site.btaComplete Ban on RES Construction on Prime Agricultural Land, Blue Bulgaria Top-of-the-List Candidate in Haskovo Says

Bulgaria should not have to choose between energy security and food security but should ensure both. "That is why we are calling for a complete ban on the construction of renewable energy sources (RES) on prime agricultural land," Tsveta Kirilova, top-of-the-list candidate of Blue Bulgaria in Haskovo, said, according to the coalition's campaign headquarters.

Land is directly linked to food security, economic sustainability, and the country’s long-term independence. When the state fails to set a framework, the market naturally chooses the fastest and cheapest path, and this often means using fertile land. This creates a conflict between short-term economic interests and long-term public interests, Kirilova added. 

According to her, the first step is to ensure that fertile agricultural land is not the first choice for building renewable energy facilities. It must be protected as a strategic resource. This is not an anti-market measure, but a basic principle of responsible governance, Kirilova said.

The second step is to use the roofs of residential and industrial buildings, commercial facilities, public buildings, and parking lots as natural sites for solar energy development. There is no conflict with agriculture or resource depletion there.

Another priority is industrial, abandoned, and degraded land, of which Bulgaria has plenty. There are also modern approaches, such as agrivoltaics, which allow for the combination of energy production and agricultural activity, Kirilova added.