site.btaPresident Vetoes Revisions to Environment Protection Act Which Restricted Opportunities for Appealing Environment Impact Assessments

Sofia, August 8 (BTA) - The Head of State Roumen Radev has imposed a veto on revisions to the Environment Protection Act scrapping second court instance at appealing administrative acts related to environment impacts assessment and biodiversity. The revisions have been returned for new discussion by the National Assembly, the presidential website said Tuesday.

The revisions were slammed by environmental organizations and hailed by parts of the business community.

According to the President, in order to fulfil its constitutional obligation to ensure protection of the environment, the state should not only establish regulations for protection and regeneration of the environment. It should also provide such for effective control of their application. Such control is effected by the administrative courts functioning at two instances. Scrapping of the second instance reduces the intensity of the protection required to guarantee the environment as a constitutionally acknowledged value.

The scrapping of the second instance was supported with arguments to shorten the time for the implementation of projects of national significance. The environmental legislation is preventive - to avoid irreparable environmental consequences - and that is also guaranteed by the two-instance court procedure.

President Radev is convinced the National Assembly will find the good balance between the prioritized and timely development of major strategic sites and control of abidance by the law.