A new wave of protests in protection of Strandja nature reserve has started. It was initiated by another turn in the judicial saga against the Common Territorial Arrangement Plan of Tsarevo municipality which includes a huge part of the protected territory. The saga linked with the abovementioned lawsuit initiated by three environmental organizations has been lasting for 6 whole years now. The battle of the Bulgarian environmentalists against those who want to build over the only virgin spots along the Southern Bulgarian Black sea coast is even longer. It went through many dramatic moments such as the application of the mayor of Tsarevo municipality to abolish the creation of Strandja nature reserve filed back in 1995. The European Commission is currently dealing with a complaint filed by environmental organizations.

The nature reserve which encompasses Strandja Mountain in the Southeasternmost part of Bulgaria is the biggest protected zone in this country. It covers nearly 20% of the whole protected territory. The reserve includes the oldest nature reserve Silkosia which was declared a nature reserve back in 1933. The second-biggest bird migration route in Europe-Via Pontica goes over Strandja as well. Veleka and Rezovska rivers which are the cleanest ones in Bulgaria also meander through the low mountain. Strandja is among the few places where large venerable oak forests still grow. The Mediterranean climate impact is strongest at the end of the spring when the land under the trees is tinted in purple colors of the Rhododendron Ponticum, a view which can only be seen in Strandja Mountain in Bulgaria and the Caucasus region. It is rich in animal species, represented by 261 birds and 54 mammals.

The restrictive access regime of this zone in the past guaranteed the preservation of the natural wealth of Strandja Mountain. Unfortunately, this reserve reaches the Black Sea coastline which provokes many investors’ appetites.

On January 28 protest of environmentalists were held in four Bulgarian cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas and Ruse. They protested against the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court which defined a week ago the Common Territorial Arrangement Plans of Tsarevo Municipality as legitimate. The Bulgarian environmentalists contend that this plan can not be enforced, as no environment impact assessment has been issued yet. In 2009 former Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Water Nona Karadjova withdrew the positive impact assessment of the Common Territorial Arrangement Plan of Tsarevo Municipality stating that the assessment was biased. Now the green organizations in Bulgaria and the current Ministry of Environment and Water are holding judicial debates of whether the withdrawal of the environmental impact assessment makes the planning void or not. The maneuvers which aim at bringing back the possibility for construction over the Strandja coastline have started long ago. Former mayor of Tsarevo Municipality, who is notorious with his attempts to abolish the protected status of Strandja Mountain, was appointed to head the state forestry in this region. The next step envisaged the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court to cancel the judgement of former court instance which made the Common Regulation of Territorial Planning of Tsarevo Municipality void. Shortly after that, the long-lived director of Strandja nature reserve Stefan Zlatarov was asked to resign. He was the one who has been repeatedly opposing to all who attempted to lay concrete over this romantic part of the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline.

According to the environmentalists, the latest decision of the Supreme Administrative Court to enforce regulations of territorial planning without the necessary environmental impact assessment is quite alarming. The green organizations have been insisting for years that the Bulgarian courts should start enforcing the Aarhus convention (convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice and environment matters). According to the Bulgarian Territorial Arrangement Act, Common Territorial Arrangement Plans are not subject to court appeal.

“The Bulgarian municipalities must have Common Territorial Arrangement Plans. Thus, people can be aware of what is permitted in a certain municipality and what is not and they can follow specific rules”, said Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Water Iskra Mihaylova. However, one would definitely wonder why, since these territorial arrangement acts are so important, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water has not adopted the Strandja nature reserve arrangement plan which was completed 8 years ago!!! Is it by accident that Strandja nature reserve is the only one in Bulgaria which still lacks an arrangement plan?

English version: Kostadin Atanasov