site.btaSupreme Administrative Court Repeals Changes in Pirin National Park Management Plan

112 ENVIRONMENT - SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE COURT - PIRIN PARK

Supreme Administrative Court
Repeals Changes in Pirin
National Park Management Plan


Sofia, January 16 (BTA) - A five-member panel of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) Wednesday repealed Cabinet's amendments to the Management Plan for Pirin National Park, the SAC said. The decision is final.

The case was opened after the Council of Ministers and the Environment and Water Minister appealed a July 30, 2018 decision of a three-member SAC panel, which found the amendments to the Management Plan in violation of Bulgarian and international law.

According to the five-member panel, the Protected Areas Act allows for repairs works to be carried out in Pirin National Park but not for new sports installations to be constructed. Cabinet's amendments to the Management Plan for Pirin National Park also fail to meet the requirements of the EU's Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

Changing the purpose of large areas of Pirin National Park and their inclusion in the tourism zone and the zone for buildings and installations makes impossible the adequate use of these areas for biodiversity preservation, the five-member panel's decision reads.

RY/DS