The European Commission (EC) was not happy with the list of protected areas in Natura 2000 environmental network submitted by the Bulgarian Government in March 2007.

This was said by EC representatives, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported on June 4.

Brussels is writing a letter with reproofs to the Bulgarian Government. The EC is mainly not satisfied with the current Natura 2000 list and the postponement of the inclusion of some sites that should be included.

The commission’s DG Environment said that the letter would be sent in the next couple of days.

A month ago, questioned by European Parliament Green Party group members, the EC said that if it discovers gaps in the network, it would require that Bulgaria fill them. If there are gaps, Brussels will also start penalty procedures.

The Cabinet approved the Natura 2000 sites in February 2007, temporary postponing for a second evaluation 32 key places where there are construction plans. At the time, local authorities and landowners protested against the network.

The postponed zones have to be evaluated by the Government again in October 2007. Currently, there is a new survey being done of the postponed zones by Bulgarian Academy of Science scientists, appointed by Environment and Water Affairs Minister Djevdet Chakurov, Bulgarian daily Dnevnik reported.

Compensation payments under Natura 2000 environment protection network will probably be provided after 2010, Agriculture and Forestry Ministry representative Maria Yuroukova said. By then the EC should have approved the Bulgarian list of territories for inclusion in the network. The Agriculture Ministry has established a programme for development of rural regions, which is expected to receive funding of 3.233 billion euro in the period from 2007 to 2013. Besides compensation payments for missed benefits due to legislation restrictions, the programme envisions investment payments, BNR reported.

On May 17, during the weekly demonstration in front of the Cabinet, pro-Natura 2000 activists handed Regional Development and Public Works Minister Assen Gagauzov letters to all the ministers, which included list of some of the hazards in the zones postponed for inclusion in Natura 2000, together with the position of the environmentalists from coalition Da Ostane Priroda v Bulgaria (To sustain nature in Bulgaria).

“Already five month have passed, and more than the half of the territory of the sites proposed for inclusion in Natura 2000 but not included have no protection,” the environmentalists wrote. “Currently, for all of them there is no active legal protection,” the letter said. The environmentalists called again for the immediate inclusion of all proposed protected areas and for guarantees of their protection throughout by applying preventive protection and assessment of projects and activities in these zones.

June 7’s weekly pro-Natura 2000 demonstration, the 13th of the series in front of the Cabinet office, was on the theme of the activists being invisible, “because obviously no one notices us”. With a small art performance, a handful of protesters demonstrated how insignificant their requests are to the ministers, given that the ministers pass by them every time as if they do not exist and cannot be seen.

They gave as an example the previous week’s event, when 10-year-old violinist Boris Kosovsky was not allowed to be closer than 30m from the Cabinet’s front door to play the EU anthem, Beethoven’s Ode of Joy to the ministers, on the grounds that he was a “potential danger” to them. The environmentalists said that the police decision had effectively spoiled their demonstration. The activists already submitted several claims against Sofia municipality because of the regular restrictions of their events.