On 28, 29 and 30 of August in 2019 in Forum Hotel – Sofia City a meeting of an Expert Working Group was hold for discussing the reports under Art. 12 of the Birds Directive, developed by the team of Consortium “Dicon-Particip” under the project: “Analyzes and studies of the species and natural habitats in Bulgaria, subject to reporting under Art. 17 of the Habitats Directive and Art. 12 of the Birds Directive”, with Beneficiary the Executive Environment Agency (ExEA), funded by the Operational Program “Environment 2014 – 2020”.
The purpose of the 3-days meeting was to review all reports for different bird species in the relevant seasons (breeding , migratory, wintering) included in the reporting . The prepared materials were presented by members of the international expert team of the Consortium “Dicon-Particip”: Rastislav Rybanič (Team Leader), Borut Rubinic, Tomaž Mihelič and Felix Bergmann. The Forms were reviewed one by one, as special attention was payed on minimum and maximum abundance of the relevant populations, short-terms (for the last 12 years) and long-term (since 1980) tendencies, impacts and threats for the certain species. For the breeding bird species were considered and prepared maps of distribution of each species, which are an integral part from the reporting documentation.
Specific data, experience obtained trough field monitoring and years of research of certain species and monitoring places were shared by the representatives of different scientific and non-government organizations, as well as by freelance experts-ornithologists. Among the participants of the expert meeting were: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ventseslav Delov (Biological Faculty, Sofia University “St. Climent Ohridski” ), Kiril Bedev (in charge of the Ecological Station at the reserve: Atanasovsko Lake – IBER-BAS), Assist. Dr. Leonid Todorov, Nevena Ivanova, Lubomir Profirov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stoyan Nedkov, Plamen Stanev (Consortium “Ecoconsult Natura 2000”), Irina Mateeva (in charge of “European policies”, Bulgarian Society for the protection of birds), Stoycho Stoychev (Bird Protection Director, Bulgarian Society for the protection of birds), representatives of Executive Environment Agency, Ministry of Environment and Water and other stakeholders.
After reflection of the recommendations of the participants in the meeting and the control team from Consortium “Ecoconsult Natura 2000”, the report under Art. 12 of the Birds Directive was finalized and submitted within the stipulated term.
