NEWS

Rumen Radev: The Ambitions for Lowering Greenhouse Gas Emissions by More Than 55% by 2030 Require Measures in Defence of Competitiveness and the Social Tolerability of the Green Transition

The European Covid-19 Digital Green Certificate must stimulate free movement and not lead to discrimination of EU citizens, the President declared prior to the European Council meeting in Brussels

The surge in the European Union’s ambitions for a drastic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by more than 55% by 2030 puts Bulgaria in a difficult situation. Last December the Council passed this binding goal and the European Commission has been actively working for an ambitious legislative package, declared Head of State Rumen Radev in Brussels before the European Council meeting.

The President emphasised that in this situation Bulgaria’s manoeuvring opportunities will be extremely limited. “We will therefore insist on taking into consideration the countries’ specificities, the different starting grounds of Member States and introducing measures that will defend the competitiveness and guarantee the social tolerability of the Green Transition,” Mr. Rumen Radev stated.

The agenda of the second day of the European Council meeting also includes the topic of the creation of a European Covid-19 Digital Green Certificate as part of the joint efforts at guaranteeing freedom of movement for European citizens in the pandemic situation.

“We need stimuli for recovering the work of important fields of the economy and especially tourism,” Mr. Rumen Radev said, and added that implementing this certificate must not create new barriers and new obligations, and should in no way introduce discrimination between European citizens.

EU Member States will discuss a mechanism for sharing vaccines with third countries and with the Western Balkans, focusing on the Republic of North Macedonia, as a priority for Bulgaria.