Super Borovets To Apply For Eco Certificate

The main investor in the new Super Borovets mega ski resort is to apply for an EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) eco certificate which guarantees that all work, products and services will be done in accordance with the highest European eco standards.So far, Super Borovets is still only on the drawing board, as construction is yet to be given the go-ahead.The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme is the EU voluntary instrument which acknowledges organisations that improve their environmental performance on a continuous basis. The system has been active since 2001.EMAS-registered organisations are legally compliant, run an environmental management system and report on their environmental performance through the publication of an independently verified environmental statement. They are recognised by the EMAS logo, which guarantees the reliability of the information provided.Until now, no Bulgarian company has been issued such a certificate. The planned construction, for instance, includes construction "revolutionary" for Bulgaria, such as "passive buildings" or buildings that are heated and cooled by themselves. They will be powered by "green infrastructure" or the production of electricity will come from recycled resources, advanced system for waste management and a "thorough conceptualisation for integrated tourism" director of Ecoest Georgi Krumov said, as quoted by Dnevnik daily. Super Borovets will cost about 750 million euro.According to the investors, the decision for the new development for the ski resort will make it a very popular destination and it will increase its value drastically. Additionally, every existing hotel is going to be upgraded so that it receives "Eco marking". This label is in accordance to strict criteria mainly in regard to heat and water management, among other factors."We hope to create a positive image for Super Borovets so that all eco activists will be assured that we will develop the tourist facilities and services in such ways that the environment will not be harmed," said Julia Arabadzhieva, the director of the project.There were many protests against the planned mega construction in the Rila Mountain and the subsequent clearance of a large section of the ancient forest where the hotels will stand. Because of Super Borovets, the zone Rila-Buffer has been left out of the Natura 2000 eco-network. The activists, however, say that they will continue their protests against the planned "disembowelment" of the mountain. They claim that regardless of what "labels" the construction firms acquire from Europe - be it Eco marking or EMAS - eventually the rules will be broken gradually and that pollution and destruction of the environment is all but inevitable.