Eco Friendly Bulgaria

Bulgaria is taking huge steps in becoming a more environmentally friendly country. In 2010 smoking is expected to be banned in public places, a big step for a country that has one of the the highest levels of smokers in Eastern Europe.

There is also news that the investment group in charge of the Super Borovets Project have recently applied for an EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) certificate. If granted the certificate will guarantee all work carried out on the project will be done so in accordance with the highest European ecological standards. The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme are a European based voluntary organisation which acknowledge organisations that improve their environmental performance on a continuous basis. Companies that are granted a certificate have to be legally sound, have an environmental management system in place and publically report their environmental performance by way of independently verified statements.

If awarded, the EMAS certificate will be the first granted to any Bulgarian company and is expected to go a long way in quelling the recent protests that have surrounded the multi million project. "We hope to create a positive image for Super Borovets so that all eco activists will be assured that we will develop the tourist facilities and services in such ways that the environment will not be harmed," said Julia Arabadzhieva, the director of the project.

The Super Borovets Project will transform the Rila Mountain region making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, with all hotels in the region validated as eco friendly. The Project will take many years to complete and will prove a complex problem of upgrading the mountainous region whilst working in a ethical environmentally friendly manner. This is of vital importance as the region is currently unspoilt and home to a large percentage of Bulgaria's wildlife population.

We will keep you regularly updated on the developments of the project