• Through the preliminary access to the document, the Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) ensures transparency, open dialogue and the opportunity for informed and timely participation by all stakeholders

The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has published a draft Plan for the Development of Priority Areas for Wind Energy in order to inform all stakeholders by utilizing the framework of a procedure for the preliminary provision of information, launched on strategy.bg and available here.

The draft, as well as the accompanying mapping files, are available on the MOEW website here and are part of the procedure for preparing a strategic framework for promoting the accelerated development of wind energy while complying with the requirements for environmental protection and biodiversity, as well as the regulatory framework for the development of energy from renewable sources in the proposed priority areas for development in the plan.

By publishing the draft, the MOEW ensures transparency, open dialogue and informed participation by all stakeholders in the process of planning the development of renewable energy sources in the country. The Ministry of Environment and Water emphasizes that the wind energy priority development zones represent a strategic tool for optimizing the administrative process, which ensures shorter deadlines and predictability for investment intentions in territories with low environmental risk. At the same time, the full operational freedom of investors is guaranteed, as the development of energy projects outside these zones remains fully permissible and legal, subject to compliance with standard environmental procedures.

All interested parties – citizens, non-governmental organizations, business representatives, the scientific community, and local authorities – will have the opportunity to actively participate in the process by sending their comments, proposals, and opinions. This will be done during the public discussions and consultations within the framework of the environmental assessment procedure of the plan, according to the current national and European legislation.

The opinions and statements received will be taken into account when finalizing a version of the Plan for the Development of Priority Areas for Wind Energy, which will be submitted for review and approval by the Council of Ministers with a view to implementing reform C.4 R.6 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Additional information on the schedule of public consultations, the method for submitting opinions and the course of the environmental assessment procedure will be published in due time on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Water in the section "Public Discussions".