Lyubka Katchakova, Deputy Minister of Environment and Water of Bulgaria and Head of the Delegation to the ICPDR.

In its continuing series, Danube watch presents portraits of the leaders whose passion and commitment actively steer IcPDR processes and help determine the future of the basin.

Danube watch: how has joining the eu affected water issues in bulgaria?
Katchakova: This is very significant for the future management of the water sector in the country. Even before becoming a member of the EU this year, Bulgaria harmonised its national legislation with the Acquis Communautaire and began its implementation as part of the negotiation process for accession. Now, as a Member State, Bulgaria has access to the structural and cohesion funds of EU aimed at reaching the European standard for development specifically in the water sector. The percentage of the population connected to urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs), level
of treatment, quality of the constructed collecting system, these are all areas of the water sector in Bulgaria that need significant improvement but due to the membership in EU, those challenges have a positive perspective.

Improvements will be seen not only in the wastewater sector, but also in the water supply sector. Although well developed in the past with a high percentage of population connected to a centralised water supply system, at present the water supply network is in poor condition and needs huge investments for renovation. In accordance with the EU’s ‘full water cycle approach’ of resolving problems in the water and the wastewater sector together, investments for improving the water sector are also included in the Operational Programme 2007–2013 for financing from the Cohesion fund.

Therefore, even though from a position of a country catching up with the rest of the EU Member States, Bulgaria has the positive perspective of reaching the European level in the water sector. Combining the obligations of different EU directives and taking intoconsideration the national policy for providing the public and the business with water in sufficient quality and quantity, the Bulgarian government has adopted a national strategy for management and development of the water sector aiming at the sustainable development of the water sector.

Danube watch: how is bulgaria working to meet the requirements of the eu urban waste water Directive?
Katchakova: Since Bulgaria began implementing the Urban Wastewater Directive very late, we were able to negotiate transitional periods for the implementation – the end of 2010 for all the agglomerations of above 10,000 population equivalent (PE) and the end of 2014 for those between 2000 and 10,000 PE. The challenge for Bulgaria is quite large, since at present there are around 70 UWWTPs constructed, and 430 agglomerations that fall within the Directive. Nevertheless, Bulgaria is working on ensuring the implementation of the Directive within the deadlines.

One more aspect of the implementation of the Directive is ensuring the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in the treatment process of UWWTPs for agglomerations of above 10,000 PE where the recipient is a sensitive area. Unfortunately, most of the water bodies in Bulgaria, including the Danube River and the Black Sea, are sensitive areas. That requires more capital investments and higher operational costs for wastewater treatment plants to comply with the Directive.

Danube watch: The joint Danube survey 2 made a stop in Ruse on september 19. how important is this survey to bulgaria?
Katchakova: First, it was an excellent example for cooperation between the different Danube countries. A lot of preparation and cooperation between the Secretariat and the Danube countries was done and scientists and equipment from different countries were brought together in order to make this survey happen. Secondly, the result from the survey will become an important tool for decision-making since it will give a picture of the quality of the Danube from the EU Water Framework Directive perspective. Once we analyse the results, they will be used as the necessary foundation for elaborating the programmes of measures for the Danube Basin. As a country in the lower course, Bulgaria is very interested in the survey because the analysis of data can give answers about possible sources of pollution that negatively affect the quality of the Bulgarian part of the river.

On a national level, it was an important exercise for Bulgaria to bring together different national stakeholders and raise the public awareness of the importance of protecting the Danube River. Participants from different state organisations, business representatives and NGOs were invited to participate in a workshop where the importance of the Danube Survey and of the environmental policy in general was explained and emphasised. Students from a local university with environment-related majors were invited to step on board to see how scientists take samples and analyse them.

We hope that the Joint Danube Survey 2 will contribute to the efforts of all Danube countries in protecting the Danube River.

Thank you very much, Ms Katchakova!

Jasmine Bachmann works on public participation in the ICPDR Secretariat, and is the Executive Editor of Danube Watch.