Strandja is in danger following a half-baked decision, party activists will manage national parks. Protests in 10 cities on Tuesday night.

On Tuesday, 11 February 2014, Strandja protests are organized to start at 18.30 in 10 cities.

The precedent following the High Administrative Court’s decision of December 2013 is that every local council can now request that its management plan (MP) be adopted without an impact assessment. At the same time the Regional Minister’s order for a new MP for Tzarevo could be revoked as early as tomorrow by the current or next Minister.

Because of that, ‘For the Nature’ insists that a permanent legislative decision be made, to guarantee that there will be no more MPs adopted without an impact assessment in the future, until the public gets access to justice in relation to territorial management and environmental protection.

For these reasons, nature conservationists insist on the following:

1. That the Ministry for the Environment issues an Order which nullifies the 2008 Tzarevo MP amendments due to the lack of an impact assessment, as required by law.

2. An amendment to the Territorial Development Act and the Black Sea Coastline Management Act, to allow the appeal against MPs, at least in relation to invalidity of such future plans being approved.

3. An amendment to the Territorial Development Act and the Black Sea Coastline Management Act, to allow for the nullifying of existing MPs which have been adopted without an impact assessment and compatibility assessments.

4. Personnel changes at the Environment Ministry, including staff who have no necessary knowledge of European Directives and had been defending this legal absurdity for weeks on end.

‘For the Nature’ and the public are organising protests for the conservation of Strandja National Park in Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Pernik, Sliven, Pazardjik, Russe, Veliko Tarnovo and Triavna on Tuesday, 11 February, starting at 18.30. For more detail, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/666997360005171