The Second National Meeting of Bulgarian Environmental Organisations took place in the beginning of April (1st - 3rd April) in Plovdiv. Basically, it was a Milieukontakt initiative and they were in charge of organising the event. As with the first meeting, the emphasis was on partnership. The preparation of the meeting was undertaken by NGOs and the event was funded by Milieukontakt, the Regional Ecology Centre - Sofia, the Democracy Network Programme.

The organisers admitted that it had proved impossible to incorporate in the agenda all topics that participants had expressed an interest in. It did not take long for most of the participants, however, to find their small group of interest. Subsequently, in the completed questionnaires, the opportunity to establish contacts with other organisations working on similar issues was considered as one of the benefits.

Bulgarian and European environment-related legislation was discussed, as well as the opportunities for harmonisation between these two. Opportunities for partnership with the media, businesses and the state authority were also considered and successful projects for partnership among organisations were presented (The Danube Forum, CVS, Bluelink). Priority environmental issues (such as the Gorna Arda river and Kresna) were also addressed. Discussion groups by region were formed and some of the groups set up structures to continue their joint work after the meeting. A media list with Bluelink was compiled and a group was established to determine procedures for electing representatives in state and other administrative structures (funds, etc.)

The desire of different organisations to join their efforts culminated in the joint declarations adopted at the meeting. These organisations voice participants' opinions on all burning issues, including their interrelations with the media and state authorities. The common incentive behind these declarations was to give prominence to the mission of the eco-movement and the status in society that the organisations seek to attain.

The Minister of Environment and Water, Ms. Evdokia Maneva, was invited as a guest to the meeting.

A bulletin on the meeting is to be produced and it will be circulated to all participants.