Sandov’s Decision to Terminate Struma Highway Project Has Been Appealed

‘Association of Victims оf Accidents’ have appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court the two decisions of the former Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov, with which he has terminated the EIA procedures (Environmental Impact Assessment) for the construction of the Struma Highway through the Kresna Gorge. According to information from ARI (Agency Road Infrastructure), they have also appealed the decisions.

We remind you that two weeks ago, Eco News revealed Sandov’s scandalous decisions, with which he actually stopped the construction of Struma Highway. They were issued at 5:00 p.m. on August 1, the day the government's mandate ended.

In the appeals, Sandov's orders were defined as inconsistent with the law and inadmissible, due to significant violations of administrative regulations and legal requirements.

They are requested to be declared null and void.

The reasons for the complaints also state that the contested decisions of the former deputy prime minister on climate are unclear, inaccurate and contain mutually exclusive facts and arguments. They were prepared hastily and contrary to the Ordinance on EIA.

The internal procedures of the Ministry of Environment and Water were also violated when issuing them.

Appeals against Sandov's decisions stop their implementation - until the court issues a decision, they cannot enter into force. The appeal is two-instance, and there will be a decision at least in a year, most likely more.

There is also another possibility where the construction of Struma Highway will be able to continue and be started until May 2023, when the current EIA expires.

The Acting Minister of Environment and Water, Rositsa Karamfilova, can cancel Sandov's illegal decisions in order to continue the procedures for building the highway through the Kresna Gorge. This would save the project from a spectacular delay, as experts believe that if this is not done, the highway before 2030. it cannot be completed. And this means that Bulgaria will have to return BGN 1.6 billion to Brussels, due to the non-completion of the highway by 2027, as well as more years of accidents, injuries and lost human lives.