Project of the Government of The National Republic of Bulgaria “Promotion and sustainable

management of cross-border eco-networks between Bulgaria and Greece”

Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works

Joint project for development of the cross-border territories of Bulgaria and Greece, funded by Phare
Europe Aid / 122 632/С/SER/BG

Results from the First workshop “Eco-network East Rhodopes”

25th April 2007г., Kardjaly

Nelly Georgieva – consultant

Participants:

1. Hristo Hristov – Kardjaly, Association for Protection of local breeds of domestic

animals ;
2. Nikolay Terziev – Haskovo, BSPB;
3. Georgy Popgeorgiev – Plovdiv, BF “Biodiversity”;
4. Stoycho Stoychev – Kardjaly, Project “Rdodopes”;
5. Yanko Baturov – Kardjaly, farmer;
6. Sevinch Ahmed – Haskovo, RIEOW Haskovo;
7. Tyurkyan Ismail – Haskovo, RIEOW Haskovo;
8. Zlatka Georgievа – Haskovo, RIEOW Haskovo;
9. Vladimir Trifonov – Haskovo, RIEOW Haskovo;
10. Zihny Salim – Djebel, Municipality Djebel;
11. Bedry Durmush – Djebel, Municipality Djebel;
12. Sabahtin Riza – Kardjaly, District administration Kardjaly – Deputy district manager;
13. Basry Mustafa – Kardjaly, Center for economic analyses and strategies (CEAS);
14. Gyuray Syuleyman – Kardjaly, Association “Youth initiative dialog, development”
(MIDD);
15. Sheker Ismail – Djebel, Municipality Djebel;
16. Lilia Gospodinova – Municipality Madjarovo;
17. Lyuben Bostandjiev – Municipality Momchilgrad;
18. Asya Dobrudjalieva – Municipality Kardjaly;
19. Nadezhda Tsvetkova – Municipality Kardjaly;
20. Angel Terziev – Municipality Lyubimets;
21. Stanislav Videv – Municipality Lyubimets;
22. Borislav Borisov – RIEOW Haskovo;
23. Svetoslav Cheshmedjievв – Deputy leader of the Project for the basin of the Arda river;
24. Elizabeth Sokolova – Municipality Ardino;
25. Izet Shaban – chairman of LIG Ardino and Municipal council Ardino;
26. Kyazim Kyazim– Municipality Stambolovo;
27. Zlatka Mareshova – LIG Ivaloivgrad;
28. Lyubomir Boyadjiev – family hotel, Ivaloivgrad;
29. Desislava Serdarska – Regional Business Association Kardjaly;
30. Krasimira Purnarova – Regional Business Association Kardjaly;

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 31. Vasilka Markova – Municipality Stambolovo;
32. Marin Marinov– Basin direction Plovdiv;
33. Doychin Todorov – Basin direction Plovdiv;
34. Stefka Tasheva - LIG Madjarovo;
35. Kamelia Georgiева – Project „Promotion and sustainable management of cross-border
eco-networks between Bulgaria and Greece”, Deputy Team Leader;
36. Dimitar Peev - Project „Promotion and sustainable management of cross-border eco-
networks between Bulgaria and Greece”, biodiversity expert;
37. Stella Tsartsara - Project „Promotion and sustainable management of cross-border eco-
networks between Bulgaria and Greece”, sustainable development expert;
38. Danieala Popova – regional leader of Project “Rhodope” and local coordinator of the
project
39. Nelly Georgieva – consultant.

Results

Co-ordination of the proposal for the pilot eo-network in the East Rhodopes

The following criteria in defining the proposal for the pilot eco-network in the East Rhodopes
were clarified with the participants at the workshop:

1. High biodiversity on the territory /availability of places of conservation importance,

representative populations, naturalness of populations.
2. Availability of interest for partnership between business and nature protection.
3. Availability of Greek partners on the other side of the border ./closeness to the border
and an opportunity for a functional connection in establishing the eco-network/

Questions by the participants at the meeting

1. How will the protection of biodiversity in the eco-network be guarantied?

The project will provide consultations how economic initiatives to be realized without harming
nature.

2. How will the sustainable economic practices be stimulated?

 One of the components of the project is to announce the next grant scheme on
the European programs, which will follow the recommendations of the Program
for Sustainable development.
 Through zoning of the territories according to the Law for sustainable
development
 Through integration of priorities and measures of the Program for sustainable
development in the strategic documents of the municipalities and districts.

3. Will there be restoration activities within the eco-network?

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The project does not foresee restoration activities.

Existing partnerships with Greek organizations and institutions

Bulgarian organizations Greek partner Territorial cover

1. Municipality Kardjaly Prefecture Evros, the Prefecture Evros

Difficulties in partnerships municipalities in the Municipality Komotiny
Bureaucratic character of Prefecture; The island of Samotraky
partnerships; Municipality Komotiny;
Differences in the structure The island of Samotraky
and functions of the
institutions in Bulgaria and
Greece.
2. Municipality NGO “EPO” Hrizopoly
Stambolovo

Project for the vultures

3. Municipality Municipality Trigono Municipality Trigono
Lyubimets Municipality Alexandrupuly Municipality Alexandrupuly

Projects in the sphere of

culture, sports
4. Municipality Municipality Komotiny Komotiny
Momchilgrad
5. Network of the district The district managers in the
managers of Smolyan, network
Kardjaly, Haskovo,
Evros, Kavala, Xanty,
Rdodopes

Difficulties – the partnerships

have not been formalized
6. Municipality Municipality Ciprinos Ciprinos
Ivaloivgrad Municipality Sofly Sofly
Municipality Trigono Trigono
7. Agency for regional NGO “Dezmos” Municipality Komotiny
economic
development -
Kardjaly

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 Coordinating the territorial cover of the eco-network in the East Rdodopes

The proposal of the team is based on the following core zones:

 The valley of Arda river
/Protected area „Patronka”;
Nature landmark „Kovan kaya”;
Protected area„Cheranata skala”;
Protected area „Momina skala”;
Protected area „Golemiya sipey”;
Protected area „Sredna Arda”;
Protected area „Yumruk skala”/
 Protected area“The meanders of the White river”
 Protected area„Gyumyurdjinsky snezhnik”.

Territorial cover of the eco-network – the territories of the municipalities:

1. Ivaloivgrad;
2. Madjarovo;
3. Stambolovo;
4. Lyubimets;
5. Krumovgrad;
6. Kirkovo;
7. Djebel;
8. Momchilgrad;
9. Kardjaly;

Recommendations by the participants at the meeting about the cover and the essence of the
eco-network

1. In the proposed variety for the eco-network in the part of The valley of Arda river there
should be added:
 The central section between the “Studen kladenets” damp and Madjarovo;
 The “Gorata” hill - a oak forest massif;
 The “Maglenik” hill on the border ;
 To delineate a corridor between The “Maglenik” hill and the “Gyumyurdjinsky
snezhnik”.

2. The White river to be connected with The Luda River.

3. To extend the corridor along the White River and The Luda River.
4. The river corridor along the Arda River to be extended to the Municipality of Smolyan.
5. In the outflanking to be included The Borovitsa River / above the Borovitsa damp

General recommendations for the eco-network in the East Rdodopes

1. The Eco-network to reveal the basic types of the habitats and species, which are not
within the range of the proposal made.
2. The places on NATURA 2000 to become more functional.

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3. The functional connections to be stated in the grounds of the eco-network.
4. To guarantee the acceptance of the eco-network and to gain agreement with the local
people.
5. The Eco-network to be oriented towards the salvation of the local problems– for
example deforestation in the East Rdodopes.
6. In the map presented to include the Municipality of Ardino as a part of the eco-network.

Existing business practices in the region of the eco-network

Municipality Existing business practices

 Wood industry;
Ivaloivgrad  Extraction of gneiss;
 Productuion of wood charcoals;
 Tobaco-production;
 Vine-growing;
 Wine-production;
 Production of halva;
 Rural tourism;
 Ecotourism /fishing as an attraction/.

 Productuion of wood charcoals;

Madjarovo  Tobaco-production;
 Production of halva;
 Extraction of minerals and semi-
precious stones ;
 Animal-breeding ;
 Rural tourism;
 Ecotourism.

 Animal-breeding;
Stambolovo  Tobaco-production;
 Vine-growing;
 Wine-production;
 Wood industry;
 Ecotourism;
 Golf tourism.

 Wine-production;
Lyubimets  Fruit-growing;
 Production of vegetables;
 Productuion of wood charcoals;
 Production of machines;
 Tailoring workshops;
 Production of agricultural stock.

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  Buy-out point for medicinal plants ;
Krumovgrad  Animal-breeding;
 Tobaco-production;
 Shoe-production;
 Tailoring workshops;
 Ornothologic tourism.

 Production of vegetables;
Kirkovo  Tobaco-production;
 Fruit-growing;
 Animal-breeding;
 Milk production;
 Wood industry;
 Hotels and guest houses.

 Tobaco-production;
Djebel  Animal-breeding;
 Meat-processing enterprise;
 Extraction of pearlite;
 Metal-processing;
 Slaughter house.

 Tobaco-production;
Momchilgrad  Poultry farm;
 Hunting tourism;
 Fish-breeding;
 Cultural tourism;
 Metal-processing;
 Tailoring workshops.

 Milk-processing;
Ardino  Textile industry;
 Tailoring workshops;
 Extraction of marble;
 Animal-breeding;
 Tobaco-production;
 Collecting herbs;
 Growing herbs;
 Potato-processing;
 Fruit-growing;
 Collecting mushrooms;

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  Tourism;
 Drying-room for herbs.

 Metal-processing;
Kardjaly  Extraction of metals;
 Extraction of gold;
 Tailoring industry;
 Tourism;
 Tobaco-production;
 Animal-breeding;
 Production of vegetables;
 Wood industry;
 Furniture industry;
 Extraction of non-ore fossils;
 Marble and gneiss processing;
 Poultry farms ;
 Transport;
 Fish-breeding.

Coordinating the process for the development of the Program for sustainable development
Two-day meetings will be conducted and during the meetings analyses of the situation will be
made ,the vision, objectives and priorities will be determined as well as the measures of the
Program

Time of the meeting – 6 and7 June.

Follow-up steps

1. To motivate representatives of business to participate in the meeting on 6 /7 June

2. Experts from the project to prepare information about the resources for the next
meeting.
3. Review of the municipal and regional strategies for development.
4. Identification of the users of the resources through filling-in an inquiry. The inquiry
will be brought for the next meeting.
5. Preparation of the next meeting– review of suitable places
6. Sending out the information from the current meeting to the participants and other
people invited– Daniela Popova.

Appraisal of the meeting

What did we do well? What we can improve?

 Good preparation and organization of  Lack of details of the elements of the

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 the meeting;
 We received information;
 Construction approach of work;
 A wide representation of the
stakeholders in the East Rhodopes was
ensured;
 Active participants.
eco-network;
 Lack of coordination in the team in
some cases;
 Lack of enough information and
understanding for the essence of the
eco-networks;
 To attract more representatives of the
business.