Lower house to vote on controversial bill on care for nature reserves

The lower house is due to vote on a controversial bill on care for the country’s nature reserves. Deputies will be debating amendments to the bill made by the Senate which proposed changes predominantly backing the interests of villages located inside nature reserves, plans for local development and the tourist industry. Some of the country’s leading academics and four former environment ministers have protested against the Senate-proposed amendment arguing that the proposed changes would severely restrict possibilities for environmental protection and would have far-reaching consequences for the country’s nature reserves. They claim the proposed changes go against the latest trends in environmental protection in Europe where countries are increasing the number of nature reserves and the area of no-intervention zones in them.