The Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov ordered the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water – Sofia to prepare a precept as soon as possible, requiring the management of the Bobov Dol TPP to submit an investment program with short-term and long-term measures to bring the plant’s operations in line with the terms of its Complex Permit and to stop the excesses of sulfur dioxide in the atmospheric air.

The measure was announced personally by the Minister at a meeting with the management of Bobov Dol TPP AD with the aim of identifying urgent measures to prevent excesses of sulfur dioxide standards in the atmospheric air. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Executive Environment Agency (EEA) and the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) – Sofia.

The operator was presented with an analysis of the air quality monitoring data from 2025, conducted based on the annual schedule approved by the Minister of Environment and Water, as well as on the basis of numerous signals submitted for the Bobov Dol region.

The analysis indicates that teams of the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Sofia have carried out a total of 68 inspections at the Bobov Dol TPP over the past year. The company has been given 53 prescriptions, 17 acts have been drawn up for established administrative violations, and 11 penalty decrees have been issued for a total amount of 2 420 000 BGN.

During the meeting, it was noted that despite the increased control, the results of the measurements of the Mobile Automatic Station of the Environment Protection Agency in the village of Golemo Selo show a negative trend for exceedances of the sulfur dioxide standards in every period of the year.

The management of the plant stated a commitment to take the necessary actions to stop the release of unplanned emissions into the atmospheric air.

In 2026, the monitoring of atmospheric air quality in the region will continue according to an approved schedule in order to ensure continuity. This policy is part of the main priority of the Ministry of Environment and Water to protect air quality and guarantee the health and livelihood of the people of the region. In the name of its implementation, the ministry will continue with all possible measures to prevent excesses of sulfur dioxide.

With such a consistent policy, the Ministry of Environment and Water shows responsibility for fulfilling the national commitment in the course of the infringement procedure against the country. This is also the way to provide evidence to the European Commission that our country has a real and systematic policy to address this problem.