Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policy and Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov is participating in an informal meeting of environment ministers. The meeting takes place in Amiens, France, on 20 and 21 January 2022 and is traditional for every rotating EU Presidency.

One of the main topics of discussion on the first day of the meeting was the sustainable use of pesticides - an issue of particular importance both for agriculture and the protection of human health and the environment. In his speech, Minister Sandov stressed the need to implement an effective European framework to raise awareness, increase protection against the adverse effects of certain substances on humans and nature, and establish zero tolerance for pesticide residues in imported products. “We need to raise awareness, increase knowledge, and strengthen controls on the use of products for plant protection, while providing effective incentives for favorable alternatives that do not harm human health and the environment,” he said.

Ministers also discussed issues related to the implementation of the Chemicals Sustainability Strategy, which is an important step towards achieving the goal of zero pollution and ensuring a non-toxic environment.

On the first day of the meeting, deforestation and degradation of forests worldwide, as well as the role of the EU in preventing these processes were discussed. The expansion of agricultural land for the production of goods is a major driver of natural habitat loss in third countries, and this is a major obstacle to the EU efforts to combat climate change. Therefore, according to Bulgaria, EU legislation must counteract this trend with appropriate measures to ensure that the extraction and consumption of products imported into the EU do not lead to deforestation and forest degradation worldwide.

Within the Council, Minister Sandov held a bilateral meeting with the Romanian Minister of Environment, Water and Forestry Barna Tanczos, whereby they discussed air pollution along the Northern border of our country, as well as possibilities for cooperation.

Tomorrow’s session will continue with a joint meeting of environment and energy ministers on the just transition to a low-carbon economy and the role of forests in the fight against climate change.