A trial won in Bulgaria

“Eco svest” fought for the information on Belene

After the civil society organization “Eko svest” had won the trial against the Republic of Bulgaria, Macedonia would get all the information, the project and the study on the influence that the construction of the Bulgarian nuclear plant Belene will have on the environment.

The organization sued Bulgaria, after about a year ago, its government had refused to deliver the abovementioned materials to the Macedonian Ministry of Environment.

The winning of the trial is based on the principles of the Arhur Convention on informing, the right of the public to participate in the decision-making processes in the field of environment and their access to the justice, which had been ratified by both countries. The civil society organization filed their lawsuit in June last year, and the Bulgarian Supreme Court announced the verdict last month. “If the Bulgarian court also accepts the lawsuit based on the principles and the rules of the ESPO Convention on assessing the influence of the project on the environment in a cross-border context, which had been also signed by both Bulgaria and Macedonia, then our country will have the right to participate in the public debates on this issue, and the construction will have to be adjusted to the Macedonian laws as well”, they say at “Eko-svest”.

Since it was a trial of public interest and of great importance for Macedonia, it was free. Macedonia will be informed on the ways to protect itself from the potential cases of disaster.

 

S.N.