Ministry Wants to Stop Importing Old Diesel Vehicles in Bulgaria

The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) proposes a ban on imports of diesel cars that do not meet the Euro 4 standard, which entered into force on January 1, 2005, according to the 24Hours newspaper.

The proposal is included in the draft National Air Pollution Control Program and is currently under discussion. The publication states that the introduction of such a ban requires permission from the European Commission.

If the idea is approved and the permit received, the MOEW proposes that the ban be effective from 1 January 2021.

Unless such a permit is obtained, it is proposed to amend the Clean Air Act, which would allow municipalities to create areas in urban centers where severely polluting cars are not allowed.

Most likely, municipalities will have the right to designate such zones, whether they will have a total ban on imports or not, because the program envisages that they will be established in Sofia and Plovdiv this year.

The Office recognizes that the state can not impose effective control and refuses to adopt measures related to vehicle catalysts.

The MOEW also proposes a gradual reduction of the diesel buses, owned by the municipal public transport companies. By 2030, they must be less than half, and none in 2050.