As more than 170,000 people have signed a petition against the ongoing illegal construction in Bulgaria's mountains, a delegation of 6 members of the European Parliament went Tuesday to the Rila mountain to check the problem on the spot.

The delegation is led by the Chairman of the Petitions Committee in the European Union, Martin Libicki.

Environmentalists were satisfied that the MEPs could personally see that construction works near the resort of Panichishte continue, despite the fact Bulgaria's Minister of Environment, Dzhevdet Chakurov, blocked the Organization Plan of the Sapareva Banya Municipality, as it allowed encroachments into the Rila Mountain National Park.

After hearing the common declaration by several environmentalist organisations, the delegation assured that they are to call on the EC for punishment measures against the Bulgarian government.

A great number of protests have been staged in Bulgaria during the past years over illegal construction in protected areas and destruction of the country's nature.

Environmentalists often say only the EU has power to force the allegedly corrupt government to protect Bulgaria's nature.

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