Decision 44 COM 7B.101

Pirin National Park (Bulgaria) (N 225bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.72, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Notes the Supreme Administrative Court’s final rejection of the Ministry of Environment and Water’s decision that no Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is needed for the new Management Plan for Pirin National Park, and requests the State Party to:
   1. Complete the SEA as a matter of priority, ensuring it includes a specific assessment of potential impacts of the new Management Plan on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, including from potential development in areas located within its buffer zone, and to submit the SEA to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN,
   2. Based on the SEA results, develop the new Management Plan including to ensure it comprehensively addresses all potential threats to the OUV of the property and clearly outlines how the management objectives, zoning and land use within Pirin National Park will contribute to enhancing the OUV of the property and preventing any degradation of its integrity, to take into account the relevant recommendations of the IUCN 2018 Advisory mission in the above process to consult with the NGOs and other stakeholders that have concerns regarding the content and implementation of the draft new Management Plan, and to submit a draft to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN;
4. Also notes the Court’s decision to repeal the amendments introduced by the Council of Ministers to the current Management Plan for Pirin National Park and welcomes the confirmation by the State Party that no further action on development plans linked to the previous amendments have been undertaken in compliance with the Court’s decision;
5. Also requests the State Party to develop a long-term strategic approach for all plans and programmes related to the property, buffer zone and the broader region, which is agreed among all relevant stakeholders including municipalities, and which ensures that any potential future development is harmonized, coordinated and consistent with regulations protecting the property’s OUV and integrity, and the Operational Guidelines;
6. Further notes the approval of a number of Investment Proposals including for additional water supply from reservoirs located within the property, and further requests the State Party to ensure that the potential impacts of these projects on the OUV of the property have been thoroughly assessed and to submit assessments to the World Heritage Centre for review by IUCN;
7. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, 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 46th session.