Story | 17 окт, 2017

IUCN and Bulgaria engage in dialogue for preparing the country's EU-Presidency in 2018

The IUCN Regional Director for Europe visited Bulgaria in early October 2017 for a policy dialogue with members of the country's legislative and executive powers and to engage with IUCN members WWF Bulgaria and Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation.

Bulgarian Minister for the Environment, Nemo Dimov and IUCN Regional Director for Europe, Luc Bas met to discuss close collaboration between the State of  Bulgaria  and IUCN with a focus on the EU presidency in the first half of 2018. Elements discussed included a pilot on Green Lists of Protected Areas, Nature Based Solutions, World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism.

Other meetings were held with Ivelina Vasileva, Chairperson of the Environment and Water Committee of the Bulgarian Parliament, the Bulgarian Nature Coalition of NGO’s including IUCN Members WWF Bulgaria and Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation.  The Ministry of Environment organised site visits to Pirin National Park and Vitosha National Park to inform about opportunities and challenges in the management of protected areas in Bulgaria.