Still, waste management requires much more effort. Bulgaria needs to adopt and implement the EU environmental legislation, which has probably the highest standards in the world. This will bring about cleaner and healthier environment, for example cleaner air and water. There are EU assistance programmes to improve the environment for Member States and other programmes for Candidate countries such as Bulgaria. One such programme is called ISPA and provides 500 mio per year for environmental investments for central and eastern European countries.
Most support goes for waste water treatment and waste management.
In environment it support wastewater treatment, drinking water and air pollution projects. No, it produces less than Germany per head. Yes, there is what is known as Association Agreement with Bulgaria, which includes environmental co-operation as priority. The environmental situation in the Baltic is not sufficient. The Commission is supporting the work of the Helsinki Commission, which is the prime co-ordinating organ for the protection of the Baltic Sea.