Organising for mutual advantage: municipal associations in Bulgaria

A Long, Brown Shadow? The Impact of Non-Democratic Legacies on the Environment in Portugal and Bulgaria

“…(Interview with NGO representative, 2007c) The tension between central and local government has also affected internal administrative communication, with the limited flow of information potentially restricting a broader approach (Interview with NGO representative, 2007c). 9 Reforms in 2003 have seen greater funding control moving to the local level, while at the same time attempts have been made to improve transparency and communication between levels of government (Brinkerhoff & Goldsmith, 2006). Finally, there has been a trend towards professionalisation at the local level: 'a lot of funding from EU .…”

“…At the local level there are 263 municipalities (obshtina) (Brinkerhoff & Goldsmith, 2006), responsible for: developing environmental protection programmes, informing the public, managing waste, and organising the activities of eco-inspectorates. Although local administration has gained increased power, central control and oversight still dominate the system.…”

Growing Green Democracy? Barriers to Ecological Modernization in Democratizing States

“…Another NGO member noted that this was due in large part to the influence of political party priorities and a desire to maintain control (interview 16 May 2007) . Reforms in 2003 introduced greater funding control at the local level and encouraged transparency, but municipalities remain underfunded (Brinkerhoff and Goldsmith, ). These pressures limit the emergence of flexibility within the political system that would support a drive for greater environmental innovation.…”

“…The difficulty faced by the general population participating in administrative procedures has led them to turn increasingly to NGOs and local government agencies for remedies (Brinkerhoff and Goldsmith, ). Legal protection for NGO activities under the Law on Non‐Profit Legal Entities has also led to improvements, as non‐profit organizations are required to register with the state and define specific goals in a more formal manner…”

Shaping tomorrow’s urban environment today : Environmental Policy Integration in urban planning: the challenges of a communicative approach

“…While economic interests have started to dominate planning, developments undertaken in the real estate and tourism sectors have led to the accumulation of significant threats to preservation of nature resources in the coastal areas (MRDPW, 2006;Anderson et al, 2012;. With Bulgaria's accession to the EU, the responsibility for the implementation of the EU nature policy directives was delegated to the local authorities Brinkerhoff & Goldsmith, 2006;. This, however, became a major challenge for the local governments in Bulgaria, which followed the neoliberal fashion of planning, seeking primarily economic opportunities while allowing powerful market players to push the expansion of developments (Carmin & Vandenveer, 2007.…”