“The Ministry of Environment and Water and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy are discussing to terminate energy subsidies for coal, especially in cities where we have proven exigencies in norms for fine particulate matter,” said Minister Borislav Sandov at the National Assembly plenary.

The state cannot participate in air pollution by supporting coal burning. But how can people be encouraged to choose heating alternatives? “By transforming social benefits for energy-poor households, because these benefits are not defined correctly,” said Minister Sandov and clarified the process as follows:

“Energy subsidies cannot and will not be terminated because there are households in the country that need them. However, aid for coal burning must be transformed, for example as support for part of the electricity bill or as an option to purchase biomass that has low emissions of fine particulate matter. At this stage, the aid for firewood will also not be eliminated, because in some settlements this would create a problem for many people.

We must first define what constitutes an energy-poor household, and then stop giving people coal by replacing it with support for another type of heating. In the third stage, we must try to solve the problem of energy poverty, but not only by co-financing what the household cannot afford. Had we added a little more support each year, we could have solved the problem five years ago by making households more energy efficient so that they can cover winter heating bills.

It is important to accept that changes are needed in our way of life, including the way we heat. And not so much because of the expected negative decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union against our country for unattained air quality standards, but because it is better for all of us to live in a clean and sustainable environment that will make us healthier.”