Bulgaria's Caretaker Environment Minister: Shale Gas Not on My Agenda

Yulian Popov, caretaker Minister of Environment and Water, has argued that Bulgaria is the country with the least energy-efficient economy.

In a Tuesday interview for private TV station bTV, Popov made clear that Bulgaria also had a major problem with waste exploitation.

"It is not only a matter of home energy retrofitting but also of waste management. It is also related to people's behavior which has actually changed substantially in recent years" he explained.

Popov also outlined the main priorities in the sector.

"Shale gas will not be the hot potato in my hands over the next three months," he declared.

"The question is not whether or not we have shale gas and energy independence. In my opinion, the matter requires very strict regulation and a lot of fresh research," he stated, adding that exploration activities were to be conducted only if their environmental safety had been confirmed.

Popov went on to speak against a "nationalistic approach" to energy independence.

Stressing his short term in office, Bulgaria's caretaker Minister of Environment and Water noted that he would not be able to solve all problems in the sector.

He underscored that he had no intentions of solving conclusively the dispute over the expansion of the Bansko ski zone between locals and environmental organizations.

He suggested that the problem was rooted in "imperfections" stipulated in the initial concession contract for the ski zone in the resort.

Popov, however, vowed to hold talks with all interested parties and to organize a meeting with representatives of all of groups before the end of his term in office.

Bulgaria's caretaker government, which is to prepare the ground for the early elections on May 12, was appointed by President Rosen Plevneliev on March 13.