24 July 2002, Sofia. Yesterday the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW) conducted a Superior Expert Council for part of the Trans European Corridor No 4 passing through Bulgaria. The Council will propose a decision for the route of the "Struma" and "Lylin" Motorways that are part of the corridor No 4. This decision precludes the Ministry of Environment and Waters' decision on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and in this way makes it meaningless. Thus the MRDPW violates the Bulgarian and European Legislation for EIA.

Also the access to the Expert Council session was denied for the representatives of environmental NGOs, working on the problems with these particular highways despite their letter of request to the Minister of Regional Development, sent some 10 days ago.

Phare Cross-Boarder Cooperation program financed in 1999 the feasibility study of the "Struma" and "Lylin" Motorways. The planned route of the "Struma" Motorway seriously endangers the Kresna gorge, one of the most valuable territories for the biodiversity protection in Bulgaria. Since 1999 the Ministry of Environment and Waters (MEW) have required from the MRDPW to design alternative routes outside the gorge. Four EIA reports were rejected due to the lack of alternatives in the project. But the MRDPW and the Road Executive Agency (REA) constantly denies taking seriously into account the environmental consequences.

The MEW approves the project's design progression as part of the EIA procedure. The current EIA report of the "Struma" motorway, the fifth one, was also returned from the MEW for amendment. The report, paid with Phare CBC money, contains substantial defects and does not consider the EU Nature Protection Legislation. It seems like the MRDPW is already tired of playing the role of the environmentally concerned institution. The choice of the future route of the "Struma" Motorway clearly undermines the decision of the Ministry of Environment and Waters concerning the EIA for the "Struma" motorway.

"Unofficial we learned that the Expert Council have not been considered at all the alternatives outside the Kresna gorge. We are still waiting for the final decision, but it is clear that the chosen route will seriously affect environment. It is very likely political pressure to be put now on the MEW to approve the project continuation." Stated Petko Kovachev, from CEIE / CEE Bankwatch Network Bulgaria.