The Cabinet approved a 2004 State of Environment report on August 10.

A total of 655.2 million leva (1.7 per cent of GDP) were spent on environmental protection and rehabilitation at the national level in 2004, the report said.

Investments in the environment in 2004 totalled 324.7 million leva. National environmental protection policy focused on nine priorities in 2004: waste management; water management; management of dangerous chemical substances and preparations; management of climate change activities; integrated pollution prevention and control; subsurface resources and subsoil and soil conservation; protection of biological diversity and clean ambient air; information support; and public awareness.

The report finds a steady downward tendency in greenhouse gas emissions in the 1988-2002 period. Bulgaria does not manufacture but only uses ozone-depleting substances, whose import decreased in 2004 and now are imported and used below the permissible thresholds.

The atmospheric concentration of lead aerosols is declining as well, among other factors, thanks to the implementation of the National Programme on Phasing Out the Production and Use of Leaded Petrol in Bulgaria.

Under that programme, the use and production of leaded petrol in this country was banned as from January 1 2004.

The state of water was practically unchanged compared to 2003, with surface water pollution being widespread in agricultural and urban areas. The results of the wide-scale national monitoring system show low content of heavy metals and metalloids in soils, and in over 50 per cent of the cases soils are at the nearest approximation to their natural state. The permissible limit values are exceeded in isolated cases.

Overall, the quantity and quality of the available reserves of subsurface resources changed within the projected limits in 2004. With the exception of oil and natural gas, Bulgaria has sufficient resources of subsurface resources to meet current demand.

By December 31 2004, there were 858 protected areas aggregating 544 394 900 hectares. Numerous measures have been taken and are implemented for protection of flora and fauna. As many as 48 319ha of land were added to the woodland stock between 2003 and 2004, and the total afforested area increased by 100 549ha.

The total quantity of waste grew by 12 per cent between 2003 and 2004, the bulk being non-hazardous industrial waste. Hazardous waste generated in 2004 was some 16 per cent less than in 2003.

The gamma background radiation was within the limits typical of this country in 2004.