Bulgaria supported the position for a balanced approach and protection of the transport competitiveness during the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport) of the EU.
The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev presented Bulgaria's position during today's meeting of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport) of the EU in Luxembourg. Ms. Christina Velinova - Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications also took part in the TTE Council. Bulgaria reaffirmed its consistent position for a realistic and socially fair green transition that does not create unnecessary administrative and financial burdens for the business and the citizens.
In the field of land transport, Minister Peev declared a balanced approach to the new requirements for the clean corporate vehicles. He pointed out that our country supports the "green transition", but it should be implemented through economic incentives and the exchange of good practices, instead of mandatory quotas for the registration of green vehicles, which would burden small and medium-sized enterprises. The Minister noted that the rules should take into account the various readiness levels of the charging infrastructure in different Member States.
The discussions regarding decarburization have highlighted the importance of rail as an environmentally friendly alternative. It was stressed that Bulgaria is already implementing concrete actions for its modernisation through the purchase of new electric trains financed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
In the framework of the TTE Council, Minister Georgi Peev had bilateral meetings with his colleagues from France and Croatia. In his meeting with the French Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot, Minister Peev stressed the need for good cooperation between the road transport control authorities in strict compliance with the EU legislation and avoiding the imposition of unlawful fines during roadside inspections. The willingness to find a long-lasting solution was confirmed. During his meeting with Mr. Tomislav Mihotić, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure of Croatia, the possibility of opening a direct Sofia-Zagreb air service was discussed.
