The Law on Forests Bill can become the latest gift from the state to two businessmen

Here are the first two of them:
- Hristo Kovachki. In October, the government caved in to pressure and allowed his firm “Brikel” to continue functioning despite the fact that it violates the European limits for the release of harmful emissions and does not invest in purification systems. With the bill for the law on forests in its current version, the businessman will receive another opportunity – to build a ski zone in the Rila Mountain taking advantage of forests swaps that he had made with the state under the government of the tripartite coalition. If the ski zone “Govedartsi-Iskrovete-Malyovitsa” is to be built, it would result in the cutting down centuries-old conifer forests and the destruction of habitats of importance for the European environmental network Natura 2000. This gift is the result of the refusal of the previous government to ban completely the building up of swapped forests and to declare the “Rila-buffer” zone a protected territory, as well as the delay of the current government to do the latter. On the whole, the proposed texts in the law will lead to sanctions by the European Commission.

- Tseko Minev. This summer, the government allowed the firm “Yulen,” concessionaire of the Bansko ski zone in National Park Pirin to start the construction of two new lifts. The upper and bottom stations of the new lift in the “Platoto” area are outside of the scope of the concession and are being built on land that is exclusive state ownership. The chairman of the Bulgarian Ski Federation and shareholder in First Investment Bank, Tseko Minev is connected to “Yulen”. In its current version, the bill for the law on forests will provide the businessman the opportunity to become the owner of the state land on which the lifts have been built in National Park Pirin. In this way, the question of the non-compliance with the concession contract would be covered up.
Tseko Minev is also connected with the company “Vitosha Ski”, which owns most of the lifts in Natural Park Vitosha. The bill on forests allows him to become also an owner of the state land on which the privatized installations in Vitosha are built.

These texts in the bill on forests are in contradiction with other current laws, among which is also the Law on protected territories.
The Coalition “For the Nature” insists that the new law is adopted, however, after the removal of the texts that cater to lobbyist interests. The environmentalists will keep on researching and informing which businessmen could derive benefits from those texts. The new bill will provide the so needed reform in the forest management of Bulgaria, but its adoption should not be used to pass through corporate interests.