Court has suspended plan for 5000 new beds in Panichishte

Panichishte village situated at the foot of Rila National Park is conceived as a base of the mountain resort “Panichishte-the Lakes-Kabul Peak”, known also as “Super Panichishte”. Many years ago the resort was rejected by the Ministry of Environment and Water, but parts of it were built separately. For example, a few of the ski slopes over Panichishte were cleared, under the cover of “anti-fire cuttings”. The lift from Pionerska chalet to Rila Lake Chalet was also built. On account of the big number of people using it, the Seven Rila Lakes have begun to turn into swamps, and there is a real danger for them to disappear in the near future, if measures are not taken.

The case in Pernik Administrative Court was dragged on for four years. It has to do with the compatibility assessment of the project Detailed Site Development Plan – Regulation Plan and Construction Plan of Panichishte village, Sapareva Banya Municipality, for the construction of hotels and infrastructure for 5000 people in Rila. The case was put to court following a complaint by people from the civil group “Citizens for Rila”, WWF Bulgaria, “Zeleni Balkani” and the Association of agricultural and ecological projects – GEO against the issued by Pernik Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water positive decision on the compatibility assessment of the plan from October 25, 2012. Then, Pernik Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water concluded that the construction of new hotels for 5000 people would not have a negative impact on protected animals and birds in Natura 2000 zones, living in the vicinity of the planned zones for urbanization.

After a few years of alternating between Pernik Administrative Court and Supreme Administrative Court, the case was returned to the court in Pernik with the prescription to be tried by another committee in full application of the substantive and procedural law. In the second hearing, Pernik Administrative Court ruled a complex investigation by five expert persons to be conducted.
As a result of the conducted investigation, Pernik Administrative court revoked the decision for compatibility assessment by Pernik Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water, taken in 2012, with which the regional inspectorate coordinated the proposed site development plan.

“A very important detail is that the plans for this construction have a direct connection with the Master Development Plan of the resort “Panichishte-the Lakes-Kabul Peak”. Parts of this plan were scandalously implemented in the period 2007-2011 with the construction of a lift from Pionerska chalet to Rila Lakes chalet, and the clearing of the forest of a slope by the lift for skiing. This already existing negative impact on Rila National Park and its cumulative effect together with the proposed new construction were even not commented in the compatibility report, which we appealed against. Despite the approval of this report by Pernik Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water (PRIEW), the ecological problems of the region of the Seven Rila Lakes are now obvious for everyone,” Neli Arabadzhieva from “Citizens for Rila” explains.

PRIEW is expected to appeal against the decision of Pernik Administrative Court, which will send the case again to Supreme Administrative Court for final decision. Vera Petkanich from “Citizens for Rila” commented on this: “We expect a competent and impartial decision, which will confirm the conclusions of the investigation of the experts. They point clearly at the huge shortcomings of the compatibility assessment. We believe that PRIEW cannot afford for a second time to take decisions blindly under investor pressure.”