• Inspection by the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental and Water - Sofia showed manipulation of the declared data on the quantities of landfilled waste

The capital's waste is managed without accountability, which I would define as negligence, announced to the media the Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov. He noted the lack of accountability for months, whereby it is not clear how much and what kind of waste has been processed by the Sofia Waste Treatment Enterprise (SWTE).

"In other words, today we do not know whether Sofia Municipality is not misleading us," said Minister Manol Genov. He pointed out facts and findings from the inspection by the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and Water - Sofia of 20.12.2024, carried out at the request of a member of parliament and upon a request by Sofia Municipality for correction of the declared quantities of landfilled waste in the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and Water - Sofia for 2024.

The results show a systematic lack of accountability in 2024 for the activities carried out for the disposal of household waste – for May, June, July, August, September, and November. However, after the date of the inspection, the operator made entries in the National Waste Information System (NWIS), entering data in the accounting book for November, which were otherwise missing on the day of the inspection on 20.12.2024. An act for the landfill operator was then drawn up for this violation.

It has been established that information was declared on paper to RIEW-Sofia, again in non-compliance with the statutory deadline for submission. For the same period in which the quantities of landfilled waste were submitted, there is no data in the NWIS, which the operator is obliged to report. NWIS is the system used to monitor the movement of waste.

"It is important to note that the legislation does not allow correction of data already declared to the RIEW on the quantities of landfilled waste", specified Minister Manol Genov.

The data in the EEA, as the operator of the system, indicate that until 11.12.2024 there is no information available on the accounting kept by the capital's enterprise for accepted, treated, and generated waste in the period from May to September.

According to information provided by the SWTE, the report for October and November was entered into the NWIS system after the date of the inspection by RIEW-Sofia. The system allows corrections for two months back. Such an act raises questions about transparency and good governance.

Minister Manol Genov once again noted that according to the Waste Management Act, it is the mayor's responsibility to prevent the formation of unregulated landfills on the territory of the municipality.