On May 8, Bulgarian environmentalists living outside the country will meet Martijn Quinn, of the European Commission directorate-general (DG) for environment, to hand him officially and publicly the 147 935 signatures, which the To Sustain the Nature in Bulgaria coalition (SNB) collected since 2007 against the construction works in Rila Mountain, SNB spokesperson Jordanka Dineva told The Sofia Echo on May 8.

“We sent them a cardboard box weighing eight kilograms with the paper signatures, while the electronic petition was copied on a CD,” Dineva said.

Two months ago, SNB asked the environment commissionere Stavros Dimas to assign an official representative to whom it could pass on the petition, as was the practice in such cases, she said. On April 30, SNB received Quinn’s answer inviting the environmentalists to meet him at 1pm on May 8, “when you may also get some interest from the journalists who have finished with the daily 12.00 briefing”, Quinn suggested in his e-mail.

The event will take place in front of the EC building in Brussels between one and 1.30 pm local time, where citizens and environmental organizations from several European countries will submit the petition against the constructions in Rila Mountain. Members of European Parliament from the group of the Greens/EFA will also demonstrate their support of the cause, SNB said.

The petition asks the Bulgarian Government to stop the illegal construction above the area of Panichishte at the territory of Rila National Park and of Rila buffer zone, at one time proposed for inclusion in Natura 2000 environmental network in Bulgaria. SNB warned that the construction of a road, a lift and space for three ski runs are only a small part of the project for the huge Rila-Ezerata-Kaboul winter resort, which threatened devastation of one of Bulgaria’s most precious nature treasures, the Seven Rila Lakes located in the national park.

David Moran, chairperson of the organisation France-Rila, said that the campaign to protect Rila has to be seen in the context of the fight against corruption in Bulgaria. “By saving Rila, we want to create one considerable movement, which would transform Bulgaria in a prosperous country that can be sited as an environmental example,” Moran said.

“No other cause besides the campaign for letting free the Bulgarian medics held in Libya, mobilized so strong and united public support in Bulgaria during the past years,” Vera Petkanchin from Citizens for Rila civil group said.