The Rila mountain has turned over the last few years into one of the emblems of Bulgaria's nascent protest movement against developers along the Black Sea coast. Photo by BGNES

The European Commission has sent a warming letter to Bulgaria over concerns about the environmental impact assessments made in the Rila Mountains in Bulgaria prior to the development of ski resorts there.

In a separate development the Commission has decided to take Spain to Court for its ongoing failure to provide 174 Natura 2000 sites in the Canary Islands with an adequate level of legal protection.

Spain had until December 2007 to adopt the required conservation measures, but almost two years after the deadline the situation is still not resolved

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “Natura 2000, Europe’s network of protected areas is the envy of the world – but adequate protection is vital, because its integrity must be protected. The Canary Islands are home to numerous species found nowhere else in the world, and these must be preserved, so I call on Spain to take the necessary measures to protect these areas as soon as possible.”

novinite.com