Bulgaria

Executive Environment Agency Bulgaria

Executive Environment Agency (ExEA) is an administration with the Minister of Environment and Water to carry out management, coordination and information functions as regards the control and environmental protection in Bulgaria. It designs and manages the National System for Environmental Monitoring and Information on the state of environmental components and factors on the complete territory of the country.

The Agency is a National Reference Centre within the European Environment Agency (EEA). Executive Environment Agency (ExEA) is managed by an Executive Director. In executing its powers, the Executive Director is assisted by the structural units of the general and specialized administration. The administrative management of general and specialized administration is carried out by the Secretary General of the Agency.

Structure of EEA:

The general administration provides technical activities of the Executive Director and the specialized administration. It is organized into two directorates:

Directorate “Administrative and legal services (ALS), financial-economic activity (FEA), Human resources (HR), and Chancellery and Property Management (CPM)”
Directorate “Information Systems, International Cooperation and Public Relations”

The specialized administration is empowered with information, regulating, coordinating, and control functions in accordance with the powers of the Executive Director. It is organized into three directorates:

General Directorate “Laboratories and Analytical Activities”
Directorate “Environmental Monitoring and Assessment”
Directorate “Permit Regimes”

Directorate “Administrative and legal services (ALS), Financial-economic activity (FEA), Human resources (HR), and Chancellery and Property Management” is appointed the legal services, elaboration of legally-based sub legislative acts under the Labour Code and the Act for State employee, contracts, agreements and other legal acts, financial services, organization and implementation of cash payments and accounting of revenue and expenditure of the Agency, HR services, documentary services;

Directorate “Information Systems, International Cooperation and Public Relations” (ISICPR) performs: software and IT support of the NASEM; elaborates, maintains and develops information systems and specialized registers of the components and factors of the Environment; develops Geographic Information Systems and prepares thematic maps and diagrams to visualize the state of environmental components; IT maintenance of information communication unit of telematic network (EIONET) of the European Environment Agency (EEA); provides technical and basic S/W tools for the operation of the information systems; organizes the operation and maintenance of the computer equipment, communication resources and system software; manages the activities and monitors the implementation of standards and rules relating to the achievement of network and information security; plans and coordinates international cooperation activities of the agency and represents the Agency at international level; coordinates the relations with the EEA at national level; organizes the distribution of the periodic newsletters and the National State of Environment Report; end others.

Functions of the Directorate General „Laboratories and Analytical activities” (GDLAA): Performs the laboratory-analytical work related to sampling and analysis of environmental samples to ensure the activity of the NASEM on demand of the Water Basin Directorates, the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Water, external customers, as well as signals and complaints of citizens, government and NGOs, in connection with: air quality; quality of surface water, ground water, waste-water, drinking and mineral waters; soils quality; waste classification. Controls the release of genetically modified organisms (GMO) into the environment by analyzing samples of plants, soil and water; development and operation of air quality the control system performing measurements of emissions from stationary sources; control of radiation situation in the country and analyzing the contents of natural and technologic radionuclide’s in environmental components; measuring the equivalent noise level; and many other methodological, coordination, interlaboratory and international activities.

Functions of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessments (EMA) Directorate: administrates the NASEM systems; administrates the National Automated System for permanent control of radiation gamma-background in Bulgaria and automated systems for radiation monitoring of the Danube in the region of Kozloduy NPP; performs analyses and assessments of the state of environmental components and factors; develops and applies indicators and methodologies for assessment the status and environmental impact; prepares a representative at National level information on the state of environment and natural resources; Prepares the Greenhouse Gases Emissions from Harmful Substances in the Ambient Air inventory as required by the UN Framework convention on Climate change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP); develops, processes and reports information to the EEA and other international institutions; develops, processes and submits information in a particular format in the scope of its competence to fulfil the Reporting Obligations to the European Commission and required by the European legislation in Environment; elaborates, maintains and develops specialized registers on components and factors of the Environment; carries out at National level the QA/QC of the data from the water monitoring; carries out an inventory of emissions, discharges and losses of all priority substances and pollutants; collects, analyzes and provides data on waste at the national level; performs calibration of measurement equipment for air quality monitoring and emission control systems; prepares documentation regarding the procedures for accreditation of laboratories and new accreditation of calibration laboratory.

Functions of the Permit Regimes (PR) Directorate: conducts procedures for granting, reviewing, updating, modification and cancellation of integrated permits under Chapter Seven, Section II of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and the Ordinance on procedures for issuing integrated permits; performs administrative management, regular maintenance and support to ensure the effective functioning of the European registry for release and transfer of pollutants (ERRTP) under Regulation (EC) 166/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 January 2006 establishing a European register release and transport of pollutants and amending Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC; prepares reports as required by Regulation (EC) 11/2006 of the European Parliament and Council establishing ERRTP; performs administrative management, regular maintenance and support to ensure the effective functioning of the public register of the monitoring of emission permits; carry out procedures for issuing and reviewing permits for greenhouse gas emissions trading under Chapter Seven, Section III of EPA and the Regulation on the way and procedures for issuing and reviewing permits for greenhouse gases (GG) and monitoring the operators of installations, participating in the GG emission trading quota system; prepares a proposal for allocation of greenhouse gas quota by reserve of "new participants"; approves plans for monitoring of the annual emissions of air operators and tonekilometers, on which administering Member State is the Republic of Bulgaria; adopts the annual verified reports of the operators participating in the scheme for emissions trading; performs administrative management, regular maintenance and support to ensure the effective functioning of the national register of issuance, holding, transfer and cancellation of quotas for greenhouse gas emissions, and many others.

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