Three green private non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are appealing the decision of the Ministry of Environment and Water, which permits the construction of the Struma Motorway along the route from Kresna to Sofia, have deliberately not paid the 10 BGN court fee in order to delay the lawsuits as long as possible, according to court records, reports Eco News.
The plaintiffs are the "Association of Parks in Bulgaria," founded by Toma Belev, the Swiss-Bulgarian "Biodiversity Foundation" of Petko Tsvetkov, and the "Balkani Wildlife Society" of Andrey Kovachev. The latter two are former co-chairs of the Green Movement party, while Toma Belev is the current chair.
Not paying the court fee is an old environmental extortion tactic. The aim is to prolong the court process as much as possible. The Greens often use this tactic when appealing large infrastructure projects, such as the construction of the 7th and 8th reactors at Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, road projects, the Sofia Metro, the capital’s waste plant, and many others.
A similar example involves another green NGO, named the "Institute for Green Policy." It has only one member, who was also a former co-chair of the Green Movement – Petko Kovachev. Years ago, the Supreme Administrative Court sent three letters over four months requesting that the ecologist pay a 10 BGN fee to proceed with the case based on his complaint.
The green NGOs are appealing the Ministry of Environment and Water's decision that allowed the completion of the Struma Motorway along the Kresna to Sofia route. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has proven that this option is the most suitable for preserving biodiversity in the area. This EIA was also contested by environmental NGOs, but the court rejected their appeals. Thus, since 2018, there has been a valid and enforceable EIA.
As of 2023, following the construction of the Kresna interchange, the EIA remains in effect until the entire project is completed. The chosen route is known as G 10/50, which means the lane from Kresna to Sofia has two lanes, each 3.50 meters wide, along with a 3.50-meter-wide emergency lane and shoulders. In areas with inclines and slopes, the motorway expands to three lanes, including one for slow-moving vehicles.
It’s worth noting that due to the sabotage by green NGOs, the construction of the Struma Motorway through the Kresna Gorge has been delayed for over 20 years. During this time, 74 people have died in accidents, and over 400 have been injured. Despite the installation of temporary barriers, accidents continue to occur. These barriers are a short-term measure. Although they have reduced accidents, traffic jams are now immense, with wait times of over 1-2 hours to pass through the 16 km of the Kresna Gorge.
The Supreme Administrative Court has given the three green NGOs a 7-day deadline to pay the 10 BGN fee. Given the usual tactics of the environmentalists, they are likely to continue trying to delay the case further.
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