The New Super Ski Resorts and Construction in the Mountains

Bulgaria treasures unique nature. Now, protected areas encompass a meager 5% of the country’s territory. The most serious threats to the protected areas include: construction of new and expansion of existing ski resorts in the vicinity of protected areas and potential Natura 2000 protected areas.

Due to global warming, many of the world’s ski resorts face tough economic circumstances and even run the risk of going bankrupt (UNEP News Release 2003/68). As a result of global warming, the ski resorts located at less than 1500 m above sea level will become unreliable in the next 30-50 years (and in Bulgaria the mountains above 1500 m are national and nature parks). About 60% of Swiss ski resorts will not be considered profitable anymore.

In discord with the above described processes, we are witnessing an alarming trend to build enormous ski resorts in the Bulgarian mountains, close to protected areas and potential (identified) Natura 2000 protected areas.

The projects for ‘super ski resorts’ in Bulgaria include:

Pirin National Park: Bansko, Dobrinishte
Rila National Park: ‘Samokov-Borovets-Beli Iskar’, ‘Panichishte-Seven Rila Lakes-Kabul Peak’, ‘Iskrovete’
Central Balkan National Park: Vezhen Peak-Ribaritsa
The future West Balkan Nature Park: Kom-Berkovitsa
The future West Rodopi Nature Park: Perelik, Pamporovo, ‘Velingrad-Rakitovo-Syutkya Peak’ and others.

Each of these resorts is at a different construction stage.

If half of the projects for new and existing ski resorts come to full fruition, Bulgaria will offer more than 500 km of ski slopes. The public interest is seriously harmed not only by the eradication of wild nature, but also by the uncontrolled management of the ski resorts which is in the hands of mixed joint-stock companies with more than 50% private capital.

The construction of new and the expansion of existing ski resorts runs counter to the commitments Bulgaria has made in the course of its EU accession negotiations and as a party to international conventions and agreements that involve stopping the loss of biodiversity by 2010 and promoting sustainable development.

The construction of these resorts affects protected areas under Bulgarian law, the network of protected areas Natura 2000, ornithologically important sites, Corine sites of immense value for the protection of flora, fauna, and habitats. The Law on Territorial Development, the Biodiversity Law, the Protected Areas Law, the Environmental Protection Law, the Management Plans for Central Balkan, Pirin and Rila National Parks, the Ordinance for Ecological Assessment and other legislation are being violated.

Practice shows that the Ministry of Environment and Waters and the Regional Inspectorates of Environment and Waters violate nature protection legislation when issuing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Ecological Assessment (EA) decisions. The subsequent monitoring and control executed by the same institutions is weak and ineffective.

An example of violated legislation: Ski zone with a center in Bansko


Ski center Bansko (Zoom)

The Bansko case has been thoroughly investigated and described by the experts of the coalition of NGOs “Save Pirin” in the report “Bansko Ski Zone – A Crime Without Punishment”.

The demands about Bansko are explicit: carrying out a field inspection and reconsidering the concession contract.

Having in mind the need and obligation to protect wild nature, to abide by national and international legislation, and to take the public interest, sustainable development, global warming, and climate change into consideration, we, the environmental protection NGOs, insist that:

1/ the Ministry of Environment and Waters stop breaching national and international environmental protection legislation by issuing EIA and EA decisions for ski resorts in protected areas and potential Natura 2000 protected areas, as well as to execute stricter control over already issued EIA and EA decisions.

2/ the development of plans and projects for ski resorts in Bulgaria without a complex analysis and strategic assessment of the impact on nature be stopped.