A team of experts from RIEW – Veliko Turnovo took part in a work session dedicated to the analysis of the institutional framework and the correspondency between national laws. The work session was held in the period from 9th to 13th January 2012 in the city of Bucharest. The experts delivered a presentation on the aspects of the institutional and legislative framework in the field of environmental protection, the transpose into national law of European directives regarding the cleanliness of the air, water management, waste management, chemical substances, complex permits, protected areas.
The meeting was organised jointly with Romanian National Environmental Guard as part of the planned actions included in the Strategic project „Joint Risk Monitoring during Emergencies in the Danube Area Border“, reference number № 2s-2.2-1, MIS-ETC Code: 166 financed by the European Regional development fund and the State budgets of Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of Romania under the Crossborder Cooperation Programme Romania-Bulgaria 2007-2013.
In the process of the work session it became clear that both countries Bulgaria and Romania transpose European directives into national, regional and local level. Special attention was drawn upon the transpose of Directive 2008/98/EC regarding waste into framework laws on waste management in the years 2011 and 2012.
The differences between the two countries lie mainly in the structure of the environmental administration and its powers – Ministry of Environment and woods of Romania controls forestry, hunting, fisheries and aquacultures, while in Bulgaria these sectors belong to a different ministry. Both in Bulgaria and Romania all regulatory acts provide for punitive actions, but only in Bulgaria there is a provision for imposing sanctions in cases of pollution above allowed levels with regards to the following components from the environment: water, air and soil. Sanctions can be enforced on a monthly basis depending on the level and quantity of the pollution.
Experts from RIEW Veliko Turnovo visited the General Commissariat of the Romanian partner with whom they had opportunity to exchange knowledge and professional experience in an active and constructive dialogue and to determine the concrete steps to be taken for interaction on the common territory in the cross border area of the Danube river.
At the end of March this year RIEW Veliko Turnovo is going to host a joint expert work meeting for evaluation of the situations related to accidental pollution. The signing of a common protocol is contemplated as well as the introduction of a joint procedure for real time communication in emergency situations in the cross border area of the Danube river.
