site.btaMany Natura 2000 Protected Zones Lack Conservation Rules, Audit Office Finds

Sofia, December 23 (BTA) - The Bulgarian part of Europe's Natura
 2000 network of protected areas is inefficiently managed, the
National Audit Office (NAO) found after a probe covering the
period from 2016 to 2018.

The NAO said on Monday that omissions in the actions of the
Ministry of Environment and Water were observed in the
development of the Natura 2000 network in Bulgaria and these led
 to considerable delays. There were omissions in the alignment
of national legislation and incomplete transposition of the
requirements of Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation
of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora and of Council
Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds.

By July 31, 2019, the Minister of Environment and Water has not
issued orders to declare 211 protected zones of the total of 341
 zones in Bulgaria approved by the European Commission. Due to
the delay in declaring the protected zones, they lack rules for
protection, and therefore the European Commission has launched
an infringement procedure. There is a serious risk of a future
expenditure of public financial resources for failure to meet
the objectives of the EU environmental policy, the NAO thinks.

The organization of management of the network is not effective
because of the lack of a working mechanism for effective
communication and coordination between the participating
authorities and subjects at national, regional and municipal
level, as well as the non-governmental sector. Reliable
management information allowing objective evaluation and
transparent accounting of public costs and the results they have
 achieved has not been provided at the implementation of the
measures.

The Minister of Environment and Water has been served nine
recommendations and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and
Forestry - two, and measures to implement those should be
undertaken by the end of 2020./NV/BR