Bulgaria's environment ministry says it paid out €3,901,597.75 in 21 payments last week under the 2021–2027 Environment programme.

The money is for projects on water and waste, protecting wildlife, flood protection and clean air, and for technical help in running the programme.

Waste got the most: seven payments worth €1,440,114.35. Haskovo and Targovishte each received an interim payment, €365,583.74 in total, to restore regional household landfills and their cells.

The other five payments are for municipal and regional systems that collect biodegradable waste separately and recycle it. The work covers building, extending and upgrading them. Silistra got an advance of €612,431.38, Omurtag received an interim payment of €235,367.40, and Tervel, Dobrich and Cherven Bryag got €226,731.83 in total in three interim payments.

Under the "For Cleaner Air" procedure, Burgas and Smolyan received interim payments totalling €734,462.86. The money is for better air quality and less pollution.

The ministry told BTA that €362.52m has been contracted under the programme for measures to improve air quality. The announcement comes on 7 September, the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

An advance of €148,161.18 went to the Black Sea Basin Directorate in Varna. The money is to update the river basin management plan for the Black Sea region for 2028–2033. It will pay for collecting and analysing data, carrying out studies and assessments, updating methods and planning measures. The aim is for the waters to reach and keep good status.

Biodiversity got €292,435.70 in five payments. The South-East and South-West state enterprises received €109,347.42 in total in two interim payments for measures from the national priority action framework for Natura 2000. The directorate of Sinite Kamani Nature Park in Sliven got an interim payment of €32,489.33 for measure 70 of the same framework, and the Pirin National Park directorate got an advance of €20,746.17 for measure 74. The Executive Environment Agency received €129,852.78 to monitor the brown bear population.

Rudozem and Devin each got an advance under the "Nature-based measures for flood risk prevention and management" procedure, €302,297.21 in total. The money is for measures that cut the risk of floods and help towns and their infrastructure cope better with extreme water events and climate impacts.

Technical assistance received four interim payments worth €984,126.45 under budget lines for management and implementation. They pay for running, overseeing, delivering and promoting the programme.