site.btaParliament Overrides Presidential Veto on Amendments to Environment Protection Act

Sofia, September 14 (BTA) - Parliament overturned the President's veto on changes to the Environment Protection Act adopted on July 27. The MPs re-adopted the Act Amending and Supplementing the Environment Protection Act by 138-78 votes and two abstentions.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party who voted against said they will be collecting signatures to petition the Constitutional Court on the matter. On their part, GERB said they have no concern about the compliance of the new provisions with the Constitution.

On August 8 the Head of State Roumen Radev 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 were slammed by environmental organizations and hailed by parts of the business community.

BSP leader Kornelia Ninova said that they back the President's veto. She said that they will refer the re-adopted act to the Constitutional Court.

GERB's Evelina Vassileva said that they support the revised law and that it is in the interest of the citizens. The changes aim to accelerate the procedures of national relevance and strategic importance.

On behalf of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), Erdjan Ebatin supported the changes.

Iskren Vesselinov of the United Patriots commented that the environmental organizations have confined their activity to continuously opposing the government. In his opinion, the life of non-existant animals is more important for these organizations than that of the people.