site.btaGERB Withdraws Support for Development of Agricultural Land along Black Sea Coast

GERB Withdraws Support for Development
of Agricultural Land along
Black Sea Coast


Sofia, May 17 (BTA) - GERB is withdrawing its support for the motions to amend the Agricultural Land Protection Act which have triggered both sharp political reactions (from the Bulgarian Socialist Party/ BSP) and protests of various associations and organisations since last week. The decision of the parliamentary group was announced by Agriculture and Food Committee Chair Dessislava Taneva at a Wednesday briefing in the National Assembly.

The revisions tabled by the United Patriots and some GERB MPs extend the time-limit after which agricultural land with changed status may be developed by three years. According to the now acting legislation, this time limit expires on May 23. The bill has already passed through the Agriculture Committee. The motion led to protests of environmental organisations in front of Parliament and accusations of lobbying in favour of large investors.

The texts will not be edited and tabled again, not the least because the time-limit now set in the law is expiring, GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov said. The party's withdrawal from supporting the bill is not a result of pressure, but the parliamentary group said it has not asked the public about its opinion. This, however, will not lead to tension in the governing coalition, Tsvetanov declared. They have discussed the matter with their partners in the incumbent majority who said they, too, will probably give up the proposed revisions.

GERB cannot shun its responsibility for this motion to amend the Agricultural Land Protection Act, for this grave mistake made at the beginning of the 44th National Assembly's legislative activity, BSP for Bulgaria Deputy Floor Leader Zhelyo Boychev told journalists in Parliament.

The problem of agricultural lands with changed status remains pending. It will not be resolved by the withdrawal of this bill and will remain on the agenda, United Patriots MP Hristian Mitev commented. He confirmed that this GERB initiative is consulted with the United Patriots.

"We were trying to do something that can quickly resolve the problems of the owners who have invested so far in changing the status of their agricultural lands. They are about 8,000, but as there is another point of view and it is considered that this could lead to malpractice, maybe a longer period is required to consider this problem and make additional revisions to the law," Mitev commented.

In his opinion, revisions should also be made to the Spatial Development Act and a balance between private and public interest should be achieved. Considering there are nearly 1,800 properties along the Black Sea coast, what do we do with the remaining 7,000 that are not located there, he asked./PK/BR

/СН/