Bulgaria: Managing the environment in an unstable transition

Bulgaria is facing an uncertain future. Communist rule has gone and with it the wider political, economic and trade networks that supported the old regime. However, the adoption of new Western‐style economic and political models has proved problematic, as has achieving EU membership. Initial optimism surrounding the ability of Bulgaria to adopt Western models was misplaced. Since the end of the Communist regime the country has experienced considerable political and economic instability, and the revolution of 1989 remains incomplete as the processes of democratisation and marketisation falter. This has had a negative impact upon Bulgaria's ability to tackle the severe environmental legacy of Communist rule. Lack of institutional and administrative capacity, corruption, and the failure to implement reforms at the local level add to Bulgaria's inability to manage its environment. Furthermore, the end of Communist rule has brought new environmental threats, particularly with respect to nuclear power and the transport sector. Western environmental aid is restricted by the belief that Bulgaria lacks the capacity to put this aid to effective and efficient use.