Conservationists: the campaign against Bulgarian conservationist NGOs is an assault on civil society as a whole, as well as on Bulgarian nature as a public value; the silence of the institutions is alarming, they warn

The recording of the press conference can be found here (in Bulgarian): https://www.facebook.com/forthenature.org/videos/993107984060287/

Recurring defamations that were published without verification by certain media are now used even by the Supreme Administrative Prosecutor’s Office. By tolerating lawlessness and supporting it today we can all become its victims tomorrow – as members of non-governmental organizations from other spheres, or as individual citizens.

Nature conservation is a civilized choice, and Bulgaria has made that choice a long time ago; it is neglected only by warring or extremely poor countries. Therefore it is unacceptable for Bulgarian institutions to turn a blind eye to what is happening at present; such lack of response brings discredit on the European environment policies and the financial mechanisms of priority spheres.

Data regarding the main financial mechanisms that are targeted by the infamous campaign was presented during the press conference; namely, these are the Operational Programme “Environment” and LIFE Programme.

Contracts made from 2007 to 2015 under Operational programme “Environment” are for 3.5 billion Euros; however, NGOs can apply exclusively under Axis 3 “Biodiversity”. Up to present 8 projects only run by organizations from the Coalition have been completed, with a total value of 4.5 million leva (2.25 million Euros). In other words organizations from the Coalition have used just 0.1% of the funds of the programme over the entire period.

LIFE Programme is a financial catalyst tool operating directly under the European Commission; it provides funding for the conservation of European nature and wildlife species. The programme was launched in 1992. As a member of the EU Bulgaria can now apply with projects; up to present 18 Bulgaria-based projects have received funding; of those, however, some are realized not by NGOs but by institutions and companies. Investments under the Nature and Biodiversity Direction add up to 19.5 million Euros.

The funds received under the two programmes do not realize profit and are spent exclusively in the public interest under strict supervision and in compliance with the regulations of the financing organizations.

By realizing our projects we provide employment in places that have been forgotten by the state since World War Two – border areas, isolated and underdeveloped areas. We give to people hope and a chance to stay in Bulgaria; we create a culture of entrepreneurship in places where the state has abdicated because of its interest in large-scale investors only.

‘We do not stand against development of tourism and business; we strive for supremacy of the law. In essence our struggle is against the oligarchy hidden behind off-shore companies with obscure history. In essence we fight for a government of law; this fight shouldn’t be ours only, it should be picked up by civil society as a whole, for today the assault is on the nature conservation community but tomorrow it will be on somebody else with an active civil stand’, said the conservationists and called for a general public support for an active civil society and independent, objective media.