The long-standing initiative and undertaking to develop and implement the strategic project “Joint risk monitoring during emergencies in the Danube area border” gathered at a workshop in Veliko Tarnovo 43 ecologists, inspectors and civil society activists from the public institutions National Environmental Protection Agency, Romania, Romanian Water, the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water of Montana, Pleven, Varna and Veliko Tarnovo, Danube River Basin Directorate, Pleven and the NGOs Eurosociety Tarnovgrad, GeoEcoClub Academica and National Movement Ecoglasnost, Veliko Tarnovo, working in the Bulgarian part of Danube river basin – the river that connects us through the bridges of cooperation, solidarity and joint efforts for environmental protection and sustainable management of the natural and anthropogenic risks. For more than three years, during the first period of our countries’ membership in the European Union, we have been building a mutually beneficial partnership and we believe that this project, this seminar, this workshop, and the adopted joint procedure are our next steps in developing a working and lasting cooperation.
The joint Seminar “Contemporary models for monitoring and risk assessment in the area of environment” took place from 26 to 30 March 2012 in Yantra Grand Hotel. At 11 h on 27 March 2012 a Protocol for the adoption of a Joint procedure 01/12/2011 between RIEW Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria and the National Environmental Protection Agency of Romania for real-time communication during emergencies caused by accidental pollution in the Danube river basin with cross-border impacts was officially signed. The procedure is aimed at more rapid notification of the population in case of pollution and reducing the risks to people and the environment. Its adoption is one of the achievements of the project – the result of the high professionalism applied consistently and purposefully, with diligence and dedication by the members of the project team. The capacity of the partner institutions, developed by managers like Dipl. Eng. Elena Grigorova, Daniel Bogdan, Ginka Savcheva, and Octavian Popescu, provides the basis for making the best decisions for prevention and control of pollution through constructive dialogue and understanding, with the participation of civil society organisations. The event was attended by the Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Ivelina Vasileva, the District Governor of Veliko Tarnovo Pencho Penchev, the Deputy District Governor of Veliko Tarnovo Lyubomira Popova and the Deputy Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo Snezhana Daneva. In her welcoming speech to the participants, Deputy Prime Minister Ivelina Vasileva said:
“I am extremely pleased and honoured to be here today because I think that this is yet another step forward in promoting better cooperation between the Bulgarian and the Romanian institutions. I am excited because I represent the Bulgarian state in the Commission on the Protection of the Danube River and the Commission on the protection of the Black Sea, and the purity of the water in the Black Sea is directly affected by the purity of the Danube water. Given the scale of the Danube river basin, all risks that are associated with the protection of the environmental components are extremely important in terms of the opportunity that they be preventively identified, controlled and, of course, limited so as not to jeopardise the safety and life of the population, and the procedure for communication between the Bulgarian and the Romanian authorities will lead to exactly that – timely notification of both parties in any possible occurrence of an accident or disaster, so that they can react as quickly as possible in the full mobilisation of all institutions in both countries. An example of this was shown in the actions of the crisis headquarters after the accident in the village of Biser; you remember the floods in Bulgaria, when all institutions joined forces. When efforts are joined on a cross-border scale, it really shows in practice the application of the European principles and directives and the care for the environment and the population of all member states, that is, our responsibility to the population, our shared responsibility. I congratulate my colleagues on the project that was very strongly supported by the Ministry of Environment and Water. We welcome the fact that our colleagues from RIEW Veliko Tarnovo worked actively on its preparation, supported by the representatives of the civil society organisations, which for us is a good sign for the involvement of civil society in environmental issues; of course, the work with our Romanian partners with whom we have excellent cooperation, the agreements signed, the productive meetings with the Minister of Environment of Romania László Borbély with whom Minister Nona Karadzhova signed a Declaration of Cooperation on 12 October 2011. All these factors indicate that the results of this project could be multiplied, which means that in the next programming period we can build up on what has already been achieved; it can serve as a good example of how we can work together as a team in order to protect the environment and nature. Congratulations once again on this initiative and thank you for all your efforts for the successful implementation of this project.”
The results achieved by the partners involved and the strict, timely and quality implementation of the project activities became possible thanks to the trust and support of the Ministry of Environment and Water acting through Minister Nona Karadzhova, Deputy Minister Ivelina Vasileva, and the financial support of the European Regional Development Fund and the Governments of Romania and Bulgaria through the Romania-Bulgaria Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013.
