Sofia citizens would be given a one-month period to review Kremikovtzi's application for a permit to operate, after which Sofia municipality was to hold a public discussion on the eco-evaluation of the company, the Executive Environmental Agency said.

The agency announced its decision for an additional one month period of public access to the application, because of the immense interest from the public, mediapool.bg said.

From January 23 2008 on, the application with the plans of the Kremikovtzi management would be publicly available.

Economy and Water Affairs Ministry had informed Sofia municipality that it was to provide access to the Kremikovtzi application, a ministry media statement said.

In April 2007, Chakurov refused to issue Kremikovtzi a permission to operate because the eco-programme of the plant was considered insufficient.

In May 2007 the plant re-applied for permission to operate. On January 9 2008 the first period of public access to the application ended.

The Environment and Water Affairs Ministry said that the permission would only be issued if Kremikovtzi could prove investments to meet environment standards. No compromise with the health of Sofia citizens and the environment would be made, the ministry said.

If the permission to operate was not granted to Kremikovtzi it would have to close by 2012, mediapool.bg said. The issuing of the permit “became a trump for investment ideas for construction on the territory of the plant,” mediapool.bg said. Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov even presented a plan for the construction of a residential complex and malls.

Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov however was against closure of the plant, as it would affect Bulgaria's GDP, unemployment and foreign trade balance.