“We are no longer in a position where someone can twist our arms – Sofia has a plan and resources to protect the interests of Sofia residents,“ is categorically the deputy mayor for ecology, Eng. Nikolay Nedelkov. He announced that from tomorrow, July 1, a new operational plan for cleaning in Zone 3 comes into force, with which the Sofia Municipality not only guarantees the regular removal of waste, but also the “return” of key cleaning services, which have been severely limited in recent months.
With the end of the transition period, the Sofia Municipality is introducing sustainable solutions for the three districts until the finalization of the legal procedures on the long-term contracts:
In the „Poduyane“ district: The service is taken over entirely by the municipal company „Sofekostroy“. Over the past six months, the Municipality has invested significant funds in new equipment and teams to develop its own municipal capacity, which will serve as a guarantor of the city's security and protection against dependencies on private operators.
In the „Slatina“ and „Izgrev“ districts: Cleaning is temporarily assigned to an operator serving neighboring areas. This ensures that residents in the neighborhoods will not feel the transition in administrative management, but on the contrary – will see a real improvement in the cleanliness around their homes.
The most important news for citizens is the significant increase in cleaning activities. While from December 1, 2025 until now, only 2 out of a total of over 40 activities under contract were carried out in these three areas, from tomorrow the performance of:
Manual cleaning of sediments and mud
Cleaning of bins at public transport stops.
Manual sweeping
Washing of streets and sidewalks in the areas
The current situation in Zone 3 is a consequence of the expiration of the old cleaning contracts at the end of 2025 and the blocking of the new procedures through a series of administrative complaints. During this period, the Sofia Municipality categorically refused to sign contracts at economically unjustified prices and introduced a temporary organization of cleaning in the three districts.
The Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) has already ruled in favor of the municipality, confirming the legality of the procedure and allowing the preliminary implementation of the new long-term contract for Zone 3, where a contractor has already been selected.
This decision of the CPC is currently being appealed before the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC). The municipality awaits the final ruling of the court, which will allow the launch of the full volume of cleaning activities according to the new, higher standards set out in the cleanliness contracts.
The Sofia Municipality will continue to promptly inform Sofia residents of any further developments in the case until the long-term contracts are fully finalized.