• The focus of the inspections is on increased monitoring of waste-contaminated sites
• 238 inspections were carried out solely in response to complaints and reports from the public

In March, experts from the 15 Regional Inspectorates for Environment and Water (RIEWs) across the country carried out 1 691 inspections at 1 422 sites. As part of the inspections carried out by the RIEWs, a total of 620 orders were issued to rectify identified violations and take remedial action.

The ratio of scheduled to unscheduled inspections is 70% to 30%. The number of unscheduled inspections is high – a total of 238 inspections were carried out in response to complaints and reports from members of the public.

The key areas of focus in the RIEW’s inspections over the past month were enhanced preventive control and enhanced monitoring of the cleanliness of populated areas.

Across the country, 90 of the inspections carried out were of waste-contaminated sites, resulting in 96 orders to rectify the breaches. Seven reports were drawn up and two penalty orders were issued, whereby the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Shumen imposed fines on the mayors of the municipalities of Radko Dimitrievo and Susina. One agreement was concluded under the Administrative Penalties and Violations Act (APVA), imposing a fine on a natural person.

All regional inspectorates have sent instructions to the mayors of municipalities and the heads of regional road administrations to organise and carry out inspections for the presence of waste-contaminated sites and to ensure their timely clearance, with priority given to the clearance of streams, riverbeds, and their adjacent areas.

As part of preventive monitoring for identified administrative breaches of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and special environmental protection laws, the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water (RIEWs) issued 65 reports, 14 of which were for failure to comply with specific orders. The directors of the RIEWs issued 44 penalty orders, imposing fines and financial penalties on the offenders totalling 173 038.60 euro (338 434.13 BGN). Four sanctions were also imposed for established excessive pollution of environmental components (water and air) totalling 8 638.91 euro (16 896.25 BGN).

The amounts collected from fines and penalties, including those under agreements concluded under the Administrative Offences and Penalties Act between the penalising authority and the offender, amount to 144 706.44 euro (BGN 283 021.24).

The Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water – Smolyan has referred the matter to the Smolyan District Prosecutor’s Office regarding the discovery of illegally disposed hazardous waste in household waste collection containers in Madan. For the purposes of prevention, instructions have been sent to healthcare facilities within the territorial scope of the inspection to strictly comply with the requirements of the regulatory framework governing the collection and treatment of waste on the premises of healthcare facilities.

Compulsory administrative measures have been imposed – by the Director of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water-Varna for the established illegal transport of waste by ‘BM GROUP’ Ltd, whilst the Director of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water - Plovdiv has suspended the operation of a kiln which is not authorised under the terms of the integrated permit of “Lenasso” Ltd, village of Stryama, Rakovski municipality.

In the area of protected areas, RIEW-Varna issued a report against the offender for unauthorised entry by boat into the waters of the “Durankulak Lake” Protected Area. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, measures have been taken to tackle the problem of illegal logging within the Kupena Reserve. During the inspection, 0.6 cubic metres of hornbeam timber were confiscated without documentation of legal origin.

In accordance with an order by the Minister of the Environment and Water regarding the onset of the 2026 fire season, all Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water have drawn up plans for reporting fires in designated protected areas – exclusively state-owned – and instructions have been issued to the mayors of the relevant municipalities to implement preventive measures against the outbreak of fires.