Europroject Will Improve Air Quality in Six Large Municipalities in Bulgaria

The European Commission has announced an investment of € 116.1 million under the LIFE program for the environment and climate action, its press service announced, quoted by bTV. 

Air pollution from heating and transport is a significant problem in Bulgaria.

Nearly 90% of the urban population is exposed to excessive levels of fine particulate matter (PM10) in 2016, well above the EU average. 

The LIFE IP CLEAN AIR project brings together six large municipalities, building capacity to implement air quality programs as required by the Air Quality Directive and national legislation.

For example, the project will pilot the replacement of polluting heating systems for households and will develop national recommendations for switching to alternative forms of heating.

LIFE IP CLEAN AIR will be a catalyst for mobilizing EU structural funding and national funds worth around € 1.4 billion in total.

The project is expected to contribute to air quality that meets the legal requirements of the municipalities of Sofia, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Montana, Russe and Stara Zagora in which one third of the population of Bulgaria lives.

European funding will also support projects in Austria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Slovenia. LIFE money will mobilize additional support worth more than € 3.2 billion for 12 large-scale environmental and climate change projects in ten Member States to move towards a low-carbon circular economy.

The 12 projects selected have a total budget of EUR 215.5 million, of which EUR 116.1 million is co-financed by the EU.

EU funding will mobilize € 3.2 billion of investment, as Member States can also use other sources of EU funding, including agricultural,...