site.btaKronospan Will Complete Particleboard Production Line Suspension on Sunday

The phased suspension of the particleboard (PB) production line at the Kronospan plant in Veliko Tarnovo is expected to be completed by Sunday, manager Nikolay Bankov told a press conference at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The company was ordered to turn down the line after complaints that it was releasing odours outside its production site.

The environmental authorities have said that the suspension is only temporary and will last until measures are taken by the company to deal with the odours issue.

“Since yesterday [Thursday] the temperature has been above zero, and we have confirmed that by Sunday morning, within 72 hours, we will be able to carry out the phased shutdown,” Bankov said. “This is not a single valve that can simply be opened or closed, it involves many interconnected production processes and a highly integrated line that needs to be shut down gradually and safely,” he added.

Bankov recalled that the wood-processing company has already appealed the decision to suspend part of its operations, which was imposed by the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (RIEW). He described the measure as extreme and disproportionate. “It does not correspond to all the efforts we as a company have made, nor to the measured indicators and values throughout the entire period,” he added.

According to Bankov, despite numerous inspections by institutions, official documents confirm that the plant does not exceed environmental standards and complies with the requirements of its integrated permit. The only sanctions imposed relate to odours, which the company considers a subjective criterion, as Bulgaria lacks a legal methodology for measuring them.

The company has invested over BGN 80 million in purification facilities and green energy. Plans include the construction of new monitoring stations and a public display showing real-time air quality data for Veliko Tarnovo.

Bankov called for the case not to be used for political purposes or to escalate tensions, insisting on dialogue based on expertise and objective data rather than populism. He pointed to a sharp and, in his words, “questionable” increase in complaints against the plant - from 47 in 2024 to 430 in 2025 - given that the factory has not changed its mode of operation and continues to invest in and upgrade its existing purification facilities.

The Chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dobri Mitrev, who is also the rotating chairman of the Association of Bulgarian Employers’ Organizations (ABEO), recalled during the press conference the support expressed by the four nationally representative employer organizations in a joint position against what they described as the state’s “extreme measures.”

“If we had even minimal doubts, if we had seen measurement results for the various indicators deviating from the prescribed standards, we would not have stood so firmly behind Bulgarian industry, represented in this case by Kronospan. We are deeply concerned that this is a precedent that could spread to any industrial investor in Bulgaria,” Mitrev said.

He criticized politicians, both local and national, for failing to seek dialogue with the company in order to find a balanced solution.

“It is high time that we moved from being a state of punishments, sanctions, pressure, and brutality to becoming a state of incentives and dialogue. Then people, and the business as well, will want to be in Bulgaria,” he added.

Philippe Kupfer, commercial counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Bulgaria, stressed that investors need a predictable environment and adherence to the rules by both sides. “Kronospan is not only an Austrian investor, it is a Bulgarian company that creates jobs, generates added value, pays taxes here, and pays very high wages, especially in rural areas, where there are not many investors,” Kupfer said.

The Branch Chamber of the Woodworking and Furniture Industry has expressed its firm support for Kronospan Bulgaria. It will fight by all means to achieve a sustainable, workable solution, said the Chamber’s chairman, Prof. Dr. Vasil Zhivkov. He noted that activities and businesses in the sector worth more than BGN 1 billion leva could be affected.

“We are facing a moment of unprecedented crisis. A crisis which, however, if not resolved quickly through lawful means and in the interest of all stakeholders, will lead to disaster,” Prof. Dr. Zhivkov said. He added that industry is built through substantial investments and numerous administrative battles, yet it can be destroyed in a matter of days, calling this an extremely alarming signal.

On Thursday, the Association of Bulgarian Employer Organizations expressed serious concern over the situation involving Kronospan Bulgaria and the order issued by the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water on January 16 for the immediate shutdown of the particleboard production line in Veliko Tarnovo, despite the absence of any objective data indicating pollution. Employers are calling for reasonable dialogue and a reconsideration of the order.

Earlier this week, workers from the Kronospan wood-processing plant in Veliko Tarnovo protested against the coercive measure imposed by the RIEW. The Branch Chamber of the Woodworking and Furniture Industry is calling for the withdrawal of the RIEW order to suspend the operation of the particleboard line at Kronospan, which the organization considers disproportionate.

The Chamber is calling for the use of lawful means through dialogue with all stakeholders, including the citizens of Veliko Tarnovo, in order to achieve a reasonable and workable solution. “We urge that the case not be used for political purposes or pressure against such a structurally important enterprise for Bulgarian industry,” the Chamber said in a position signed by its chairman, Prof. Vasil Zhivkov.

With rising temperatures, the phased shutdown of the particleboard  production line begin, said yesterday the director of the Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water Stanislav Stanchev. The day before, RIEW requested the assistance of the Prosecutor’s Office to ensure the safe shutdown of the particleboard production line.

The company sent a statement to the media indicating that it does not refuse to comply with the imposed coercive administrative measure but insists that it be implemented in a way that does not lead to emergency situations. According to the submitted position and internal safety instructions, the phased shutdown can begin after a sustained increase in temperatures above zero degrees Celsius for several consecutive days, when risks to people, equipment, and the environment are minimized.

The wood-processing company Kronospan in Veliko Tarnovo has already appealed the decision to suspend part of its operations imposed by the RIEW.

“We must guarantee the health, the right to clean air, and a safe environment for every citizen,” said outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov while commenting on the issue in Veliko Tarnovo.