The beatiful region of Maljovitsa in Rila mountain is privatised by highly illegal practices of "forest swaps" aimed at the construction of a new ski resort in the forested lands of Govedartsi village, Samokov Municipality, instead of forest management improvement practices. Forest swaps are alleged illegal state aid according to Art. 87 of the European Treaty. How can a bulgarian investor build a ski resort by illegal state aid - the case is being investigated by the EC...
How can a bulgarian investor build a ski resort by illegal state aid? ... by forest swaps - forest swaps in Bulgaria have the clear aim of construction of ski, golf and sea side resorts - in this case of a ski resort in the forested lands of Govedartsi village, Samokov Municipality:
1. By its Decision No.1580/21.09.2006 the Municipal Council of Samokov approved the start of the design process for the ski resort project “Iskrovete-Govedartsi-Malyovitsa” in Rila Mountain. The project Tourist Resort Localization (TRL) “Iskrovete-Govedartsi-Malyovitsa” is being developed by the joint venture Nadar 2006, represented by the company El Em Impex owned by Hristo Kovachki (owner of coal mines, power stations, etc.) and the Municipality of Samokov.
2. In 2007 the National Forestry Board (today Agency) permitted the creation of new individual property units within existing state properties. The polygons of the new properties on the cadastral map of Govedartsi village completely coincide with the planned ski runs and ski infrastructure of the abovementioned ski resort project.
3. In 2007 and 2008 the National Forestry Board (today Agency) ordered the substitution/swap of 300 hectares of state forestry estates (including the newly created property units stipulated for the construction of ski runs and lifts) in the land of Govedartsi village with ca. 300 hectares of private forests in Svoge Municipality. The beneficiaries are companies, which according to the public business registers (CIELA, Daxy, etc.) are owned by or connected to Hristo Kovachki– El Em Impex, Agrosim and Greid 2004. The substituted estates are found on the cadastral map under their cadastral numbers as described in the inquiries.
4. According to the inquiry in the Registry Office the mean price of the forest swaps is 2.5 Eur/m2 while the “market price” of not-urbanized estates in the land of Govedartsi village is ca. 60 Eur/m2 ( http://www.imoti.net). The swap deals are executed at price levels (2.5 Eur/m2) 25 times lower than the established “market prices” (ca. 60 Eur/m2), which is in violation of Article 87 of the Treaty of the European Union. The deals are disadvantageous for all private or juridical subjects (BG and EU) who are planning to invest in the development of tourist projects (alternative or massive tourism) in the area of Govedartsi village.
Attention! The case is already being investigated by DG Competition of the European Commission after being informed by BG and EU NGOs.
5. The realization of the project TRL “Iskrovete-Govedartsi-Malyovitsa” was started without official approval of its General Spatial Plan (GSP), which is in violation of the European Directive for Strategic Ecological Assessment and the two NATURA 2000 Directives.
Evidence:
a/ There is no decision of the Samokov Municipal Council regarding the authorization of the project in the Council Decisions published on the Municipality web-site.
b/ The forest estates acquired by the developers coincide 100 % with the building zones proposed by the project of the GSP of the ski resort. The building zones include the construction of villages and ski infrastructure.
6. A large part of the projected ski resort falls into “Rila” Special Protection Area according to the Bird Directive. This Natura 2000 site was rejected by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers in the year 2007. Against this improper decision of the Council of Ministers the European Commission started an infringement procedure 2007/4850 - Bulgarian SPA network - in the beginning of June 2008.