The Parliament is preparing to save illegal construction facing demolishing in the ecological network Natura 2000

The text of this Bill is not published on the National Assembly website. For that reason the environmentalists are commenting on the content given by the media and highlight the following issues, if this final decision is adopted:
1. The mere issuance of decisions to remove illegal constructions is the result of a long process and collection of clear evidence of legal offenses. The possibility of appeal against the decision for its removal prolongs the process further, although it allows complainants to protect their interest.
2. The media claims that the decision will not affect the Protected areas. This offers very small consolation as there are many illegal constructions which are within the Protected zones of the European ecological network Natura 2000, but they are outside the Protected areas under the meaning of the relevant law for the same.
3. There is overwhelming public support for preservation of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Bulgarian Socialist Party at the end of the mandate of the 41st National Assembly proposed to take steps to establish either Nature or National Park Bulgarian Black Sea side, which was an expressed willingness in the right direction. The current draft is a support for proven legal offenders, namely those on Black Sea coast, and a major step backwards.
4. The proposed solution to make exceptions for removal of constructions when there has been proven existence of even a single dwelling is meaningless - a lot of people will transfer their homes to relatives to prove that the illegal construction is their only home.
5. Housing problem for Roma people in the ghettos is another matter with specific solutions that are practiced worldwide. Quite obviously addressing all these cases with one tool is impossible.
Coalition „For the Nature“ insists that National Assembly end the practice of
discussing texts which are not available to the public. We hope that the National Assembly will protect the public interest and will make decisions that could lead to amnesty of proven offenders.
At the same time environmentalists continue to insist the Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski to close the Ministry of Investment Planning as a strong source of corruption, created for construction developments on the Black Sea coast and the mountains.
Coalition „For the Nature“ calls for the removal of Chavdar Georgiev and Byurhan
Abazov from their posts as Deputy Ministers of Environment and Agriculture, because they are associated with attempts for coastal construction of Strandzha Nature Park.
Environmentalists point out that, in turn, the Minister of Culture Petar Stoyanovich has supported for a long time the expansion of Bansko ski resort into the Pirin National Park.