The Bulgarian government is committed to the sustainable development of energy, to the protection of people in the sector and to the preservation of thermal power plants and coal mining as a sovereign base capacity. To this end, the government is in constant dialogue with the European Commission regarding the reforms agreed upon over the years in the sector, as well as the scale and speed with which the green transition is being carried out. This was stated by Prime Minister Rumen Radev at a meeting with representatives of the leadership of the nationally representative trade union organizations of the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CITUB) and the Confederation of Bulgarian Trade Unions (CT) "Podkrepa", which took place at the Council of Ministers. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Galab Donev, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov and Minister of Energy Iva Petrova.
During the meeting, representatives of the trade union organizations expressed concerns regarding the reforms undertaken in recent years related to the restructuring of the coal-fired energy sector and enterprises and the resulting layoffs of workers.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev stressed the determination of the Bulgarian government to work for sustainable and equitable development of the Bulgarian regions and highlighted the actions taken by the government to preserve employment in Stara Zagora and the region.
The Prime Minister noted that the agreed postponement of the closure of the TPPs in the Maritsa Basin until 2038 does not solve the problem of their economic profitability during this period, given the European climate goals and the high prices of emission allowances. For this reason, the Bulgarian government, together with other EU Member States, is working to rethink the Emissions Trading Scheme, as well as to recognize the importance of coal power as a sovereign baseload power, especially in the conditions of today's energy crisis.
The meeting also discussed approaches to the social protection of workers and the preservation of employment in the Maritsa Basin through reclamation, transformation of production and the creation of conditions for new technological capacities and the acquisition of new professions, along with attracting investments in the Stara Zagora region.