The state will provide vouchers or direct money to support vulnerable households and vulnerable users. This is provided for in the Draft Social Climate Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria - June 2025.
The Social Climate Fund (SCF) was created within the framework of the legislative package “Fit for 55“ and is a key instrument for mitigating the social consequences of the expansion of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS2). It aims to support vulnerable households, micro-enterprises and transport users who will be affected by the increase in fuel and energy prices as a result of the green transition, pariteni.bg reported.
The plan provides for three types of support for poor consumers
Direct support for vulnerable transport users:
Through vouchers for the purchase of fossil fuels for cars with internal combustion engines;
Through bank/postal transfers for the use of public transport.
Direct support for vulnerable households that are heated with gas or solid fuel
It is planned that the Social Assistance Agency will develop and implement a voucher mechanism to support target groups. They will receive plastic bags filled with vouchers for the purchase of gas or solid fuel, after submitting an application to the Agency or after the automatic identification of families through the Agency's IIS. The Agency will monitor the overall organization of the process, as well as carry out selective checks on the proper functioning of the mechanism. The mechanism will be detailed in an act of the Council of Ministers.
A supplement will be paid to compensate families for the higher increase in gas and solid fuel prices as a result of the expansion of the emissions trading system. Based on the analysis and calculations, the amount of direct support would be 61 leva.
Direct support for vulnerable transport users through vouchers for the purchase of fossil fuels for cars with internal combustion engines.
It is planned for the Agency to develop and implement a voucher mechanism to support target groups. The representatives of the target group will receive plastic bags filled with vouchers for the purchase of fossil fuels for cars with internal combustion engines, after submitting an application to the Agency for the Protection of the Environment. In Bulgaria, the majority of cars with internal combustion engines are powered by gasoline or diesel. The Agency will monitor the overall organization of the process, as well as carry out selective checks on the proper functioning of the mechanism. The mechanism will be detailed in an act of the Council of Ministers.
Based on the analysis and calculations, the amount of the direct payment for one household will be BGN 383 per year.
Direct support for vulnerable users of public transport
It is planned to provide direct income support to all household members who are over the age of 18. For the purposes of this type of support, cash transfers to representatives of the target group are planned. The voucher mechanism of support or loading of prepaid bank cards would not be practical due to the following limitations:
- the total number of transport service providers in the settlements on the territory of the country is significant. In addition, these providers have already been identified and have concluded contracts with the relevant municipal administrations. Refusal of a carrier to use a voucher mechanism would mean that all service users falling into the category of vulnerable transport users would be deprived of direct support.
- On the other hand, the large number of transport providers would mean excessive administrative burden for the ASA, which would have to conclude agreements with each transport company.
- insufficient administrative capacity in transport providers in small settlements to implement a voucher mechanism would put at risk the successful implementation of the direct support mechanism.
- not all road carriers have POS terminals, especially those in small settlements, which would significantly complicate the implementation of a mechanism with prepaid bank cards or electronic vouchers. In this regard, direct income support is envisaged for this target group, to be made by bank transfer or postal order.
Based on the analysis and assumptions made, the amount of direct support for one household will be BGN 85 per year.
The aim is for at least 208,000 vulnerable households using gas or solid fuel for heating and directly affected by the effects of ETS2 to benefit from direct income support.
In addition, at least 522,000 vulnerable transport users directly affected by the effects of ETS2 to benefit from direct income support.