site.btaRadical Changes Needed in Import Control of Plant Protection Products, Agriculture Minister Says

Radical changes are needed in the import control of plant protection products (PPPs), caretaker Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov said on Tuesday at a joint press conference with the Executive Director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) Angel Mavrovski. The press conference presented details on the quantities of illegal pesticides discovered in Bulgaria, as well as the results of BFSA inspections from the beginning of the mandate until the end of April.

Hristanov said that so far 16,750 kg of expired PPPs, 10,380 kg without labels in Bulgarian, and 12,836 litres and 2,631 kg of banned products had been identified. He said that these enter Bulgaria through three main routes: small quantities via the area near Burgas (on the Black Sea), large volumes through the Kapitan Andreevo and Lesovo border crossings.

According to Hristanov, unless the border is sustainably secured against such toxic substances, there can be no guarantee that the food consumed in Bulgaria is safe. He recommended a radical overhaul of border control procedures, including changes in leadership, new personnel, new procedures, and inspections of every truck.

The Minister said that over the past year, 8 tonnes of illegal PPPs were identified, while nearly 60 tonnes were discovered in just two inspections, and those protecting smuggling channels are known. He noted that large quantities of plant protection products had been discovered at a facility in the Svishtov region, Northern Bulgaria, including banned substances, expired products, and items without any labeling, which enter Bulgarian territory and subsequently reach groundwater and surface water sources.

Mavrovski said that the situation is extremely critical. He reported that samples of seeds treated with neonicotinoids had been found. These substances are banned in the EU and are linked to bee poisoning and various oncological diseases in humans. He stressed that an inspection is currently underway in Northern Bulgaria to determine the scale of the problem. Mavrovski revealed that there had been attempts to exert pressure and halt the inspections.

He noted that the BFSA had demonstrated its capacity to function effectively within two months through targeted changes in key positions, noting that only 30 employees had been removed under his management, compared to 922 under the previous leadership.

Mavrovski also said that between February 23 and April 30, a total of 23,804 inspections had been carried out. In the past two months, authorities had seized 219 tonnes of meat and meat products, nearly 159 tonnes of milk and dairy products, 116 tonnes of non-animal food products, and 7 tonnes of other animal products, bringing the total to over 1,000 tonnes when all categories are included.

Minister Hristanov added that inspections of livestock farms over the past month had revealed non-compliance rates of around 30-36% in cattle and about 30% in small ruminants, so-called "phantom animals". A high number of obstructed inspections was also reported. In response, it was decided that farms obstructing inspections would be removed from registration systems and would no longer be eligible for pasture allocations or subsidies.