Bulgaria and Romania asked Serbia on December 13 if it was going to provide compensation for the trans-border pollution of the Danube River.

In the end of September and beginning of October the two countries experienced pollution originating from a refinery in Serbia.

Bulgaria's Environment and Water Affairs Minister Djevdet Chakurov organised a summit on the issue in Vienna between representatives of the three countries, Focus news agency reported.

Financial compensation will be needed to cover river cleaning expenses. Bulgaria needs 1.5 million leva and the sum Romania requested is 300 000 euro.
 
Serbia already launched court action against the refinery but since investigation was ongoing details were not presented at the summit. Officials from the country said that they could not promise any commitment yet. Bulgaria and Romania will have to once again send the results of the lab analysis of river water samples.

The smuggling of fuel in the refinery region also posed pollution threat, Serbian officials said. The three countries were to evaluate the risk and work on preventive measures, Focus reported.