site.btaEU Transport and Communication Ministers Discuss Legislative Measures on Road Safety, Cybersecurity

Bulgaria views the European Commission's proposals on the Vehicle Roadworthiness Package mainly from the perspective of road safety and expects this focus to be maintained in the future, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov said at a meeting of the EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, which took place in Luxembourg, the Ministry's press office said on Friday.

"There is already an action plan at national level with concrete measures to improve road safety. They are relevant to strengthening control with technical and physical means on the road, as well as putting road safety as the leading issue in planning, design, construction of road objects," Karadjov said. "We welcome the proposed provisions at the EU level, as well as achieving them through the implementation of new technologies," the Deputy Prime Minister added. He specified that with the envisaged possibility of tracking the mileage of vehicles, abuses will be avoided.

"Bulgaria has called for a responsible approach when discussing changes to the directive on the mass and dimensions of road vehicles. As a country with heavy transit traffic, Bulgaria faces significant challenges in maintaining its infrastructure. Increased cases of congested vehicles lead to rising repair and maintenance costs. This should be taken into account when taking decisions at European level," Karadjov said.

Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov also held bilateral meeting with Sweden's Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson. During the talks it became clear that the countries should seek a balanced approach that would be acceptable to all Member States, the ministry further said.

In relation to the expected air traffic congestion in summer 2025, the need for coordination between all actors in the aviation chain was stressed. Karadjov underlined Bulgaria's commitment to ensure smooth airspace traffic during the summer. The national air navigation service provider has provided the necessary capacity so that flights can be operated without delays. In order to limit bottlenecks at airports, checks have been launched on operators and ground handlers to ensure that staff, equipment and flexible service arrangements are in place.

In the debate on post-2027 infrastructure funding, the Minister has focused on the importance of security and crisis response by smoothing military mobility capacity. The strategic importance for Bulgaria of the modernization of the railway sections of Corridor VIII and the construction of a new combined bridge over the Danube was expressed. 

When discussing the issue of satellite connectivity in the framework of the Council of Ministers on Telecommunications, the Bulgarian position was that this type of technology is often the only option for ensuring connectivity in hard-to-reach regions. Furthermore, they are key in crisis management, ensuring security and protecting critical infrastructure. Karadjov called for effective spectrum management so that there is a fair balance between existing and emerging technologies.