Novinite.com reported that Bulgaria's former largest steel mill Kremikovtzi had withdrawn the application for a complex permit for its environmentally clean productions.

Mr Nona Karadzhova minister of environment said that the move has happened a month ago and the permit would not be issued.

The deadline for the mill to obtain the permit expired more than a year ago in October 2008. Kremikovtzi is now on the so called stand by regime, proposed by Bulgaria to the European Commission as a response to questions regarding the expired deadline to issue the permit.

Key Bulgarian ministers made it clear last week that bankrupt steel making giant Kremikovtzi would most likely be liquidated, since 80% of Kremikovtzi’s creditors have disapproved the action plan to save the steel maker, presented by the administrator.

The sprawling communist-era behemoth near Sofia was declared insolvent in August last year and has suffered huge loss of production. Workers have yet to receive BGL 56 million in unpaid salaries. Some 3,000 employees have been dismissed or have left the company, with some 3,170 staff still on the books.

(Sourced from www.novinite.com)