In May 2007, the Bulgarian branch of WWF published on its website an article, intended for purchasers of property or land to build on in Bulgaria. The article, entitled “Buyer, beware! How to buy a property in Bulgaria and not destroy the country’s nature”, contains information about the hazards and difficulties that a foreign investor, coming to the country for the first time, could encounter.

Owning a piece of land in Bulgaria looks like a brilliant opportunity “to invest little and get profits quickly”, the article said. “Lower prices of land and the opportunity of higher prices with the EU accession have lured many to buy inexpensive property and either sell it or rent it later,” the piece continued.
However, it appeared real estate agents did not always give enough information about the land status, therefore WWF warned the buyers to be careful because “very often real estate property is offered either in a national protected area or in a Natura 2000 site.”

The risks pointed out are both for the personal investor on one hand because there has been already a case of construction being discontinued in a nature park area, and on the other, the fate of the Bulgarian and European natural heritage.
Furthermore, WWF gave a short description of the unique Bulgarian nature given the small size of the country and the three climate belts here.

“Bulgaria is among the top places in Europe in terms of diversity of life and landscapes,” the article said. In addition it pointed out that after Spain, Bulgaria has the second highest number of bird species in Europe.
There are six categories of protected areas in Bulgaria, designated according to the national legislation: from strict protection (nature reserves, managed reserves and national parks) to levels which do not ban economic activities but depend on the individual designation orders (nature parks, natural monuments and protected landscapes).

Natura 2000 sites have a more flexible categorisation and no bans on economic activities but still have the aim of preserving the habitat or species for which the sites are designated. The protection level for each site is set out in its designation order. Ministry of Environment and Water Affairs (MOEW) has to set these by the end of 2007.
“In general, one should not expect a 10-storey hotel to be allowed to be built in the middle of the habitat of a rare species,” the WWF article said.

Therefore, the organisation advised future land or property purchasers to always check whether the piece of ground they wish to purchase is within a protected area or Natura 2000 zone borders. The buyer can ask his lawyer for this information that he in turn can obtain from MOEW and the Regional Inspectorates on the Environment and Waters (RIOSV in Bulgarian).
Research into the status of a piece of land could also be provided by a non-governmental organisation for nature conservation, the WWF advised.
The WWF article also pointed out the now over-developed but formerly small, quiet villages and regions near the Black Sea side or in the Bulgarian mountain ranges.

“It is always important to check the surroundings of real estate offered,” WWF said. “Once a cosy little town at the foot of magnificent Pirin National Park, Bansko, for example, has changed beyond recognition. It is a new resort with huge amounts of new hotels, roaring trucks, insufficient infrastructure and huge pressure over the water resources,” it said.
“So, buying a property in Bulgaria may sometimes secure you too many neighbours and also make you a silent accomplice in destroying the country’s nature,” the article said.

It also pointed out examples in Strandzha Nature Park and Zlatni Pyasutsi Nature Park, which is next to Golden Sands resort on the northern Black Sea Bulgarian coast.

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