There are already two infringement procedures opened against Bulgaria because of the incapability of our government to guarantee the preservation of the Rila areas included in the ecological Natura 2000 network. The procedures are opened under the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive.
1/ The protected areas for birds are decreased in half in comparison with what was proposed by the scientific community. In order to preserve rare bird species of European importance, such as White-Backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos Leucotus), Three-Toed Woodpecker (Picoides Tridactylus), Eurasian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium Passerinum), Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) and others, as well as to guarantee the sustainable development of Rila mountains we insist that the Bulgarian government should undertake urgent measures for the adoption of the Rila protected area for birds in its full scope.
2/ In the protected areas for habitats construction of ski infrastructure is carried out without environmental impact assessments. These are the sadly notorious lifts in Panichishte and Kartala in Rila – the first one bringing daily thousands of people into the circus of the Seven Rila Lakes without assessment on the effects on the environment and thus seriously endangering the eco-system there, and the second one – also built up without environmental impact assessments, about a year ago due to a failure during the official inauguration made the ex-Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev remain hanging in the air.
Our insistence for the birds and habitats in Rila to be preserved is not caprice or extreme. Maybe solely in Bulgaria the tremendous importance of the stable eco-systems is not realized – they do not only provide us with life environment and resources but their condition is also an indicator and factor for the success of the struggle against climate changes. We are hopeful that in the coming two months which are disposable in order to prepare a reply to the written warnings of the European Commission the Bulgarian government will show foresightedness and statesman wisdom and will stop denying the existence of infringements in Rila, and to guarantee the observance of the law and discontinuation of the unlawful projects exploiting.
Put a banner about the Wednesday protests on your site!
Translation: Prolet Ilieva
Second infringement procedure against Bulgaria for the infringements in Rila. Weekly citizens’ presence in front of the Council of Ministers.
