Initiatives (ICLEI), where a Charter for Sustainable Development of Cities in
Central and Eastern Europe was adopted.
Information
Assisted
by the ICLEI in the year 2000, Bulgaria became involved in the Global City
Observatory by developing a national urban development database, and databases
and reports for 4 cities.
Since
1997 Bulgaria has been part of the EU Environmental Monitoring and Information
network. This network includes 42 monitoring points from the National
Environmental Monitoring System. It allows the participation of the Bulgarian
Executive Environmental Agency in EIONET, the telematic network of the European
Environmental Agency.
The national Bulgarian web sites are:
Research and Technologies
No information available
Financing
The 1996-1997 economic
situation and the enormous efforts
of the national institutions to achieve macroeconomic and financial stability
have made external assistance a decisive factor in the implementation of
national strategies, plans and programs, including those related to the
objectives of Agenda 21. The international community responds to this need. In
1998 external support reached 1.5 bln. dollars which is an increase of 45% as
compared to the preceding year, and 13% of this amount is granted while the
remainder is from loans (in 1997 the grants amounted to 22%). Most donors have
re-oriented their projects in support of the accelerated economic reforms in
Bulgaria, but 50% of the entire amount is aimed to support the balance of
payments.
The National Trust Ecofund
was established on July 14, 1995.
With the signing of the Debt for Nature swap agreement between the
governments of Bulgaria and Switzerland, the Swiss party agreed to write off 20%
of the Bulgarian debt provided that this money is used to finance environmental
projects.
The National Trust Ecofund has also received financing from other
international donors.
The moneys from this fund are used to finance or co-finance
environmental projects in Bulgaria of national or international priority,
assistance for the transfer of environmental -how.
Cooperation
Regional Cooperation
·
Agreement
between the MOEW and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Macedonia
for Cooperation in Environmental Protection signed in Sofia on June 9, 2000;
·
Agreement
for Environmental Cooperation between the government of the Republic of Bulgaria
and the government of the Republic of Turkey signed in Ankara on July 28, 1997;
·
A Protocol between the MOEW and the
Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Serbia for Cooperation in
Environmental Protection signed in Sofia on November 15, 1996;
·
Convention between the government of the
Republic of Bulgaria and the government of the Republic of Rumania in
Environmental Protection signed in Sofia on December
9, 1991; and
·
Declaration of the South Eastern
European Countries for Environmental Cooperation signed in Sofia on December
2, 2000.
International Co-operation
The main activities for development of multilateral financing for
cooperation are as follows:
* * *
This information was provided by the Government of Bulgaria to the 5th, 8th and 9th Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: May 2001.
Click here for the ECE Statistical country profile for Bulgaria
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information available
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
According to Bulgarian legislation and international negotiations, a special import-export licence is needed for precious metals and products, intoxicating substances, nuclear material, equipment, gunpowder and explosives, weapons and etc.
The Ministry of Environment and Water suggested to change customs fees for pneumatic tires, regenerated and from the types used by automobiles and buses and trucks (fee N 4012 10 30 0; 4012 10 50 0; 40 12 10 80 0; 4012 20 90 0)
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
The trade policy at the domestic level is focused on the establishment of the market principles governing trade, and full compliance with the respective World Trade Organisation (WTO) commitments and obligations.
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
No information available
Programmes and Projects
No information available
Status
The recent Asian crisis caused reduction of the prices of goods and raw material. This reflected the export of chemical products in Bulgaria, which was reduces in 30% in 1998 according to 1997 and 7% for the period January-November 1999 according to the same period in 1998. The reduction of the export of chemical products led to reduction of their production as well.
The fast privatization and new investments in textile industry led to increase of the export of the goods of that sector of economy. For the period 1997-1998, the export of clothes and accessories increased by 27% and for the period January-November 1999 by 28%.
Challenges
No information available
Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
No information available
Information
As a member of WTO, Bulgaria provides information (so called notification) for the legislative amendments assumed after 1996 and the implementation of the requirements on international trade agreements.
The full overview reports are not presented by the Ministry of Economy on the state of trade policy, investments and economy growth.
An analysis on trade policy, regional cooperation and liberalization of trade stock exchange, is under preparation, which has to be presented to OECD in June 2000.
The Agency for Economical Analyses and Prognoses (AEAP) takes part in the development of macroeconomic prognoses, strategies and helps the Government in its decision making process. AEAP is publishing monthly, 6 months periods and annual macroeconomic analyses. Monthly Business Surveys, semi-annual Reviews and Annual Report of the Macroeconomic Situation of Bulgaria are published in English and are received on subscription by IMF, World Bank, Institute for World economy in Kill, CEPR, London. The world wide web address of AEAP is www.online.bg/aeaf
In the framework of the Ministry of Economy, there are Services for trade-economy activities in 60 cities in different countries. The Ministry of Economy sents monthly information, via e-mail or radiograms, about macroeconomic state in the country, data for foreign trade, information for future privatization of enterprises, information about legislation and etc. These Services are responsible for information dissemination in those countries for potential investors.
In the framework of the Ministry of Economy there is an export promotion centre. The centre helps the Bulgarian export and daily contacts with foreign dealers, provides commercial information and methodological help for the realization of Bulgarian goods in foreign markets. There are collaboration between STEA and CEE.
The national Bulgarian web sites are:
Research and Technologies
No information available
Financing
No information available
Cooperation
The establishment of an Europe Agreement between the European Union and its member states on the one hand and the Republic of Bulgaria on the other hand is providing the appropriate framework for the gradual integration of Bulgaria into the Union. Full Union membership is a priority for the country.
Bulgaria's European Agreement sets out the following objectives:
The conclusion of such an agreement testifies to the political will of the parties concerned and contributes to the fulfilment of the basic principles on which the European Union is founded. To this effect, the association agreement is a necessary prerequisite for an accession agreement and full membership.
The import of investments, as a result of privatization after 1997 are followed by the investments of the new owners, the renovation of the technologies in the enterprises. For the period 1997-1998 the export of investment stocks increased with 25% and for the period January-November 1999 the increase is with 45% according to the same period in 1998.
There are not special studies how the investments have impact on the environment, but we have to admit that their impact will be positive, because there are special rules in privatization contracts about purification installations and former ecological contaminations.
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This information was provided by the Government of Bulgaria to the 5th and 8th Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: May 2000.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Currently, there is no competent state authority in Bulgaria dealing with the models of sustainable consumption and production. The Government considers that the Ministry of Industry should commit itself to these questions. At the local level, Bulgaria is divided into 28 districts, and the competent administrative authorities are responsible for management relating to sustainable consumption and production.
Decision Making: Legislation and Regulations
During the privatization process, the Agency for Small and Medium-size Enterprises, as well as some Bulgarian and international funds, give credits for projects mainly to small and medium-size enterprises in order to encourage the sustainable consumption and production models. Meanwhile, short-term strategies for the period 1999 - 2001 have been developed for certain branches of light industry. A peculiarity in the development is to guide substantially the production facilities on the basis of the state of production, range stability, empty niches, etc. For securing competition, the attention of the producers was drawn to the specific questions laid down in the guidelines.
There are no legal or other regulations for encouraging sustainable consumption and production in light industry. The delay is due to the prolonged process of privatization and the poor economic state of the country at the moment.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
There is no strategy for sustainable consumption and production patterns. Because of the current trend towards rapid and efficient privatization, it was considered useless to develop branch and national strategies and long-term working programs for the proposed models. The national objectives for light industry can be summarized as follows:
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
No information available
Programmes and Projects
The Program for Energy Efficiency Production in Light Industry for the period 1997 - 2000 is a part of the National Energy Efficiency Program and was developed in compliance with the National Energy Efficiency Plan and Reduction of the Emissions of Greenhouse Gases - Contract DOE-1/93, financially secured by the State Department of the USA, within the range of the worldwide program concerning these issues. Special attention in the programs is paid to the environmental and social aspects of sustainable consumption and production.
Within the framework of the PHARE project BG 9307-02/1997, on "District energy planning for Haskovo and Lovech districts," five enterprises are included as demonstration projects to increase energy efficiency. The projects were implemented in 1998. The second part of the project has to be finalized in 1999 with an additional four demonstration projects in light industry.
Status
Within the framework of the light industry and its branches for the purposes of energy saving and other resources, the following measures have been undertaken:
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
Energy Efficiency Strategy to Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The goal of the project is to introduce practices at the municipality level that overcome barriers to improved energy efficiency and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other environmental pollutants. The project contains two elements:
The Capacity Building activities are the basis of the project. All other activities are designed to strengthen them. The Capacity Building activities focus on municipalities as critical political and socio-economic units in Bulgaria. They include municipal energy management, training and financing activities. Supporting Demonstrations in street lighting, districts heating and building retrofit projects show how Capacity Building can be applied to real projects. Project Management supports these efforts and the rapid diffusion of Capacity Building and Demonstrations to other municipalities, reaching at least 30 municipalities - a critical mass for ensuring that the reforms continue throughout the country after the project is concluded. The Development objective is to overcome barriers to increase energy efficiency and to the associated reductions in GHG emissions.
Information
During the current privatization process, a Law for information is being developed. It has to guaranty access to appropriate information about the different enterprises and branches. The main goals are:
Research and Technologies
During processing in the leather industry, environmental friendly technologies should be used as follows:
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
The Energy Efficiency Center , discussed above, is being developed jointly by the Governments of Bulgaria and Japan through an Agreement. The project for Energy Efficiency Strategy to Decrease Greenhouse Gas Emission is being supported by the Global Environment Fund and USAID. It will be implemented in a Demonstration Zone in the City of Gabrovo. The GEF share of the project is US$ 2.575 million; USAID is contributing US$ 0.9 million.
Industrial enterprises consume about two-thirds from the global energy resources of the country. It is obvious that determination of energy efficiency in the industry is very important. The Government of Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of Japan have signed the Agreement for the establishment of Energy Efficiency Center in the industry in 1995. The Center works on the problems of energy efficiency and environmental protection together with the Japanese specialists. The Center investigates the energy consumption and possibilities for implementation of measures for energy efficiency in the different industrial branches. The Center provides science and technical information and transfers energy efficiency technologies in the industry. There is an information system for analysis of energy consumption and energy efficiency management. The National program for energy efficiency in the different branches of the industry was developed together with the National agency for energy efficiency and a Draft Law for energy efficiency.
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This information was provided by the Government of Bulgaria to the 7th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. last update: April 1999.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
The Government is doing its best through available mechanisms, including privatization, to mobilize new and additional local resources to implement a range of actions for ensuring sustainability in the national economy. It has created room for investment activities by providing preferential treatment for investors. The main flows of financial resources are expected to come from the private sector, both national and foreign, the share of which was more than 40% of GNP in 1995.
It is calculated that in order to meet environmental, health, and social requirements, the chemical industry, for example, needs an investment of US$203 million, the metallurgic industry US$201 million, and the food industry US$31 million. Eighty percent of the total amount spent for environmental protection in 1994 came from local authorities and the business sector, while 14% came from the State budget and 4% from extra budgetary funds. The Government will also continue to rely on bilateral and multilateral international cooperation. It is open to reasonable financial innovations like the Swiss-Bulgarian debt-for-environment swap which is regarded as a win-win project of political goodwill.
Challenges
No information is available
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
No information is available
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This information was provided by the Government of Bulgaria to the 5th and 8th Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: June 2000.
For information on
participating States in the Global Environment Facility, click here:
For information about issues
and projects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia from the World Bank, click here:
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Transfer of Environmentally-Sound Technology
Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The governmental policy for the promotion of ESTs, is provided by the Ministry of Education and Science through the "Structure and technology policy" fund which promotes the activities for development and transfer of technologies.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The Patent Law, which was ratified in 1993, is harmonised with European norms and standards for the protection of intelllectual property rights which in the case of industrial rights, are connected with technology transfer.
Environmental Impact Assessment is one of the main criteria used for the evaluation of
projects and programmes to be funded.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
One example of a project in which stakeholders were brought together with a view to promote and improve the selection, transfer and application of environmentally sound technologies is in the Black Sea and Danube River projects.
There are, at present, no mechanisms to stimulate private sector for ecological production.
Programmes and Projects
Given the ecological problems of the Black sea and Danube river and the need to identify the pollution sources, the Ministry of Education and Science in collaboration with Ministry of Environment and Waters will assign a task force to elaborate the project "Monitoring analysis and summary regarding the Bulgarian coastal zone of the Black sea and Danube river". The final report of the working group has to be completed by 30.06.1998 and will assist in the decision making process and in the establishment of some measures such as:
Status
The most urgent needs for new technologies are related to following economical sectors: - energy production - mining production - chemical industry - non-ferrous metallurgy - building materials industry - animal husbandry and meat production.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training
and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
The Ministry has also established a National Technological Information Centre by the project BG 95.06-03 PHARE programme. A World Wide Web Site for the "Structure and technology policy" fund is presently being created.
Research and Technologies
The Ministry of Education and Science has presented projects on environmentally sound
technologies, financed by "Structure and technological policy" fund and National
fund "Science researches" in 1996 and 1997 at various technical exhibitions such
as that in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and the Leipzig fair in 17-20.09.1997.
Financing
The "Structure and technology policy" fund provides financial support for:
In the framework of the fund one of the priorities is ecology and environmental protection. The main criteria for these projects is assessment on impact of the environment and green products and patterns, which follow environmental standards. Among the programmes to be financed in 1998 are programmes for eco technologies in different branches of the industry.
Cooperation
No information is available.
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This information was provided by the Government of Bulgaria to the 6th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: May 1998.
Biotechnology
No information is available.
Click here to link to the Biosafety
Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS), a service of the United Nations
Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which monitors global developments in
regulatory issues in biotechnology.
Click here to go to the Web Site of UNEP's
International Register on Biosafety.
Click here for the International Centre
for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Biosafety WebPages
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available
Programmes and Projects
No information is available
Status
The principle threats from industry in Bulgaria come from the emissions of NOx, heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, dust and pollution of water. These threats come mostly from the ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, petro-chemical industry, basic chemicals industry, pharmaceutics industry, and the power plants associated to these industries. In the industrial sector, efforts are concentrated on solving specific problems in accordance with national and international regulations for the environment. Little large-scale investment for pollution control equipment has been made to date. As a result, the pollution and resource intensity of the economy remains very high. The recent reduction of discharges of pollutants into the air and water was principally due to the decline of industrial and agricultural production (due to the recession that took place before 1993) rather than to more efficient production or cleaner industrial processes. Pollution loads may increase once economic growth resumes, unless environmental policy is strengthened. In fact, the 1.4% growth of the GNP registered in 1994 was equal to an increase of 300,000 tons of emissions compared to 1993.
About 41% of the total population has been threatened by air and water pollution coming from the energy sector, industry, and transportation. Fourteen hot spots with high levels of pollution harmful to human health have been declared in the country. Overall problems of water quantity and quality remain severe, however early progress has been made in increasing water conservation and pollution prevention approaches in industry and livestock production.
Challenges
No information is available
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available
Information
No information is available
Research and Technologies
No information is available
Financing
No information is available
Cooperation
In co-operation with the World Bank, Bulgaria is finalizing a Pollution Abatement Programme which includes implementation of several projects involving technological reconstruction and innovations aimed at phasing out, for example, heavy metal pollution from copper smelters. Nevertheless, most of the high pollution, industrial facilities are still in operation.
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This information was provided by the Government of Bulgaria to the 5th and 6th Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Last Update: May 1998.
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Ministry of
Transport and Communications, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works,
Executive Agency “Roads”, Executive Agency “See Administration”,
Executive Agency “Port Administration” are the government ministries and
agencies, which are responsible for making decisions in the management and
improvement of the transport system. The transport policy of Bulgaria is
governed by the principles for development of the country, adopted by the
government and achieved as a result of a national consensus. These policy
directions are primarily geared towards membership of the European union and
NATO, development of free market relations, democratization of the processes in
the political, economical, cultural and social life of the people.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Priorities
in the transport sector:
Strategy
for the development of transport infrastructure in the medium term (2000-2006)
includes:
Strategic
objectives:
The
strategic objectives for the development of transport infrastructure in the
Medium term (2000-2006) include:
Developing
infrastructure along Transport Corridors IV and VIII
Priority Corridor VIII and IV
projects for completion by 2006 include:
The
decision of the Government to phase out the use of leaded gasoline, till 2003
year.
Enhancing the use of cleaner fuels
Fuel quality is a key
transport-related environmental issue; the first step in fulfilling the
objective in our country is the elimination of the
use of leaded petrol till year 2003, envisaged in the adopted by the Council of
Ministers National programme for phase out of leaded gasoline.
Decision-Making: Major Groups involvement
No information available
Programmes and Projects
Major programmes are
undertaken with regards to the following:
The participation of
Bulgaria in the TINA project is a very important component of the development of
transport infrastructure. The starting point of the TINA process is the so
called TINA backbone network based upon the 10 Pan-European Transport Corridors
approved with some adjustments at the third Pan-European Transport Conference in
Helsinki in 1997. For this backbone network, construction costs have been
estimated on a common base using existing information and input from the TINA
countries. For the Republic of Bulgaria this TINA backbone network is defined
and adjusted by sections and transport modes on the base of the 5 Pan-European
Transport corridors, passing though the territory of the country.
+ Kiev – Minsk – Vilnus – Caunas – Claipeda /
Kaliningrad
+ Ljubasevka – Odessa;
Branch
A
Gratz – Maribor – Zagreb
Branch
B
Budapest – Novi Sad – Belgrade
Branch
C
Nis – Sofia (Dimitrovgrad – Istanbul through corridor IV)
Branch
D
Veles – Prilep – Bitolja – Florina – Via Ignatia - Igoumenitsa
The
Programme of Transport Sector Development also includes the construction and
development of:
As
a result of the adopted national transport policy for priority development of
the transport corridors and the already established fruitful cooperation between
the European Union and Bulgaria in the field of the strategic planning of the
Trans-European transport networks. Significant experience was gained when
determining the national transport priorities in relation to the Pan-European
corridors. Business and master plans, pre-investment and feasibility studies,
financial schemes for construction, etc., for all major infrastructure projects
in the country, including: rail infrastructure, roads, sea and river ports,
Sofia and Bourgas airports, were prepared between 1992 and 1999.
Projects
for the rehabilitation of the Bulgarian State Railways and the national road
network were also prepared. This large-scale study was financed mainly under the
PHARE programme and with the participation of European consulting companies. The
summing up document for the planned development of the transport infrastructure
of Bulgaria is the study “Forecasts and
investment programmes for the development of the transport infrastructure of
Bulgaria for the period till years 2000 and 2010”, elaborated by BONIFICA
S.p.A., Phare Project No BG 9308-03-02, completion date - 31 May 1997.
In
accordance with the described priorities and principles for planning and
construction of projects in transport infrastructure, the Government of Bulgaria
has developed and adopted a four-year Middle-term National Investment Programme for the period 1998 – 2001.
It clearly determines the obligations of the State Budget for development of the
country’s infrastructure, including the transport sector. There are 25
projects of the Ministry of Transport and Communications with a total value of
US$ 477,498 Million for the period 1998 to 2001, approved in the National
Investment Programme. The main part of the Programme consists of projects with
multi-national importance, situated along the Pan-European Corridors. The
projects in the Programme and in the Strategy of the Ministry of Transport and
Communications for development of the transport infrastructure are listed with
an indicated ranking, according to their priority.
In
addition to the Middle-term Investment Programme, the Ministry of Transport and
Communications has elaborated an Investment
Programme for Development of the Transport Infrastructure of the country. It
comprises 36 national investment transport projects, 25 of which are included in
the Middle-term National Investment Programme of the Government. The
investments, necessary for their construction till year 2015 are with a total
amount of US$ 4,890,85 Million. The projects are in the field of railway,
combined, road, maritime (sea and inland waterways) and air transport and are
situated along the five Pan-European Transport Corridors, which pass through the
territory of Bulgaria. The funding for these will include investments by the
state budget and other financial sources such as: taxes on liquid fuels, credits
by the international financial institutions, public-private and private
concessions, etc.
When
determining the priority infrastructure projects the following selection
criteria were adopted:
Status
About 41% of the total population has been threatened by air and water pollution coming from the energy sector, industry, and transportation. Fourteen hot spots with high levels of pollution harmful to human health have been declared in the country. The pollution from the transport sector is increasing due to increased travel, the old aged vehicle fleet, and the imperfections of the existing road network. Heavy metal contamination is characteristic for areas adjacent to the motor ways in the towns and the outskirts. Noise pollution of the environment as a result of the transport and industrial sector is a big problem for towns affecting about 40% of the urban population.
Transport network
Road network
The
total length of the national road network is 37,288 km. and the average density
is 0.33 km per square kilometer. Approximately 90% of the roads are with asphalt
surface.
Bulgaria
has 324 km motorways, 3,011 km first grade roads, 3,818 km second grade roads,
29,937 km third and fourth grade roads. The most common are two lane roads with
overall width between 6.00 and 7.50 m.
Approximately
2,500 km of the first grade roads are part of the European road network. The
following international roads cross the territory of the country:
The
programme “Transit Roads” was started in 1992 with the financial help of the
European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
and the PHARE programme. More than 600 km of first grade roads with intensive
traffic were rehabilitated under the programme “Transit Roads 1”. The
reconstruction of approximately 900 km of the main road network was catered for
under the programme “Transit Roads 2”, carried out between 1997 and 1999.
This programme was directed to the most heavily loaded sections in worst
operational condition on the route of the international roads and the
Pan-European corridors. The former General Road Directorate has already started
the realization of the programme “Transit Roads 3”, which will cover the
period 1999 – 2002 and cater for about 900 – 1000 km of the main road
network.
In
addition to the rehabilitation of road surfacing, marking and signage, this
Programme envisages an increase in the load capacity of the road construction up
to 11.5 tons per axle for the sections with the greatest traffic density. After
the completion of the third part of the programme about 85% of the main sections
of the road network will comply with the European norms for quality, safety and
loading. The programme of the
Government and in particular the one of the Implementation Agency “Roads”
for construction and development of the road infrastructure is based on the main
principles of state policy for European orientation and integration. The
necessity to improve the road network, to bring this up to the European
standards, establishes the grounds for development of investment projects for
the international roads and the Pan-European corridors.
At
present the national road network is developing and modernizing in line with
current policy of the Bulgarian Government for the development of trade and
economic relations with the neighboring countries – Greece, former Yugoslavia,
Romania and Turkey. The process of improving the road transport connections with
neighboring countries includes the following main activities:
Railway network
The
railway network of Bulgaria consists of about 4,300 km railway lines, 4,055 km
of which is standard gauge (1,435 mm), the rest being narrow-gauge (960 mm).
About 960 km (22% of the whole network) is double track and 2,640 km, about
61.4% is electrified. The system includes around 400 full stations and 300
station halts. Freight depots, container terminals and passenger stations would
not be capable of dealing with significant increase in traffic.
The major part of the railroad network is designed for speeds of 80 –
100 km per hour, with only 150 km of the lines designed for speeds up to 130 km
per hour. The maximum speed allowed over the station switches is 100 km per
hour, which in turn limits traffic speed through the stations.
Weight
of trains does not present any limiting condition. The overall weight of a train
at a speed of 80 km per hour is designated for each line, between 560 and 1,900
tons. In practice the speeds are reduced by 10 – 20%, because of poor traction
rolling stock.
Technical
parameters on the route of the Trans-European corridors on Bulgarian territory:
Pan-European
corridor IV:
Section:
Vidin – Sofia – Svilengrad (East) 593 km
Section:
Sofia – Dupnitza – Kulata
211 km
Additional
link Mezdra–Gorna Oriakhovitza–Ruse
317 km
Pan-European
corridor VIII:
Section:
Macedonian border – Sofia – Plovdiv – Burgas
and
Sindel – Varna (port)
759 km
Pan-European
corridor IX:
Section:
Ruse – Gorna Oriakhovitza – Stara Zagora –
Dimitrovgrad
– Svilengrad (border)
394 km
Pan-European
corridor X:
Section:
Kalotina – Voluiak – Sofia
59 km
Additional
link to corridor No. 10:
Section:
Sofia–Plovdiv–Svilengrad (Eastern border)
323 km
Additional
link to corridor No. 7:
Section
Ruse – Sindel - Varna (Port West)
199 km
The
signaling system in general conforms to European standards. The signaling
equipment used for the various lines is appropriate for the type of traffic,
line capacity and speed applying. Trains are fitted with secure radio and
Automatic Train Protection is provided on the primary routes.
Combained transport
The
country possesses the following railway terminals handling large tonnage
containers: Sofia freight, Plovdiv – Philipovo, Dimitrovgrad, Stara Zagora,
Tchestovo freight, Pleven west and Vratza. The other specialized container
terminals are located at the sea and river ports (included in the next
paragraph). The upgrading and construction of new infrastructure for combined
transport is included in the transport investment programme, where the
development of environmentally friendly combined transport is one of the
priorities of the transport policy of the country.
AGC
(European Agreement on Main International Lines) and AGTC (European Agreement on
Important International Combined Transport Lines and Related Installations).
The AGC and AGTC relations on the territory of Bulgaria are given in the
following tables:
AGC
Relations
|
Relation |
Distance (km) |
|
(Romania-Giurgiu)-Ruse-Gorna Oriakhovitza-Dimitrovgrad |
331 |
|
Sindel – Karnobat |
123 |
|
Ruse – Kaspitchan |
142 |
|
Sofia – Gorna Oriakhovitza – Kaspitchan – Varna |
543 |
|
(Yugoslavia – Dimitrovgrad) – Dragoman – Sofia –
Plovdiv – Dimitrovgrad – Svilengrad |
382 |