Background information

The purpose of the National Early Warning and Alert System is to disseminate timely and meaningful information, enabling people, communities and organisations at risk to prepare and act appropriately to reduce potential harm or loss. The main types of hazards the system will alarm are: flooding; fire; chemical pollution; biological pollution; radioactive contamination; hurricane; snowstorms, snowdrifts and icing.

Content of measure

The Early Warning and Alert System is designed to simultaneously warn or notify people at risk in a particular area of an impending or occurring disaster and to broadcast instructions for necessary measures and actions through acoustic signals and voice information. The system includes two pillars: Early Warning and Notification System of the Executive Authorities and Components of the Unified Rescue System and Early Warning and Notification System of the Population. Early warning and alert in case of disasters and air hazards are carried out through a communication and information system called the National System for Early Warning and Notification of the Executive Authorities and the Population (National System for Early Warning and Alert - NSEWA). Acoustic signals shall be given by means of acoustic terminal devices - mechanical and electronic sirens. Voice information shall be transmitted by means of acoustic terminal devices - electronic sirens, which shall be updated as necessary.

Use of measure

In 2023 the national system notifies 39% of the Bulgarian population. With its extension (see update), the notified population will become 51% of the total population. More than 650,000 people in 96 municipalities in Bulgaria will have an increased level of protection due to timely disclosure and creation of an opportunity for an adequate response in cases of floods, landslides, fires and other disasters. This modernisation becomes possible with the expansion of the National Early Warning and Notification System (NWES), financed by the Operational Program "Environment 2014-2020". For this purpose, municipal centres will be built in the territories of 14 regions: Burgas, Varna, Vidin, Vratsa, Kardjali, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Ruse, Smolyan, St. Zagora and Yambol.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

The social partners involvement is not requested by institutional setting of the system. The National Disaster Protection Plan has been prepared on the basis of Article 62(2)(2) of the Disaster Protection Act. By Decision No 1004 of the Council of Ministers of 12 December 2012, Part 1: Earthquake Protection and Part 2: Flood Protection were added to the plan. By Decision No 767 of the Council of Ministers of 14 September 2012, Part 3: Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant External Emergency Plan was added to the plan. It supports the implementation of the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (NSDRR) 2018-2030. The plan proposes six summary objectives for three time periods: up to 2025, 2030 and 2040. These include: (a) increasing disaster risk awareness among the population and stakeholders; (b) strengthening institutional capacity; (c) improving the effectiveness of DRM and related planning; (d) increasing the effectiveness of inter-institutional coordination and dialogue between institutions and citizens, academia, business and the NGO sector; (e) increasing the effectiveness of DRM financing; and (f) strengthening economic, social, health and environmental sustainability.

Views and reactions

Social partners are not part of the ministerial council for disaster risk reduction, and views about the measure are not available. Social partners have the opportunity to participate at the public consultations of the respected legislation, but such views are not expressed.

Sources

• 19 December 2006: Disaster Protection Act (lex.bg)
• 09 March 2012: REGULATION ON THE TERMS AND ORDER OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE NATIONAL EARLY WARNING SYSTEM AND NOTIFICATION OF THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES AND THE POPULATION IN DISASTER AND AIR DANGER NOTIFICATION (lex.bg)
• 10 March 2023: AN ADDITIONAL 650,000 PEOPLE WILL BE COVERED BY THE RENEWED CRISIS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM (www.eufunds.bg)
• 02 November 2023: The BG-ALERT early warning system will be tested on a schedule from 7 to 29 Novembe (www.investor.bg)
• 13 November 2023: BG-ALERT (www.bg-alert.bg)