Stefan Yanev and Frans Timmermans speak at an international forum in Sofia on the Green Deal

Bulgaria's caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev on October 15, 2021, participated in the international conference "Green Transition - Solutions and Challenges for Bulgaria". The discussions focus on the opportunities of the country in the context of climate change, as well as topics related to smart industry, energy and climate, the circular economy, innovation in agriculture and biotechnology.

European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, MEPs and cabinet ministers are also taking part in the forum.

Against the backdrop of the ambitious goal to reduce harmful emissions by 55% by 2030, and Europe to achieve full green independence by 2050, the Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister said that this is a very high level of ambition, which exceeds Bulgarian capabilities at least as of that date, because Bulgaria is the most carbon-intensive country in the EU. The coefficient is 4 times higher in our country.

Yanev stressed the need not only to close businesses when we talk about achieving a green future, but also to open such. That is, the EU should provide sufficient investment and resources to be able to help those people who will be affected in the name of Europe's green future.

Here is what Stefan Yanev said at the beginning of the forum:

"When we talk about the Green Deal, we need to focus not only on what we are closing, but also on what we are opening. We need to build a future. The green transition is an important and topical issue, especially in the Covid situation and the difficulties facing our economies. I hope that we together and in dialogue will tackle the challenges ahead. I welcome the green idea and the efforts to preserve the environment. I share the understanding that investing in green technologies is an investment in the future, an investment in the well-being of our peoples. In its concept of a green transition, Europe sets high very high goals. With a green deal to make Europe a completely independent green continent achieving neutrality by 2050. This is indeed a very high level of ambition that exceeds our capabilities from today's point of view. Bulgaria is the most carbon-intensive country in the EU - 4 times higher than the EU.

Both businesses and municipalities need help to adapt to the Green Transition to prevent downturn or adverse socio-economic consequences at regional level. The challenges facing the Bulgarian economy are multifaceted: demographic crisis, climate change, rising electricity prices not only in Bulgaria but across Europe, digitalization, ever-increasing goals of climate neutrality and shorter deadlines to deal with them. Bulgaria is making significant efforts to achieve climate neutrality of the European Union by 2050, to support the Green Transition. The Bulgarian government is paying due attention to the planned strategic actions to address the challenges of climate change, with an emphasis on increasing energy efficiency and increasing the use of energy from renewable sources."

Frans Timmermans said:

"I have been coming to Bulgaria for 30 years and I am watching the great transformation and I think Bulgarians can be proud. Now for the green deal - why did we accept it. Because to learn to live in the present, we have to think about climate change - fires, tornado, increase in the temperature of the planet by 1 degree - imagine it is 3-4 degrees. We must take care of the salvation of humanity and this is the basis of the Green Deal. Adaptation to the new circumstances is inherent in humanity. We should do it quickly, because if we delay, the climate crisis will not be able to be controlled. When Covid appeared, we started talking about delaying it for 10 years. But then analysing more profoundly, we thought that the Green Deal is also a package for recovery and economic strategy for future generations, because we need to invest in a new type of economy even now, when the world is mobilizing such a huge amount of money to build exactly this type of economy after the crisis. Let's make sure we invest the money in the right places. We need to get to a point where people's well-being does not depend on fossil fuels, but on renewables.

The cost of renewables remains low. The question here, however, is how to create a better future for Europe's coal regions. There are 30 of them, and they should know that their future can no longer be tied to coal mining. In Bulgaria you have an incredible think tank. Do you know how many ITs work in the world, do you know what progress you have in the automotive business? You also have unique conditions for tourism. The Commission is discussing the Recovery and Resilience Plan with the Bulgarian authorities. Over the next few months, this will be done very carefully. I want to commit to this here in front of you. Bulgaria has many challenges in the energy sector. And we commit that no one will be forgotten and abandoned and coal mining sector will be considered very carefully.

"So my question is, how do we turn challenges into opportunities? Let's make so that the challenges of the Green Transition turn into a growth strategy, a job strategy, and with a clear feel in each region in Europe, that this is a fair process which will bring benefits to the people," said Mariya Gabriel.

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov paid serious attention to the situation of the coal regions in the country and said that Bulgaria should work hard together with its European counterparts to help these regions and to provide them with sufficient funds.

"We have avoided difficult topics in Bulgaria for too long and the climate crisis is one of them. A problem without which we will not succeed without tools to help. The worries of people in the coal regions – we should not leave them without compensation. The pandemic gave us the possibility to reconsider. The EU's response to the pandemic and the creation of new financial instruments helps to avoid the mistakes of the past. "We managed to propose new projects for renewable energy sources and energy projects. A common strategy for decarbonisation and funds for that," Pekanov said.

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