site.btaEnvironment Minister Says EC Can Sanction Bulgaria Only if It Fails to Submit Natura 2000 National Reports

115 POLITICS-PARLIAMENT-QUESTION TIME

Environment Minister Says EC Can Sanction
Bulgaria Only if It Fails to Submit
Natura 2000 National Reports


Sofia, June 7 (BTA) - Bulgaria can be sanctioned by the European Commission only if it does not submit its national Natura 2000 reports under the Birds and Habitats Directives for 2013-2018, Environment and Water Minister Neno Dimov said at FridayТs Question Time in Parliament.

The deadline for reporting under Article 12 of the Birds Directive is October 30, and that under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive is August 30, Dimov said.

The Environment Minister pointed out that the deadlines of April 30 for reporting under the Habitats Directive and July 31 under the Birds Directive have been set forth to give member states the chance to submit the reports again where there are problems and omissions in the initially provided documents, established as valuation of their quality by the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity. The claims that Bulgaria is the only country that has not reported according to the Habitats Directive is not correct. As can be seen from the European Environment Agency portal, at May 20 the number of countries who had reported was just 12, fewer than half of the member. According to the European Birds Directive primary reporting has not begun yet as the first deadline for submission is July 31, Dimov said.

Reporting has been delayed as a result of numerous appeals, the Minister added. More than three years have been lost in appeal procedures.

Dimov also commented on the matter of the scope of Natura 2000 in Bulgaria, which ranks third in the EU with nearly 35 per cent of its territory. He added that at the time of the so-called tripartite coalition [headed by Sergei Stanishev, 2005-2009] notification was made under an unclear regulation and that primary data about the establishment of a given zone are lacking. Countless mistakes have been made at determining the boundaries of Natura. In DimovТs words, there are enterprises built in socialist times, airfields and graveyards in the network.