Cargo trucks with plastic waste originating from Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria are retained at the “Lesovo” border checkpoint on their way to a processing plant in Turkey. This was established by an inspection of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW)-Stara Zagora on May 21st, on a signal by the Customs Bureau-Lesovo.

According to the inspection, some of the cargo trucks had transited through the territory of Bulgaria, left the “Lesovo” checkpoint, but were returned by the Turkish authorities and are currently at the border. All 11 trucks were inspected and found to be transporting plastic waste to the Republic of Turkey. The vehicles were returned on the basis of an Administrative Decision for return by the Customs Directorate “Hamzabeyli” (Turkey) on the grounds of Art. 181/3-c from the Customs Regulation of the Republic of Turkey, as the waste is not suitable for import into Turkey.

RIEW-Stara Zagora has established that the transported waste corresponds to the accompanying documentation. Once the Turkish side has returned the trucks, they should return to the country of dispatch (from where the cargo trucks started their trip), for which purpose it is necessary to provide the “Lesovo” border checkpoint with correctly completed documents under Annex VII of Regulation (EC) №1013/2006 regarding the shipments of waste with indicated return route, time, and point at which they will leave the territory of Bulgaria.

According to information by the customs checkpoint “Lesovo” from 12h on 22.05.2021, in addition to the 11 trucks, there are 3 other trucks (from Slovakia, Croatia, and Romania) that arrived there today. At the moment, they have been stopped, are not allowed on the territory of the Republic of Turkey and are in the parking lot of the “Lesovo” border checkpoint.

All competent bodies have been notified under Art. 116 of the Waste Management Act in order to trace the route of the trucks until the final departure from the territory of the country. The aim is that the control bodies of the Ministry of Environment and Water ensures that the waste will not be disposed of on the territory of Bulgaria.