The state, represented by the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Waters (RIEW) – Varna, missed nearly 13 million leva for the protection of protected areas in the Municipality of Kavarna. The European funds under the approved project “Improvement of the nature conservation status of steppe natural habitat 62СО in the protected area “Kaliakra Complex” through the purchase of land” were not utilized for the purpose. The beneficiary of the project, worth a total of 13.430 million leva, is the RIEW – Varna. 85% of the amount was provided by the European Union for the programming period 2014 – 2020, and 15 percent is national co-financing.
The main activity under the project is the purchase by the state of properties in protected areas in the Municipality of Kavarna for the purpose of their protection. Over 12.5 million leva have been set aside for compensation to the owners of about 500 properties falling within the Natura 2000 network. Despite the meager information campaign, 203 properties with a total area of nearly 235 decares have been applied for purchase by their owners. Of these, 180 have been approved for an area of nearly 200 decares. The most – 171, are on the territory of the village of Bozhurets, where part of the Ponto-Sarmatian steppes are located.
However, not a single decare has been purchased and paid for, an inspection by Ecovarna.info showed. The reason cited by the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water is “the expired payment deadline before submitting the documents to the Council of Ministers for issuing decisions”. Although the main goal of the project has not been met, money has been spent on market valuations of the properties. 142,800 leva are planned for the activity. Even if the procedure is continued in the programming period until 2027, as the Ministry of Environment and Water (MEW) claims, the market valuations made until 2023 will no longer be relevant. Separately, nearly half a million leva, outside the main activities – for administrative and auxiliary ones, are also of unclear direction. MEW did not provide information on the financial report, the total unspent amount under the project, as well as the movement of unspent funds, although they were requested under the Access to Public Information Act. The only concrete answer that the Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development received was that “there is no pending criminal procedure in connection with the implementation of the project”.
Neither the Habitats Directive nor European legislation imposes an obligation to purchase land in order to improve the condition of habitats. This is left to the discretion of the Member States, the Ministry of the Environment is laconic.
At the moment, the Regional Inspectorate for Environment, Water and Waters – Varna does not have official information on whether and when a new procedure for land purchase will be opened or another mechanism for habitat protection that is not related to property purchase will be proposed.
On the other hand, it is already clear that the draft General Development Plan of the Municipality of Kavarna “will have a serious cumulative effect on the flora and fauna in the protected area”. The investment proposals threaten nearly 9.4% of the area’s territory – more than 2,800 decares, located in the municipality of Kavarna, says the environmental assessment for the project. Nearly 900 decares have already been approved, and the plan proposes over 2,100 decares for urbanization. The forecast in the environmental assessment is for a negative impact on dozens of protected animal species – amphibians, reptiles, mammals and over 20 species of birds protected by European directives.
The Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development sent a statement to the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Ministry of Tourism, the Directorate General for Environment of the European Commission and the Municipality of Kavarna, objecting to the proposed draft Master Plan.
