The Bulgarian government plans to build a part of the proposed Hamburg to Athens motorway through the Kresna gorge – identified as an exceptional European biodiversity hotspot due to its unique abundance and diversity of nature and wildlife.

Loss of wildlife in the gorge already breaches EU environment law. The motorway construction threatens the survival of many unique species in the gorge in breach of EU law, and is mired in corruption - despite being funded by the EU.

Both the European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella and more recently Commission President hopeful Frans Timmermans have failed to take action to halt nature loss in the gorge in line with EU law, and move the planned motorway section out of the nature hotspot. The local community is also staunchly against the project.