SOFIA, 30 May, 2002 The NGOs were denied access to the Mission of Bern Convention official meetings by the Ministry of Environment and Waters. The Mission of the Convention on the conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) visits Bulgaria in connection with the governmental project for motorway construction trough the Kresna gorge CORINE site. The visit was initiated by the environmental NGOs alarming letters to the Convention.

Since 1997 the environmental NGOs have demanded the alternative route outside the Kresna gorge CORINE site should be designed. Still there is no really solution for the protection of that valuable territory. Concerning the treat for many protected species the Bern Convention have decided on conduction of mission in Bulgaria. The Convention's visit aims at investigating the problems and meetings with all stakeholders.

However it turns out that the meetings between the Convention, the governmental official and the designing company SPEA are closed for the public. A week before the NGOs examined the preliminary mission program and demanded public access to all meetings. Formally the Ministry of Environment which was responsible for the program preparation agreed on it. Today the NGOs representatives were sent away. "This morning the Bern Convention is discussing the designation of the Kresna gorge as Protected Area with SPEA designing company. It is unacceptable that the NGOs which are the initiators and developers of the proposal were not accepted at the meeting even as observers" shared Andrei Kovachev, "Balkani" Wildlife Society, the main NGO working on the technical preparation of the "Kresna gorge" Protected Area Proposal. The NGOs would have right to be present their concerns only on 1-hour special meeting.

Since the beginning of the campaign the environmental NGOs have alerted about the lack of access to information and public participation. The Kresna gorge is very crucial for the biodeversity protection and the future of the region. "The case requires wider discussion and involvement of the all stakeholder for the solving of the problem. The Governmental policy of "close door talks" lead only to delays in the project implementation and no solution after more than 5 years of designing. We do not know who benefits from that but definitely not the nature" stated Anelia Stefanova from "For the Earth" / CEE Bankwatch Network Bulgaria.

The Kresna gorge site is ranged the 7th of importance out of 141 CORINE sites identified in Bulgaria. With its high biodiversity value the gorge will became a part of NATURA 2000. Any infrastructure construction into the territory will substantially destroy the nature, protected under the Bern Convention.