The updated River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) for the period 2022-2027 comply with all requirements of the European Commission (EC). This was clarified by the Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov, who today launched a series of meetings within the framework of the national consultations on the draft RBMPs.

"The plans we are presenting to you are an improvement on the ones in force in the previous period, all the comments of the European Commission have been taken into account. The River Basin Management Plans are very important strategic documents, aimed at achieving and maintaining good water codition while ensuring sustainable socio-economic development," said Minister Petar Dimitrov.

He highlighted the need for all stakeholders to participate in the public consultations with proposals in order to make each of the four basin management regions - Danube, Black Sea, Western Aegean and Eastern Aegean - plans workable. "The public is keen to participate in the development of the plans and investors have realised that when certain measures are not written into the plan, their absence can stop a good investment plan that would otherwise not harm the condition, quality or quantity of the waters," explained Minister Dimitrov.

Experts from the basin directorates presented the highlights of the published plans for each river basin region. Among the participants in today's first meeting were representatives of ministries, universities and scientific institutes, the Bulgarian Agency of Food Safety, Executive Agency Forestry, "Bulgarian Water Supply Holding" EAD, "National Electric Company" EAD, "Irrigation Systems" EAD, the EMEPA, the State Enterprise "Management and Operation of Dams", and the Bulgarian Water Association.

The Directorate of Water Management presented information on the process of updating the RBMPs, the organization of consultations with stakeholders and the public, and the ways to submit proposals and opinions. There will be meetings at the national level and in 12 cities at the basin region level. Information on the planned meetings can be found here. Consultations will continue until the end of September. The draft River Basin Management Plans can be viewed here.

The preparation of the drafts of the updated RBMPs 2022-2027 was made possible by the active role of the Basin Directorates and the expert teams in finalising the plans, after the agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ended on 5 December 2023, without the MOEW receiving the expected draft river basin management plans. This led to the opening of an infringement procedure against Bulgaria by the European Commission.

The updated RBMPs were finalised in a short timeframe by the experts of the river basin districts on the basis of information from their direct activities, results from the national monitoring carried out, and additional information gathered. The results of the implementation of the project "RBMPs 2022-2027" with the beneficiary "Water Management Directorate" and the basin directorates as partners, financed under the Operational Programme "Environment 2014-2020", were also used.