Due to market reforms prices of resources which have been highly subsidized under communism now are adjusted to international level. Price increase has been pas sed on to the consumers, eg. Due to high external and domestic debt and impoverished populations it is not likely that the investment in the improvement of environment will increase. However, the environmental and health impacts are high because of low efficiency in their use, and lack of even end-of pipe techno logies. Steel, concrete, pulp and paper and chemical industries are still the biggest consumers of resources.
Some notable examples exist of introducing clean production programmes.
One of the scarce resources in the region is drinking water. Health impact of environmental degradation are high. Railroad transport which is more sustainable and cost effective that road transport still prevails in CEE though it is undergoing fast decay and plans to integrate CEE with the trans-european network are very advanced. The increase in the costs and resulting decrease in the use of fertilizers and pesticides contributes to the production of food which fulfils WHO healthy food standards. While in Poland or Hungary there is an increase in the share of the imported food on the market, in Bulgaria most of the food comes from local markets.