site.btaWWF Expert: Bulgaria Shows Reluctance in Implementation of EU's Nature Protection Legislation

The designation of protected areas does not in itself provide the necessary protection for biodiversity, Dobromir Dobrinov, an expert on policies and legislation at the wildlife conservation organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF), said in an interview with BTA on Sunday. The full range of measures provided for by the two directives on birds and habitats need to be applied in these areas, he added in connection with the celebration of the European day of ecological network "Natura 2000".

According to him, at State level there is a reluctance to fully and effectively implement the European Union's nature protection legislation.

Dobrinov pointed out that protection measures for the conservation of ecosystems in protected areas can be divided mainly into two types - preventive and conservational. Preventive measures require preventing the deterioration of the status of the areas. Conservation measures should not only ensure that the condition of the object of conservation is maintained in the long term, but also improve this condition if it was not favourable when the areas were designated, the expert explained.

The identifying of protected areas in Bulgaria started in 2003, he said, stressing that the final process in the country has been delayed. Due to the delay in the process of final designation of protected areas in the country, which should have been completed by 2013, a case is currently being brought against the country in the European Court of Justice, Dobrinov pointed out.