The Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova met with the Minister of Agriculture Yavor Gechev to discuss the use of lumber from agricultural and forest territories. The two ministers, together with their teams, spoke about the implementation of the current legislation in the field of environmental protection and management and management and use of agricultural and forest territories. The issue of prescriptions by the Executive Agency for Forestry and its structures to carry out sanitary and forced logging was also a topic of detailed discussion. It was unanimously decided that through joint and coordinated action the focus of structures should also fall on the implementation of environmental procedures at the earliest stage.

Drawing on expertise, experience, and insight into existing practices, the two teams identified specific measures to be undertaken to prevent violations of environmental requirements. In this regard, when submitting applications for felling and/or use of lumber in agricultural areas, including in properties that have acquired the characteristics of a forest, the owners should notify the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIEW) of the property’s location to determine the proper procedure under the environmental legislation.

When issuing orders for carrying out sanitary or forced felling, the RIEW should also be notified to acquire a ruling according to the applicable environmental procedure.

As a first step, the two ministries and the Executive Agency for Forestry will inform the mayors of the municipalities of their obligations, and the Agency will also take action to inform the state-owned enterprises, the training-experiential forestry farms, the forest owners, and the persons who manage properties in forest territories for the need to notify the units of the environmental ministry.

The two ministers are committed to join forces and work together, taking joint action to improve and harmonize environmental, agricultural and forestry legislation, with the aim of creating transparency and clarity for the use of lumber from agricultural and forestry areas, regardless of their ownership. The prepared legislative changes will be proposed to the future National Assembly.