The European Commission (EC) sent a reasoned opinion to Bulgaria regarding non-compliance with obligations under Regulation (EU) №1143/2014 on the prevention of the spread of invasive alien species.*

The EC calls on Bulgaria and 14 other member states to protect the environment from invasive alien species. These member states have not prepared, implemented, and communicated to the EC their action plans to tackle the spread of invasive alien species by the deadline in July 2019. Additionally, the EC announced that Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania also failed to set up a system to monitor invasive alien species affecting the Union by the deadline in January 2018.

The infringement procedure for non-fulfillment of these obligations started in June 2021 against Bulgaria and 17 other EU member states. With the receipt of this reasoned opinion, the procedure entered its final stage before being referred to the Court of Justice of the EU.

Bulgaria has already undertaken actions to eliminate the non-compliance - an instruction for cooperation is being prepared to increase the effectiveness of control over the import, trade, transit, and export of specimens of wild flora and fauna, while the draft Biodiversity Strategy of Bulgaria and the Action Plan pertinent to it provide for measures and indicators for protection against invasive alien species.

A few days ago, the EC sent an official notification letter to Bulgaria due to non-compliance with the obligations under Directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risk. Our country has not provided updated flood hazard and risk maps, the deadline for their submission having expired at the end of 2019. Flood hazard maps under the directive should cover the geographical areas where floods are likely, and flood risk maps should show the real negative consequences of floods. The EC also sent formal notifications of non-compliance with the obligations under Directive 2007/60/EC to six other member states.

The updated maps for the hazard and risk of floods on the territory of Bulgaria have already been prepared, and by the end of February this year their public discussion is expected to start in compliance with the requirements of the Water Act. This will allow our country to fulfill its obligations under the directive by the end of the summer at the latest, thus preventing the procedure from entering into the next stage.

The infringement proceedings against Bulgaria in the environmental sector, 18 in total, are a major challenge for the new leadership at the MOEW. The immediate aim is to take all possible steps to comply with the requirements and prescriptions of the European Commission and to prevent the imposition of financial sanctions in relation to these procedures where possible. The team has a clear plan on how to resolve 6 of the infringement proceedings in the first 6 months of its work, and reduce them by half by the end of the year.

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* Invasive alien species are plants and animals that, as a result of human intervention, have been introduced accidentally or intentionally into a natural environment where they are not normally found. This has serious negative consequences for the receiving environment. They are one of the five main causes of biodiversity loss in Europe and the world. Tackling them is an important aspect of the EU's goal of halting biodiversity loss, as set out in the European Green Deal and the European Biodiversity Strategy to 2030.