Environment education for achieving awareness for the role of renewable energy technologies in the districts, included in “Natura 2000” Gancho Mitev, eng

Abstract: The EU’s Natura 2000 programme has designated many Structural Adjustment Funds and other programmes promote rural development and the use of renewable energy sources. Often these programmes are assumed to be in conflict: ecologists oppose renewable energy projects, because they fear they will reduce biodiversity and RES promoters and rural development specialists object to Natura 2000 designation, because they fear it stops all economic development. In truth, there is no need for this conflict. If each group understood the other’s concerns and priorities they could work together to develop projects and businesses that protect and enhance the natural world while generating much needed rural employment.

The 1979 Birds Directive was followed in 1992 by the Habitats Directive – and with these two instruments EC has established a network of protected areas that covers Europe’s most important habitats, and taken action for our most threatened species. EC has called this network NATURA 2000, and it covers some 18% of the territory of the 15 countries that were Member States before the last enlargement. It is currently being extended to the 10 new Member States and also to the marine environment. The area covered is already greater than Germany and when completed will be greater than France. NATURA 2000 will be the EU’s largest territorial entity – larger than any member state.

Now over 25% of European territory is in the network "preserved areas" of "Natura 2000". In this way they get unusable for the business. The construction of new objects is forbidden at some of these places and at some even the placement of a fence around the place is forbidden.

In order for these territories to be used for installation of ground source thermo pumps, PV panels, wind generators, bioreactors or any other renewable energy technologies, it is necessary for the politicians and the people in the ecological organizations to be trained; to adopt the understanding, that renewable energy sources do not harm the bio-diversity, that the bioreactors do not force the "imperial eagle" to go away from its habits and etc. The overcoming of the non-market and non technical barriers will result in use of the increased potential of renewable energy sources

The European Commission launches a project for a common energy policy of the EU. On the 10/1/2007 the European Commission published its proposals for the member states of the EU for the implementation of a common policy in the field of energetics and energy resources, as well as for a common strategy for fighting the global warming after 2012, when the Kioto protocol for reducing the emissions of the harmful gases in the atmosphere is no more valid. The initiatives of the EC should be approved by the members of the Union and they will be discussed during a meeting on high level between their governmental and state leaders in March.

The document, prepared by the European Commission pays attention to the need of limiting the quantities of greenhouse emissions, emitted in the atmosphere, increasing the use of renewable energy sources and the gradual reduction of the dependence of the European Union on the international suppliers of energy sources.

According to the expectations of the European Commission, the expected increase of the mean annual temperatures with 5°С up to 2100 can cause the death of people annually in Europe, as early as in 2071, only as a result of the connected with the warming natural calamities. That is why the high executive body of the EU will propose to the member states the greenhouse emissions and mainly the CO2 emissions to be reduced with at least 20% up to In this way the quantity of the harmful gases in the atmosphere will reach the level of the gases in 1990.

The achievement of better coordination is a necessary condition for overcoming of the existing disbalance between the supply and demand of terrains for installation of renewable energy technologies. It will enable the regions, which are included in the network “NATURA 2000” to benefit the maximum from the policy and supportive financial instruments of the European Union in the field of renewable energy sources, which include apart from the Cohesion and Structural funds and the Framework programs for reduce of the hothouse gases- Carbon Dioxide and support of competitiveness.

Conclusions: The marketable component of the Bulgarian and Rumanian economy is at initial stage of development. The main obstacles in the development of the national system for ecological education are the lack of appropriate sources of financing (in the short term aspect) and the lack of qualified staff (in the long term). And right NOW are being developed the criteria for establishment of the “regime of use” of the concerned territories, which is a clear signal that the moment for influence in this regard, has come.

The development of the system for ecological education at this moment will bring to: 1) Provision of a greater policy support, which will bring to provision of a greater administrative and financial support for implementation of national policies in this field. 2) The improvement of the coordination between the strategic documents, the policies, the administrative and financial instruments, which influence the National systems. 3) The more precise direction and coordination of the resources of the Cohesion and Structure funds of the EU inside the countries and with other programmes on European level.

Thank you for the attention!