site.btaCarriers Say Fines for Transborder Plastic Cargo Breach EU Rules

Road transport companies from across Bulgaria are calling for an urgent meeting with Manol Genov, the Environment and Water Minister in the outgoing government, over fines imposed for the transborder transport of plastic waste. They argue that these sanctions are contrary to EU law. Representatives of the sector stated their position during a press conference at the BTA press club in Razgrad on Saturday. Their statement was prompted by information from the Environment and Water Ministry that carriers bear responsibility for knowing what waste they transport.

Ekaterina Pamukova of the Razgrad-based transport company NLM said that around 40 Bulgarian transport operators were sanctioned after carrying loads declared as ordinary commercial cargo. She said that in 2025 her company, as well as other transport firms, had carried shipments from Romania to Pleven in Bulgaria consisting of plastic bottles presented by the consignors as ordinary goods. Pamukova noted that these were plastic packaging materials which were not declared as waste in the documents.

"About 40 companies are affected, which shows that the problem is systemic rather than an isolated case," she said. She added that penal sanctions are imposed only on Bulgarian transport companies. "Foreign carriers, including Romanian firms, carry out the same transports with the same documents, but they are not checked and no fines are issued to them," Pamukova stressed. She added that about one or two months after the transports were carried out, the companies received notices from the regional environment and water inspectorates in Ruse and Pleven inviting them to appear for the drawing up of administrative offence reports. The penalty decrees issued range from BGN 7,000 (EUR 3,580) to BGN 20 000 (EUR 10,230). "These are amounts that small transport companies cannot afford and they put their very existence at risk," said Ekaterina Pamukova.

She added that the plastic bottles for which the sanctions were imposed are recyclable material and fall within the European Union's green list. According to her, these are plastic packaging materials with code 15 01 02, which are not hazardous waste and are used to produce new items. Under Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 their transport is carried out under a simplified procedure, without notification and without a permit from the Environment and Water Ministry. Pamukova stressed that the carriers acted on the basis of correctly submitted information from the consignors and called for equal application of EU rules.

According to the representatives of the transport companies, Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 permits the transport of green list waste under a simplified procedure, without notification and without authorization from national authorities. They stressed that the regulation is directly applicable and takes precedence over national legislation.

The carriers voiced dissatisfaction that only Bulgarian companies were sanctioned, while Romanian and other foreign carriers performing identical runs with the same documents were neither inspected nor penalized. They said this resulted in inequality and breached the principles of the European single market.

Some companies have already appealed the penalty decrees before the courts in Pleven and Ruse, with hearings scheduled at short notice. Sector representatives warned that if the sanctions are upheld, many small transport firms will face bankruptcy.

Speakers at the press conference said they were not calling for changes to legislation but for equal and lawful application of EU rules. The carriers want an urgent meeting with the Environment and Water Minister. If there is no dialogue, they are considering referring the matter to the European Commission.