Over 2,000 jobs in Bulgaria’s coal sector have been lost amid the ongoing shift toward a low-carbon economy, CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov reported at a labor market forum focused on the energy transition. He noted that roughly 1,000 jobs disappeared in the Maritsa Basin alone, while other regions have quietly seen more than 15,000 positions vanish in coal mining and related energy industries. By the end of last year and the start of this one, around 13,500 workers remained directly employed, with indirect employment also declining. Dimitrov highlighted that the closure of Contour Global alone led to the loss of 360 direct positions, along with at least an equal number of indirect roles.

In response, CITUB, together with the "Podkrepa" Confederation and four nationally representative business organizations, plans to issue a joint declaration urging the state to review the European emissions trading system. They argue that the current framework undermines Bulgaria’s industrial and energy competitiveness.

Acting Minister of Energy Traycho Traykov, attending the forum, described the system as punishing for producers: “For those directly affected, this is truly a villain - it forces you to sell what you produce cheaply while being priced out of the market. In reality, it’s a zero-sum game. Some pay for emissions, and the state redistributes funds according to its rules. The state doesn’t lose money, but individual operators do.”

The forum also presented a union survey on employment in coal regions such as Kyustendil, Pernik, and Stara Zagora, examining how affected workers feel about retraining opportunities and other measures as the country transitions toward cleaner energy.