We, as a government, fully support the package of measures and the EC Clean Industry Pact. This was stated by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov within the framework of the “Green Transition“ forum, dedicated to the green economy and sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe. According to him, the creation of a European Center for Critical Raw Materials in terms of the general supply of such is a political decision with a broad perspective. The Prime Minister emphasized that the government's role in this transition is to stimulate investments in clean industry, to translate the EC measures into the language of Bulgarian business and to overcome bureaucratic obstacles between business and financial resources.
Prime Minister Zhelyazkov commented that business in Bulgaria is nationally responsible. This is evident, including in traditional industries such as mining, quarrying, and mechanical engineering, which are clearly focused on investing in energy-saving technologies. “There are certainly representatives of businesses here who invested a huge resource this year and this is only in support of the national economy, our national growth“, added the Prime Minister.
The issues of simplifying regimes, reducing bureaucratic burden and regulatory pressure are also in the focus of the government. Zhelyazkov pointed out that these issues have already been addressed in a way to facilitate administrative procedures for financing green projects and facilitating technology transfer. According to him, the role of the European Investment Bank in decarbonization is enormous, with a potential of 100 billion euros to support business.
“Investments in clean energy, in infrastructure, are inextricably linked to energy security and to clarifying in the long term the understanding of where energy raw materials will be used - the transition from gas to electricity, from pipeline gas to LNG“, Zhelyazkov pointed out. According to him, the most important issues are the long-term nature of contracts, gas connectivity, targeted investments in terminals and interconnectors, and the general European policy, including with regard to prices.