The European Commission (EC) said it would start a new procedure against Bulgaria over the question of how ecological requirements of the EU were being fulfilled, a letter to Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov by EC's Directorate-General for the Environment said.

Sofia municipality's press centre said the EC action was a response to complaints about pollution from the Kremikovtzi steelmaker put forward by Borissov, zagrada.bg said.

At the moment, Kremikovtzi does not have an eco-permit allowing to operate since it does not meet air and water preservation requirements. The mill did not receive the permit in 2007 because it did not invest in environment friendly equipment. This year Kremikovtzi again applied for a permit. Its management promises to stop production processes that caused most noxious output and to buy and install new machinery and filters. A minimum of 150 million euro would have to be invested for this by the end of 2008.

In April 2008 Bulgaria's Environment and Water Affairs Ministry would have to decide whether to believe these promises and issue a permit to operate, while constantly monitoring how the program to fulfil EU ecological requirements were carried out, zagrada.bg said. If Kremikovtzi does not make the necessary investments, it will have to close by 2012.

Source: zagrada.bg
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