Water component of Twinning agreement BG 9807 01

Implementation of Urban waste water and Dangerous Substances Directives

September 1999 - March 2001

BENEFICIARY: Ministry for the Environment and Water, Bulgaria

FUNDING: European Commission

Background :

Germany was the project leader of this Twinning BG9807/01, with Austria and France as partners. France was the operator (International Office for Water) for the water component.

The International Office for Water was in charge of activities related to Urban waste water and Dangerous substances Directives:

- regulations for the implementation of the Bulgarian Water Law, adopted by the Parliament in 1999,

- procedures for discharge authorisations,

- emission limits, discharge standards and quality objectives for the receiving environment,

- information and training.

In addition, IOWater was associated with the working groups in charge of preparing a Bulgarian overall strategy and a national plan for the environment.

Services :

Activities in Bulgaria started with an in-depth analysis of the new Bulgarian water law, and a detailed presentation of methods used for discharge authorizations in France

Working groups drew up draft regulations for implementation with the assistance of specialists from the Seine Navigation Department and DRIRE of Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Activities also dealt with quality objectives for the receiving environment with specialists from the Loire-Brittany Water Agency, the Ministry of Regional Planning and the Environment and the International Office for Water:

- a software for monitoring discharges was translated into Bulgarian,

- a "quality" approach was proposed to the Bulgarian network of laboratories analysing water quality,

- a workshop with the Bulgarian partners proposed eight orientation programmes regarding the Bulgarian water strategy