Notorious Bulgarian Vitosha Ski Co Takes Forestry Act to EC

The notorious Vitosha Ski Companyt promised to re-launch the lifts it owns on the Vitosha Mountain on August 1. File photo

The controversial Bulgarian Vitosha Ski Company is threatening to alert the European Commission of irregularities in amendment to the Forestry Act, limiting its construction rights in the Vitosha Mountain near the capital Sofia.

The news was reported by the Bulgarian National Television, BNT, further informing the company's management will hold a press conference Monday on the future of the Aleko ski area. Vitosha Ski explain they are the legal owner of ski lifts with permanent building rights, and insist the Forestry Act is in violation of the law.

They also promise to explain Monday the decision to stop operating the lifts and to close ski facilities for the last winter season.

The current explanation of the company is that the move was a sign of protest against a denial to expand operations in the mountain.

Vitosha Ski had presented a development project that was rejected as environmentally unfriendly for the mountain, which, being a designated nature park, is a protected area.

End of 2011, the company pushed controversial amendments in Bulgaria's Forestry Act that would have virtually scrapped administrative hurdles to go on with expanding facilities in the mountain.

When Parliament adopted the legislation June 13, this triggered spontaneous large-scale protests in Sofia that led to a presidential veto on the act.

Public pressure led to the Forestry Act's being re-adopted by Parliament Wednesday with the controversial amendments scrapped.

Vitosha Ski had agreed to re-open lifts following a recent meeting with Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, which some criticized as long overdue.

The company owns the lifts since 2007, when Sofia Municipality, then headed by now PM Boyko Borisov, sold them in a privatization deal.

Vitosha Ski is known to be controlled by Bulgarian Ski Federation president Tseko Minev, a notorious Bulgarian businessman also controlling First Investment Bank and Yulen, the company that operates Bulgaria's biggest winter resort Bansko.

Three days ago, the company officially stated it will re-launch the lifts it owns on the Vitosha Mountain on August 1.

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