site.btaBern Convention Welcomes Progress on Struma Motorway through Kresna Gorge - Ministry of Environment

The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention welcomed the progress on the case of the Struma Motorwaythrough the Kresna Gorge and decided not to reopen the file against Bulgaria regarding the Kaliakra case, which concerns the construction of wind farms in the Kaliakra and Balchik area. The decision was made at a Committee meeting held from December 8 to 12 in Strasbourg, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water said.

At the meeting, the Bulgarian delegation presented the progress made on the construction of the unbuilt section of the Struma Motorway in the Kresna Gorge, achieved in a spirit of constructive cooperation with the complainants from the Save the Kresna Gorge coalition, the ministry said.

The members of the Standing Committee were informed about the roadmap adopted by a Council of Ministers Decision, dated from February 2025 and a permanent expert working group established last year to implement the decision. As a result of the ongoing dialogue, all administrative cases hindering the construction of the motorway were withdrawn, and significant steps were taken to complete the project.

In early November 2025, a construction permit was issued for the Kresna bypass, which, once completed, will divert heavy traffic from the town and ensure the safety of its residents. In addition, by the end of the year, a contract is expected to be signed for the design and impact assessment of the new western carriageway, a commitment the state undertook at last year’s meeting.

The deadline for completing one carriageway of the Struma Motorway through the Kresna Gorge is 2031, said Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov on November 12 during a parliamentary committee session. Plans for the second carriageway are not yet finalized, as the dimensions, route, and coordination with the Bern Convention and ecologists regarding the impact on wildlife still need to be clarified.

All facts presented by the Bulgarian delegation were confirmed by the NGO reprsentatives attending the Committee meeting. The consistent joint efforts for the implementation of this strategically important project received the unanimous approval of the Standing Committee members, who noted that after many years of intractable conflict, the work has become an example of how important public priorities, such as strategic infrastructure development and biodiversity conservation, can be successfully reconciled, the Ministry said.

The Bern Convention will continue to monitor the next steps in the project’s implementation and urged the parties to maintain cooperation. Considering the progress achieved, the Standing Committee will review the project’s development again at its meeting in two years, in 2027.

Regarding the Kaliakra case, the Committee welcomed Bulgaria’s efforts and acknowledged the measures taken to protect birds in the Natura 2000 coastal areas, including the 2024 expansion of the construction ban on wind turbines in the Kaliakra protected zone and the introduction of strict regulations in the Kaliakra Complex protected area.

The decision also highlighted the importance of independent scientific assessments and long-term monitoring, which confirm the absence of significant negative impacts on migrating birds in the Kaliakra region. The Committee further noted the Environment’s Ministry willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with stakeholders and environmental NGOs to ensure optimal protection of birds along the Via Pontica migratory route.

The case file was closed in 2022 after Bulgaria implemented a series of measures to limit the impact of wind farms on biodiversity. In the summer of 2025, the complainants, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, requested the Bern Convention to reopen the case due to an increased number of investment proposals related to the construction of wind farms in the Dobruja and Ludogorie regions.

The deadline for completing one carriageway of the Struma Motorway through the Kresna Gorge is 2031, said Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov on November 12 during a parliamentary committee session. Plans for the second carriageway are not yet finalized, as the dimensions, route, and coordination with the Bern Convention and ecologists regarding the impact on wildlife still need to be clarified.