“There is no choice but for the baled rubbish to be removed and disposed of in an acceptable manner,” Deputy Environment and Water Affairs Minister Chavdar Georgiev told Bulgarian National Television (BNT).

Refuse management in European Union countries was a decentralised task and a municipal duty, he said. However, interference by the Cabinet, ie, the Environment and Water Affairs Ministry, was acceptable in cases such as Sofia.

Negotiations with various municipalities were being held, but it was too early for confirmation that they would accept Sofia’s refuse.

Sofia deputy mayor in charge of ecology Maria Boyadjiiska told BNT that she would not resign because of the refuse crisis in the city. The respective institutions “did not find violations in the work of Sofia city hall with regards to ecology”, she said.

In case of sanctions from the EU, the court would decide whose fault it was, Boyadjiiska said.

No refuse was being baled now, she said. The problem was with the refuse that had been baled before the current Sofia city hall administration came into office.

“The refuse management project was developing very well and should be completed by 2011. Afterwards, the refuse depot in Souhodol should not be used any more, because it would be full.”