The Court of Justice of the European Union has condemned Bulgaria for having failed to declare a special protected area the entire ornithologically important site comprising Rila Mountain.

The ruling does not envisage payment of sanctions. This country has not classified the most suitable territories for the protection of bird species.

Rila Mountain is an important region as a habitat of birds and one of the most important territories across the European Union for the protection of 130 nesting bird species. Forty-one species are of European nature protection relevance and one of them is threatened with extinction worldwide.