Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Bulgaria

The document outlines Bulgaria's EUTR framework, noting that while the Executive Forests Agency serves as the Competent Authority, enforcement is hindered by underfunding, low administrative fines, and high corruption. It details the legal mechanisms for reporting illegal logging and the challenges NGOs face in challenging administrative inaction.

• The EU Timber Regulation is implemented in Bulgaria via an amendment to the Forestry Act (Закон за горите) that took effect on 7 August 2012. The Executive Forests Agency acts as the Competent Authority, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food as its superior body, while Regional Forestry Directorates conduct checks.
• Administrative penalties for EUTR breaches are limited to fines between 25 and 2500 EUR, which can be tripled for repeat violations within one year. There is no specific guidance for the Competent Authority to determine the final fee amount, and no criminal sanctions for EUTR-related infringements exist within the Forestry Act.
• Enforcement effectiveness is compromised by several factors: Regional Forestry Directorates are reportedly underfinanced, there are no dedicated EUTR-inspection teams or specific guidelines for checks, and the forestry sector is characterized by high levels of corruption.
• Civil society and NGOs face significant hurdles when challenging the Competent Authority. The CA generally refuses to provide information on investigations, and challenging administrative inaction in court is difficult because it requires demonstrating a direct obligation on the CA and a specific interest in the proceedings within a 14-day window.
• Bulgaria has implemented some technological and reporting strengths, including a public online system for timber transport documents, a dedicated phone line and online form for reporting corruption and forestry law violations, and legal requirements for GPS tracking on timber trucks and video surveillance in wood-processing and trading departments.

APA

de Rouvre, D., & Szolc, M. (2018). Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Bulgaria. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/kdmftnzj/2017-02-23-info-brief-eutr-enforcement-in-bulgaria-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

de Rouvre, Diane, and Marek Szolc. Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Bulgaria. ClientEarth, 2018. https://www.clientearth.org/media/kdmftnzj/2017-02-23-info-brief-eutr-enforcement-in-bulgaria-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Rouvre |first1=Diane |last2=Szolc |first2=Marek |title=Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Bulgaria |publisher=ClientEarth |date=February 2018 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/kdmftnzj/2017-02-23-info-brief-eutr-enforcement-in-bulgaria-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{derouvre2018infobrief, author = {de Rouvre, Diane and Szolc, Marek}, title = {{Info-brief: EUTR enforcement in Bulgaria}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/kdmftnzj/2017-02-23-info-brief-eutr-enforcement-in-bulgaria-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }