Vitosha Ski JSC to launch ski facilities after the effective amendments to the Forestry Act

Building permits for the construction of electricity pillars and ski facilities will be granted to the owners of licences for the operation of such facilities, but these will have much lower requirements than previous licences. Pursuant to the major amendments to the Forestry Act, which was approved by the GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) Cabinet yesterday, the change of the use of real estates located in forest areas, when there are approved general development plans of municipalities or parts thereof, must take effect only after the applicant has acquired the right to the property's ownership. This means that the construction of new lifts and ski runs will no longer be obstructed by law. The lands of the State Forest Fund, through which ski facilities will be constructed, remain exclusive state-owned property.
"The amendments became necessary as a result of the extremely restrictive measures with respect to the development of ski tourism, which were adopted several months ago," commented Agricultural Minister, Miroslav Naydenov.

"I believe that the reforms will create favourable conditions for the development of all types of winter sports. In our opinion, these serve as a timely measure for resolving the current problems with the effective management of ski areas,'' stated for Klassa daily, Petar Petrov, a lawyer acting for Vitosha Ski JSC. "We will wait for the Draft Bill to be passed by Parliament and promulgated in the Bulgarian State Gazette in order to launch into operation the ski facilities," added Petrov.

"The GERB government re-adopted the Forest Act from February this year. At that point, a very good law was drafted, which was harmonised with EU legislation on environmental protection, the forest fund and the development of winter sports. But in March, between the first and second reading of the Draft Bill, under pressure from the ‘Let Nature Remain in Bulgaria’ Coalition, the law turned into a legal hindrance to the development of winter tourism," stated for Klassa daily, Filip Tsanov, Chairman of the National Civil Coalition 'Nature for People and Regions'. According to him, the amendments adopted at that time had discriminatory nature because these stipulated that only lift facilities require a change in the legal status of the land.

Прочети цялата новина

Свързани новини: