Policy, Performance, and Gaps: Waste Management under Bulgaria’s Operational Programme “Environment”
Policy, Performance, and Gaps: Waste Management under Bulgaria’s Operational Programme “Environment”

Author(s): Gergana Grozdanova-Dzhoykeva
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Economy, National Economy, Business Economy / Management, Energy and Environmental Studies, Governance, Environmental and Energy policy
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: environment; waste management; operational programme
Summary/Abstract: Environmental protection is a top issue for all countries. In Bulgaria, a number of programs, projects, and initiatives are being conducted to reduce the environmental effect of human activities. Waste regulations in the European Union serve as both environmental tools and strategic levers for attaining climate neutrality, resource efficiency, and green economic transformation. In this respect, Bulgaria's Operational Programme “Environment” (OPE) is an important national tool for harmonizing waste policy with EU environmental regulations. Given the increased social and legislative emphasis on decreasing environmental harm through better waste governance, this article presents a current and relevant assessment of how OPE has helped Bulgaria advance in the waste management sector. It closes a significant vacuum in the literature by providing a thorough, datadriven analysis of the program's effects, problems, and limits, as well as proposing priority areas for policy and operational development over the 2021–2027 programming term. This article examines the Operational Programme “Environment” (OPE)'s ability to enhance environmental protection, with a particular emphasis on waste management programs.To attain this goal, the following research tasks are completed: A literature analysis of current advancements in the waste management component of the OPE; An examination of the types and structures of waste produced in Bulgaria; An assessment of waste-related projects funded by the OPE. The analysis is based on official statistics data and uses both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The findings will be used to propose ideas for increasing the program's efficacy, as well as to highlight critical weaknesses in its present performance.

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