Subject: Public consultation of the EIA report for the Ljulin Motorway

Dear Mrs Anelia Stefanova,

Thank you for your fax letter of 27 October raising important issues concerning the project Lyulin motorway, which Commissioner Wallstrom has asked me to reply.

The Commission has not yet received from the Bulgarian authorities the required formal documentation arising from the last set of public consultation meetings. As such the Commission is not in a position yet to issue any opinion regarding fulfilment of the Financing Memorandum condition related to the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure. In any case, I would like to assure you that the Commission will be monitoring this process closely and we will be requiring evidence from the promoters that the public consultation has been done and that the authorities have given due consideration to the decisions arising from the public discussions when they are preparing the permit.

I would like to thank you for the continuing interest you have shown in this project and to assure you that the Commission will continue to follow this project as part of the general process of compliance with the environmental conditions of the ISPA Regulation.

Yours sincerely,

Anne Burrill
Acting Head of Unit