Decision 40 COM 7B.93

Pirin National Park (Bulgaria) (N 225bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 38 COM 7B.73, adopted at its 38th session (Doha, 2014),
3. Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party with the implementation of the recommendations of the 2011 mission and requests the State Party to fully implement all pending recommendations;
4. Also welcomes the confirmation that the draft Management Plan for Pirin National Park will be subject to the procedures for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA), as requested in its Decision 38 COM 7B.73, but notes with concern the conclusion of the Ministry of Environment and Water that the first draft of the Management Plan did not comply with the requirements set out by the Ministry and was therefore sent back for revision;
5. Notes the information provided by the State Party that all projects within the buffer zone of the property are subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and that the projects approved in 2014 and 2015 were mainly related to the maintenance of existing infrastructure and the enhancement of visitors’ safety and of the quality of tourist services;
6. Considers that any future developments within the buffer zone of the property need to be guided through strategic planning, which can be achieved by strengthening the Management Plan through the procedures for SEA and also requests the State Party:
   1. to ensure that the draft Management Plan is revised to comply with the requirements set out by the Ministry of Environment and Water and is evaluated through the procedures for SEAs,
   2. to submit the Management Plan and the results of its evaluation through the procedures for SEA and AAs to the World Heritage Centre, for review by IUCN,
   3. tto provide the World Heritage Centre information on other ongoing processes, that might affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property,
   4. not to approve any further developments within the property or its buffer zone until the draft Management Plan has been subject to the procedures for SEA and AA;
7. Calls on the State Party to invite in 2017 an IUCN Advisory mission to review the implementation of the Management Plan and the preservation of the OUV of the property;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2017, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 42nd session in 2018.