The European Commission insists on Bulgaria including the whole Important Bird Area Rila within NATURA2000

Since from 2010 so far the Bulgarian governments did not undertake any measures for pronouncing of the whole territory of the Important Bird Area (IBA) Rila for protected area part of NATURA2000, the EC sent its last warning and gave a period of two months to be rectified.

Otherwise this case similarly to Caliacra also will enter into the European Court and our country could be sentenced to pay additional fines for non-conforming to the European legislation.

According to the European legislation in NATURA2000 should enter enough in number and size territories for bird protection and the minimum is set when the Important Bird Areas are pronounced protected bird areas.

IBA Rila encompasses a large part of the territory of the Rila Mountain which includes National Park Rila, Natural Park Rila Monastery and a territory around the two parks which to the current moment does not have a legal protection. The whole territory of IBA encompasses the high Alpine part of the mountain, as well as many very old coniferous and deciduous forests and meadows.

IBA Rila is inhabited by 130 nesting birds and is the most important area in the country for the protection of the pygmy-owl, Boreal owl and three-toed woodpecker, and is one of the most significant places for other forest species, such as the black woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, Western Capercaillie, etc., which are endangered in the whole European Union.

The places inhabited by rare and endangered species as a rule provide the man with clean air and drinking water and enable for reducing the effect of extreme climate phenomena such as flooding, erosion, drought and many others.

When the network NATURA2000 for the birds was proclaimed in 2007, IBA Rila was one of the places which were not completely proclaimed protected areas and because of that it was included into the penalty procedure against Bulgaria for insufficiency of the network for bird protection which procedure started in 2008. At that time only National Park Rila was proclaimed a NATURA2000 area.

In 2010 as a result of the active negotiations between the European Commission, the Bulgarian government and the non-governmental environmental organisations four out of the six largely reduced in size territories were enlarged – Pirin, Central Balkan, the Lomovete and the Western Rhodopes. Also actively were discussed the options for enlargement of the protected zone Rila proposed by Bulgarian Science Academy, as well as by experts of the NGOs.

An option was sought for the simultaneously enlargement of the protected bird area and the protected habitat area for the reason that the European Commission clearly stated that for Bulgaria the included in NATURA2000 territories for protection of the brown bear are insufficient. Despite the consensus decision found by the experts for enlargement of the protected areas so that to include the whole IBA Rila, the final governmental decision was the inclusion only of Natural Park Rila Monastery into NATURA2000.

As a result 15% of the territory of IBA Rila remained outside NATURA2000 – mainly old coniferous, deciduous and mixed woods, but also meadows and pastures in the lower parts of the mountain.

The proclamation of the whole IBA Rila protected bird area will enlarge the national coverage of NATURA2000 only with 0,19%, but at the same time will ensure the proper protection and management of considerable part of the national populations of these forest species.

The coalition “Let Nature remains in Bulgaria” appeals to the Bulgarian government to undertake the necessary steps for fulfillment of its commitments to the European environmental legislation, Bulgarian nature and the right of the Bulgarian citizens for clean and protected environment.