Review of the eu biodiversity strategy to 2020

Bulgaria

EU Target or Action	EU Target 1 (Please note that information from Member States in relation to Action 1a is supplied to the European Commission via other reports. To avoid duplication of reporting, information relating to Action 1a has not been included in this report)
Action 1b: Natura 2000 (and other protected areas)	A National priority Action Framework for Natura 2000 in Bulgaria for the period 2014-2020 was elaborated in 2013. It identifies the priority measures to be implemented by 2020 in order to improve the conservation status of species and habitats that are within Natura 2000 network. The document ‘Regimes for Sustainable Management of Forests in Natura 2000’ is elaborated for the forest areas. It outlines the appropriate silvicultural practices for each forest habitat in protected areas with the purpose of preservation and restoration.
Action 1c: Natura 2000 (and other protected areas)	The Biological Diversity Act regulates the procedures for the development of management plans and development pans and projects. The law postulates that any development plans, regional development plans for forest areas, forest management plans and programs, national and regional programs developed under other laws must comply with the management plans of protected sites from Natura 2000 network, as well as with the measures that aim at preventing deterioration of the natural habitats and habitats of species, and of the threats and the disturbance of species for the conservation of which the relevant protected sites are declared.
	Management plans of protected areas or Natura 2000 sites have been elaborated and implemented. For 2009-2013 14 management plans were elaborated: five for nature parks, two for managed reserves, two for protected sites and four for reserves. Altogether 87 terms of references for elaboration of management plans were approved: three for national parks, three for nature parks, 25 for managed reserves, four for protected sites, four for natural landmarks and 48 for reserves.
EU Target or Action	EU Target 2
	A National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change is in preparation in order to establish the necessary adaptation measures in sensitive sectors to abnormal temperatures in the region and climate zone. The indicator Greenhouse gas emissions (in CO2 equivalent) per capita is used to assess the amount of greenhouse gases (CO2 equivalent) emitted per capita in a given territorial unit (municipality, region, country) and what changes are needed in the regional development policies. A decrease in the partial hydrogen equivalent per capita has been registered in some municipalities for the period 2008–2010
	Within the framework of the National System for Environmental Monitoring is developed and maintained a National Biodiversity Monitoring System, monitoring of forest ecosystems and monitoring of environmental factors – air quality, surface water, land, soil, etc. The indicator Proportion of areas with anthropogenic impact (infrastructure, residential areas, industrial sites) (Fig. 25) is used to assess the degree of anthropogenic pressure, causing degradation of natural habitats and accelerating biodiversity loss, and what changes in regional planning are required. The results show that the areas with anthropogenic impact are 5% of the total territory of the country. Bulgaria is one of the 28 countries in the European network ‘European Atmospheric Heavy Metals Using Mosses – UN/ECE ICP Vegetation, UK’. The National Plan for the Protection of the Most Important Wetlands in Bulgaria 2013–2022 includes specific measures for specific wetlands in the country. Note: Changes in the number and territory of protected areas in the period 1992–2013: light blue – surface area; dark blue – number (Source: EEA/MOEW)
Action 6a: Ecosystem restoration and green infrastructure	The implementation of activities under this objective is fully in line with the operational objective of the National Biodiversity Conservation Plan 2005–2010. According to the Biological Diversity Act Bulgaria is obliged to establish a National Ecological Network that encompasses the Special Areas of Conservations (SACs, under Habitats Directive) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs, under Birds Directive) from the European ecological network Natura 2000 and protected areas that might be or might not be part of the Natura 2000 network. The National Ecological Network gives priority to CORINE sites, Ramsar sites, Important Plant Areas and Important Bird Areas.
	A number of activities related to different measures in the National Biodiversity Conservation Plan 2005–2010 have been implemented, e.g. the development of the legal framework, development of plans, strategies and methodologies, monitoring. Main activities from the measure Restoration and maintenance activities have been conducted, such as: · Protection of ecosystems and natural habitats and maintenance of viable populations of species in the natural environment; · Restoration of degraded ecosystems and habitats and support for the restoration of the populations of threatened species; · Assessment of the conditions in riparian habitats and analysis of the impact on biodiversity of the adjustments of watercourses in the lower parts of the rivers
EU Target or Action	EU Target 3
Target 3a: Agriculture	There has been a sustained reduction in grasslands, most of which are semi-natural, and in 2012 the decrease was 4.2% (72 035 ha) compared to 2009. About 56% of the semi-natural grasslands are owned by the municipalities in Bulgaria.
	About 65% of the agricultural land is threatened by water erosion and about 24% by wind erosion.
Target 3b: Forestry	The analysis of the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Development of the Forestry Sector 2007–2011 in 2012 shows that the implementation of measures and activities dedicated to the conservation of biological diversity, forest reproductive material and forest certification is at good level. Wooded area in Bulgaria has increased beyond the target of 500 ha per year set up in the Strategic Plan. To assess the implementation of the measures related to management activities various indicators have been used – forest area, tree species composition, forest regeneration, etc. In 2012, the total forest area is 4 163 415 ha, of which 3 795 338 ha forested areas (including dwarf pine 23 953 ha), which represents 34% of the country. Coniferous forests cover an area of 1 113 789 ha (29.5%) and deciduous forest – 2 657 596 ha (70.5%) of the total forest area excl. dwarf pine. Some unfavourable trends have been registered, e.g. actions to improve forest protection are insufficient, hence more efforts are needed, including new methods to control the effectiveness of protection of forests and wildlife. Note: Total forest area (in ha) according the type of woodlands for the period 2009–2012 (Source: EFA)
Target 3a & 3b	The indicator Ratio between forest, agricultural and urban areas will be used to assess the impact of different types of land use on biodiversity and what part of the forest and agricultural lands are consumed in the process of urbanization, and hence what changes in regional planning are required (Figs. 18 and 19). The indicator shows the relative share of forest, agricultural and urban areas in the total area of the country. The results show that the largest part corresponds to the agricultural land (about 52%), followed by forest areas (about 43%) and urban areas (5%). Source: MRDPW
Action 8a: Environmental public goods in the CAP and GAEC cross-compliance	Two measures have been launched in the Rural Development Program 2007–2013, related to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable production in agriculture [one measure relevant to this action is]: - Measure 214 “Agri-environmental payments” was launched in 2008 and it provides financial assistance for the implementation of agricultural activities aimed at improving the environment. A gradual increase in approved applications over the years has been observed, e.g. in 2011 58% more applications were approved compared to 2008. The payments from this measure are in support of high nature value farmlands, which, according to the estimates by the European Environment Agency are 2 578 005 ha.
	A National Strategy for Sustainable Development of Agriculture in Bulgaria 2014–2020 has been elaborated. The measures and activities in this sector are funded under the Rural Development Programme 2007–2013 – primarily under Priority Axis 2 – Improving the environment and nature, which includes agri-environmental payments, and payments for Natura 2000 and the Water Framework Directive (for farmlands). Measure 214 “Agri-environmental payments” was launched in 2008 and provides financial support for agricultural activities aimed at improving the environment. For 2008–2012 9292 applications were submitted of which 8084 were approved with a total value of public spending 50 926 457.14 Euro. Of these, 98.40% (50 115 307.70 Euro) were paid by 01/08/2013.
Action 9a & 9b: Rural development and biodiversity	According to the Forestry Act (2011) the Executive Forest Agency (EFA) implements policies for conservation and sustainable use of forests, promotes innovations in forestry among workers in the sector, forest owners and the public. Companies are due to promote and provide the means and conditions for training of their employees. There is a need to update the communication strategy and plan for public relations, including the necessary means for their implementation. There is a need to strengthen ties with partners and implement more effectively joint media campaigns with NGOs.
Action 10: Agricultural genetic diversity	The conservation of genetic diversity of cultivated plants and their wild relatives, including species with socio-economic and cultural value is carried out mainly by the National Seed Genebank, Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (IPGR) in Sadovo. The Genebank has developed a methodology for long-term storage ensuring the identity of the stored plant genetic resources. The preservation of forest genetic resources is one of the indicators for sustainable forest management adopted at the EU level. Conservation of forest genetic resources is legally regulated (Section V ‘Preservation and conservation of forest genetic resources’ of Ordinance № 21 of 12/11/2012 on the terms and conditions for the determination, approval, registration and cancellation of the sources of forestry seeds, the collection and extraction of forest reproductive material, their evaluation, trade and imports). A “gene bank” is planned to be established to preserve forest genetic resources, to carry out monitoring and research, and to timely restore genetic resources that are degraded or destroyed by natural impacts. Regarding the animal genetic resources ... Executive Agency for Selection and Reproduction in Animal Breeding (EASRAB). A positive development is registered in tribal farming for the period 2009–2013. The number of the preserved indigenous +breeds has increased – the number of animals and the farms where they are grown. The number of animals bred by the breeding organizations in the period 2009–2013 has increased, e.g. over 5 times with horses, with 52.5% more cattle, with 22.8% more sheep, with 21.1% more buffalos and with 5.6% more pigs (Table 21). A significant decline was observed in poultry breeding and less in bee-keeping. Along with the increased number of controlled animals increases their productivity, which is a result of the implementation of the existing breeding programs. EASRAB has started operating an information system for monitoring of the biodiversity of farm animals – EFABIS, which is part of the global network FABISnet. A 4-year Bulgarian-Swiss project To Link Conservation with Sustainable Rural Development started in 2012 in order to protect rare local breeds. The project will build a web-based information system of the indigenous breeds of farm animals in Bulgaria, as well as a DNA laboratory where 27 Bulgarian rare breeds will be studied. This will help to preserve the genetic purity of the local breeds and will contribute to the improvement of the existing subsidy schemes. Note: Dynamics of animal genetic resources in the period 2009–2013 (Source: EASRAB)
Action 11a & 11b: Forest holders and biodiversity	New tools based on sustainable management of forest ecosystems have been developed in order to achieve a balance between the functions and services of the forests. LIFE+ Programme of the EU has funded 18 projects in Bulgaria on different topics, each of them including activities related to the promotion of biodiversity and its sustainable use. Of these, 10 projects are managed by NGOs, 4 by national or regional government institutions, one of by a research institution and 3 – by business entities. Data link: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/
Action 12: Biodiversity in forest management plans	The Biological Diversity Act regulates the procedures for the development of management plans and development plans and projects. The law postulates that any development plans, regional development plans for forest areas, forest management plans and programs, national and regional programs developed under other laws must comply with the management plans of the protected sites from Natura 2000 network, as well as with the measures that aim at preventing deterioration of the natural habitats and habitats of species, and of the threats and the disturbance of species for the conservation of which the relevant protected sites are declared.
	A new National Strategy for the Development of the Forestry Sector in R. Bulgaria for the period 2013–2020 has been elaborated. It contains four priorities and 20 measures. In implementing the priority of maintaining healthy, productive and multifunctional forest ecosystems, contributing to the mitigation of climate change, are envisaged the following measures and activities aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of forest resources: · Increase of woodlands, the tree stock and the carbon stock in forest areas – through afforestation of abandoned agricultural lands, deforested areas, eroded and threatened by erosion areas; · Improvement of the forest management – it will help to maintain vibrant and multifunctional forest ecosystems, to increase the productivity of forests, to improve their resistance to diseases, pests, natural disasters and other biotic and abiotic factors; · Increasing of the efficiency of forest fire prevention and combating illegal activities in the forests.
EU Target or Action	EU Target 4
Action 13b: Fish stock management		Measures from the programs and strategic plan in the fisheries sector have been implemented. The main strategic goal of the National Strategic Plan for Fishery and Aquaculture 2007–2013 is the sustainable exploitation of fish resources. Measures to meet this objective include: control of fishing activities in order to prevent overfishing and the use of prohibited fishing devices; regulation of catches, fishing effort and fishing licenses; management and adaptation of the fishing effort – through modernization of the fleet and its alignment with the state of fish stocks; by introducing measures for the conservation of fish resources, including the improvement of fishing devices and methods for selectivity in order to use environmentally friendly devices, etc. The measures from the plan are funded under the Operative Program for Development of the Fishery Sector 2007–2013. By 20.08.2013 the program has funded a total of 134 projects, fully paid are 92 projects with a total value of EUR 22 670 549.44 Euros. The table below presents the measures and activities which have a direct or indirect impact on biodiversity. A total of 152 contracts have been signed. Table 12 showing Measures and activities from the Operative Program for Development of the Fishery Sector 2007–2013 with direct or indirect impact on biodiversity conservation and with contracts signed by 20.08.2013. Measures Activities Number of projects/ contracts Funding (Euro) Axis 1. Measures for adaptation of the Bulgarian fishing fleet 2 990 734 1.1. Permanent termination of fishing Adaptation of the fishing ship for tourism activities, education or creation of artificial riffs 65   1.3. On-board investments in fishing ships and selectivity; 06. Equipment for selective fishing Activities related to selective fishing 6   1.4. Small-scale coastal fishing Activities related to reduction of fishing efforts and preservation of resources as well as promotion of the use of technological innovations which do not increase the fishing effort None   Axis 2. Aquaculture, inland fishing, processing and marketing of fish and aquaculture products 23,164, 471.90 2.1. Production investments in aquacultures Diversification of production by using of new species and cultivation of species with good market potential; application of production methods that significantly reduce the negative impact and increase the positive impact on the environment; support for traditional aquaculture activities which allow preservation and development of economic and social aspects and preserve environment; equipment against wild predators and improvement of the conditions of labour and safety 58   2.2. Aqua-ecological measures Implementation of aquaculture production methods in favour of the environment and preservation of resources. Compensation payments for fish farms within Natura 2000 within 2 years after the proclamation of the protected areas 2 No payments 2.5. In-land fishing Activities related to the reduction of the negative impact and increase of the positive impact on the environment, as well as improvement of the selectivity of fishing equipment None   2.6. Investments in processing and marketing of products from fishing and aquaculture Some activities can be related to biodiversity 9   Axis 3. Measures of common interest 931,186.34 3.1. Collective activities Improved management of preservation of resources; promotion of the use of selective fishing equipment and methods 6   3.2. Measures aimed at preservation and development of the water flora and fauna Protection or development of the water flora and fauna, for instance through construction of artificial riffs None   3.6. Change of use of the fishing vessels Adaptation of fishing vessels for education, and research in the field of fishery None   Axis 4. Sustainable development of the fishery areas 15,888,715.89 4.1. Financial support for local strategies for development and covering of operational expenses of the 6