Bulgarian Wind Energy Association
Position on the Proposed Changes to the
Law for the Protection of Agricultural Land

On June 30th 2010 the Parliament of Bulgaria passed in the first reading a bill (002-01-28 from 16.04.2010) to amend the Law for the Protection of Agricultural Land. This bill imposes severe restrictions on the development of renewable energy projects on agricultural land. It essentially bans renewable energy projects from 28 % of the area of the entire country (category 1  –  4 land). The opposition to the bill is widespread and uniform. The bill is unnecessary. Renewable Energy does not endanger agriculture  as decades of experience in other countries have proven. The bill is also excessive. The land on which developments are banned is more than 5,000 times more land that what is actually affected. The adoption of the bill will have grave consequences for the country. Jobs will be destroyed; income and investment will be lost. The EU Renewable Energy Targets will be missed. Bulgaria will hurt its
reputation as a reliable investment destination and it will face legal consequence.

1)  Wind Energy is Good for Agriculture and Economy
a.  A wind generator only needs 2 dka of land.
b.  Each wind generator can pay several thousand Euro rental income per year to the farmer / land owners.
c.  Renewable energy projects help traditional family farms stay  in business. The projects help protect
tradition and heritage from industrialized, mass production.
d.  Every 2 wind generators create 1 new job.
->  This bill favors only large, industrial mass producers. It withholds income from small farmers and  local
landowners. It threatens existing farming jobs and future renewable energy jobs.

2)  The Bill conflicts with Bulgarian and EU Legislation
a.  The Bulgarian Constitution prohibits discriminatory legislation.
b.  EU directive 2009/72/EO prohibits discriminatory legislation.
c.  EU directive 2009/28/EO requires member states to promote renewable energy and reduce hindrances.
d.  The bill singles out renewable energy although other types of construction and re-designation can have
a similar impact on agricultural land.
e.  The bill violates both the Bulgarian Constitution and EU legislation.
-> With this bill the government risks penalty procedures by the EU. It risks causing serious damage to
Bulgaria’s reputation as a reasonable and reliable investment destination.

3) The Ban is Unnecessary
a.  Many EU nations have 15+ years of experience with much higher numbers of installed generators and
PV plants.
b.  This experience has demonstrated that renewable energies are no danger to agriculture and that both
can coexist well.
->  Therefore  no other EU nation has  a similar ban and  passing this ban against better knowledge and
contradictory experience in other nations  casts doubt on the credibility of the government and the
legislator.

Read More BGWEA_position_Agricultural_Land_Law_Proposal

Related posts:

1. Bulgarian Renewable Energy Market Snapshot
2. Developing a Wind Park in Bulgaria – List Of Permits Needed
3. Recent Developments in the Bulgarian RES Market – October 2010
4. Producing Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources in Bulgaria
5. International Congress on Energy Efficiency /EE/ & Renewable Energy Sources /RES/ for South-East Europe – 14 – 16 April, 2010