On 12.06.2023, on a report received from the “Wildlife Association Balkans”, experts from RIEW - Smolyan started an inspection into a planned construction in the area of “Rozhen” protected area. During the on-site inspection, it was found that within land plot PI 67965.5.89, located in the land of the village of Sokolovtsi, locality “Rozhen”, Smolyan municipality, construction and installation works are being carried out for the implementation of an investment proposal “Construction of an impressive pylon with a height of 111 meters”, commissioned by the Association “Heritage in the future”.

The Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection - Smolyan has made a decision on the implementation of the investment proposal in accordance with the Regulation on Compatibility Assessment. With an opinion under Article 2(2) of the Ordinance, the competent environmental authority has made a judgement that the investment proposal as submitted does not fall within the scope of Annexes 1 and 2 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and is therefore not subject to a procedure under Chapter 6 of the Environmental Protection Act for carrying out a mandatory environmental impact assessment (EIA) or assessment of the need to carry out an EIA.

The land on which the investment proposal is to be implemented is not within the boundaries of protected areas from the Protected Areas Act (the Rozhen Protected Area is located approximately 0.9 km to the East of the site) and does not fall within the boundaries of protected areas within the meaning of the Biodiversity Act (the nearest protected area is BG0001030 “Rhodopes West”, approximately 4.58 km away).