site.btaGovernment Approves BGN 17 Mln for Nuclear Waste Site

The Council of Ministers approved an additional BGN 17 million in spending under the Ministry of Energy’s 2025 budget, the Government press service said Thursday.

The funds are designated for the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste to support phase 1 construction of the National Nuclear Waste Repository. With this funding, expenditures will rise under the Sustainable and Competitive Energy Development Policy, and the budget program Energy Supply Security and Storage of Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities.

Building the National Nuclear Waste Repository is a requirement for Bulgaria under Directive 2011/70/EURATOM, which sets the framework for the responsible and safe management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. According to Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Directive, member states must establish and maintain national policies for managing spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. 

Each member state is responsible for managing the spent fuel and radioactive waste generated within its territory. The directive has been transposed into Bulgarian legislation through the Safe Use of Nuclear Energy Act.