Long-term nature restoration measures, planned with a horizon up to 2050, are already being reviewed by the European Commission. Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova stated during a parliamentary hearing that the institutions are set to receive official feedback from Brussels on the submitted draft of the National Plan.
In response to an inquiry from Milen Deliyski (GERB-UDF) regarding why the document is not yet publicly available, Karamfilova indicated that the reason is technical in nature. The plan, the implementation of which is structured in stages, provides for specific actions for the following ecosystems:
- terrestrial;
- coastal;
- marine;
- river;
- urban;
- agricultural;
- forest.
The preparation of the documentation was accompanied by significant challenges, including the need for a new approach to data processing and cooperation with non-governmental organizations. As the minister explained during her hearing on a question from Steliyan Gandev ("Progressive Bulgaria"), the initial plan to hire external consultants through a public procurement process failed due to a subsequent appeal, which caused a "substantial delay."
Despite the difficulties, the team at the Ministry of Environment and Water, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, and the Executive Forest Agency, managed to meet the reporting deadline. The procedure is set to be finalized through public consultations with all stakeholders.