“The battle for a cleaner city is not my personal battle. I saw how people unite to stop the racket and defend their dignity. They are the real heroes.“ This was said by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev today at a specialized roundtable, organized by the Sofia Municipality and the Center for the Study of Democracy, dedicated to waste-related crimes and the need for more effective inter-institutional cooperation in combating them.
The forum was attended by representatives of Europol, the National Gendarmerie of France, the British Environment Agency, as well as key Bulgarian institutions – The Ministry of Justice, the General Directorate of the “National Police“, the National Assembly and a number of municipalities in the country.
The event focuses on three strategic areas: strengthening control and law enforcement in waste-related crimes; increasing transparency and coordination between institutions; and introducing new technologies and good European practices for traceability and prevention.
The Mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, emphasized that the reason for organizing the forum is the systemic problem in waste management and the growing crimes in the sector, which have been manifesting themselves with unprecedented force in the capital in recent days.
“Sofia has a systemic problem with garbage collection and waste-related crimes. The last few days have clearly shown the scale of this problem – the city was faced with attempts at sabotage, pressure and extortion. I refused to sign a contract at double the price because I will not allow Sofia residents to pay a tax on "corruption". This crisis has shown that this is not just a battle for cleanliness, but a clash with models that distort competition, extort citizens and replace statehood, Terziev said.
The mayor noted that the garbage collection crisis is the result of years of systematic inaction and complicity along the institutional chain:
“We live in times when it is increasingly clear through the actions of politicians whether there is a mafia in the state or the mafia has a state. We need a state that works – by institutions that act promptly, predictably and courageously.“
Terziev expressed his gratitude to the citizens, volunteers and municipal teams who have been self-organizing and working together in recent days to overcome the crisis.
The mayor also thanked neighboring municipalities that provided assistance with their equipment and teams, defining this gesture as an unprecedented example of solidarity and cooperation of local authorities.
In conclusion, Terziev expressed confidence that today's forum is only the beginning of a deeper and more effective inter-institutional partnership:
“Your presence is a symbolic gesture of empathy for problems that are not only Sofia's, but national and European. I am convinced that each of you will be an ambassador for the cause of cleaner, safer and fairer cities. I hope that the next formats will attract even more institutions and partners to turn the common principles into real results.“
During the roundtable, participants discussed specific measures to limit environmental crime, including proposals for legislative changes, technological solutions for traceability of waste streams and closer coordination between local authorities, the prosecutor's office, the police and control bodies.