Key Facts and Context
- EURO 7 standard: From July 1, 2025, the EURO 7 eco-standard enters into force, introducing stricter emission limits for all new and used vehicles.
- Bans on older cars: Import and sale of vehicles below Euro 4 eco-standard will be practically banned, halting access to vehicles produced before 2005.
- New recycling and deregistration rules: Bulgarian law aligns with the EU, requiring end-of-life vehicles to be delivered only to licensed facilities, promoting recycling and limiting the “gray” market.
- Fees, subsidies, and burdens: Subsidies are introduced for scrapping old diesel cars, but recycling fees are substantially increased, directly affecting households and businesses[6][7][19].
Drivers and Stakeholders
- European Union (EC): Sets the regulatory framework and ecological goals.
- Bulgarian government and MOEW: Introduces regulations, monitoring, and control tools.
- Importers and dealers: Major affected sector – cheaper cars and the gray market are restricted.
- Recycling companies: Handle new volumes and responsibilities for waste processing.
- Consumers: Will pay more and face limited choices, especially for older, affordable models.
Possible Scenarios
- Realistic: Used car prices rise, especially for newer models. Old cars are massively recycled, but households and businesses take on additional costs for eco-taxes and processing.
- Optimistic: Subsidies successfully offset impacts on households and incentivize rapid replacement with modern vehicles. The market becomes greener, more transparent, and creates new jobs.
- Pessimistic: Part of the gray market goes underground, households struggle, lack of affordable cars, increasing discontent. The recycling network is overloaded, and service prices rise further.
Possible Effects on the Market
- Sharp rise in used car prices, especially for newer years.
- Accelerated recycling; increase in “green” jobs.
- Export of cars below Euro 4 is restricted; export to non-EU countries likely to grow.
- The gray market for parts and cars will likely persist in new forms.
Disclaimer: This article is an analytical overview by the BurgasMedia editorial team, reflecting the position of an expert group based on current events. The conclusions are hypothetical and not forecasts. The editorial team bears no responsibility for future discrepancies and urges readers to form their own opinions based on verified sources.