BlueLink's ongoing and recent projects

Our Eye on the EU

During 2026 - 2027 a workng groups of young people receive training, compare national perspectives, plan and carry out an analysis on a selected EU policy-related issue, publishes it, produce a podcast.  European policies are placed “under the microscope” – not once, but consistently and in depth, across the participating countries. Project implemented with the support of the European Union’s CERV programme. Coordinated by Inter Alia (Greece) with partner organisations from Bulgaria, Greece,  Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland and Hungary.  See more here.

 

BeLIFE

Funded by the European Union's LIFE program, this EEB-led project empowers active and young people to use the law to defend the environment and climate. BeLIFE:buildins the capacity of environmental and climate defenders, and improving the quality of environmental rights complaints; promotes public access to justice, information, and participation in decision-making on environmental matters and the implementation of the UNECE Aarhus Convention; and addresses barriers to environmental assessments and the development and strengthening of climate legislation and policies. Learn more here.

 

STELLAR: How does the EU Charter protect our climate rights?

The EU is built on values ​​such as fundamental human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union is perhaps the best embodiment of these values. The document guarantees fundamental rights, and as a modern and comprehensive tool, protects our rights and freedoms in the light of social changes, societal progress, and scientific and technological breakthroughs. The Charter also protects our rights in the context of the triple planetary crisis, and more specifically in relation to climate change. It is applied in parallel with national and international systems for the protection of fundamental rights, such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). We aim to clarify how citizens can rely on the Charter when it comes to EU climate and energy policies, and to inform the interested public about the legal tools to assert the rights enshrined in it.

 

EJA: Environmental Justice in Albania

BlueLink participates in the effort to create a civic-media coalition to foster environmental justice in Albania. The initiative is part of a joint project entitled “EJA: Environmental Justice in Albania” and funded by the European Union.  The project partnership is led by the Resource Environmental Center in Albania (REC) and includes BlueLink and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN).
The partners will nurture the approximation of workflow between justice structures in Albania. The project will make available the most recent dossiers and a database of independent expertise in the field of environment; through looming of best practice; improving this way institutional practice among justice institutions, with the result - the quality of environmental justice and environmental protection, a profoundly bonded venture with our right to exist. It will enhance, as well, the technical and management capacities of local co-applicants and affiliated entities. The main beneficiaries of the project include state institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), law enforcement agencies, communities affected by environmental crimes, and the general public in Albania.

 

Information technologies in support of human rights and nature

In May 2024, “BlueLink“ won support from like-minded fellow-members of the association RavniBG (EqualBG) with the initiative „7 stories of information technology for human rights and nature“. We aim to show how the strategic use of information and digital technologies helps civil society organizations achieve their goals. Told in line with the standards of quality journalism of BlueLink's virtual newsroom, the seven stories will increase public understanding of the activities of RavniBG member organizations and will improve the interaction and exchange of skills for the strategic use of digital technologies among them. Further information: here.

 

 ENRICH - Environment, Rights, Children

The ENRICH (Environment, Rights, Children) project aims to draw public attention to the right of children to participate in the formation of climate policies and to support the implementation of the legal requirements, guidelines, and recommendations set out in the strategic documents on children's rights. To achieve this, the project partners, among whom is BlueLink, implement studies, research, training, and conferences. All activities are aimed at key stakeholders who could help to include children in climate policies at both the national and European levels. As a member of J&E, BlueLink conducts the necessary studies and training activities in Bulgaria, offers recommendations and conclusions to stakeholders, and takes care of their dissemination in Bulgaria. BlueLink also supports communication activities in all participating countries, where we seek the cooperation of the media to disseminate information about the planned conferences and research results. Through its English-language news portal BlueLink Stories, BlueLink offers editorial support to journalists wishing to develop stories on climate, environment, and children's rights, as well as a platform for their publications.

 

Promoting Civic Advocacy in the Field of Climate

The “BlueLink” Foundation supports the advocacy efforts of the Bulgarian Climate Coalition (BCC) to align Bulgarian legislation with European climate legislation. Through a joint analysis of the legal and institutional framework conducted with WWF-Bulgaria, BlueLink ensures favorable conditions for BCC members’ advocacy and gathers broad public support for climate-related political changes. Conclusions from discussions and climate-related facts are communicated to the public through journalistic reports and multimedia formats. The initiative aims to counteract anti-climate discourse and raise awareness among a diverse range of civil organizations and the general public about the impact of climate change on various aspects of our lives and the policies that can facilitate adaptation to climate challenges. The initiative has been operational since February 2022.

 

United together

The civic association "Ravni BG" aims to provide a platform for dialogue and collective action against the shrinking space for civil society in Bulgaria and the rise of anti-liberalism promoted under the guise of pseudo-primitive values. "Ravni BG" unites 50 civil society organizations that believe in democratic values and work across fields such as human rights protection, support for vulnerable groups, sustainable development, and advocacy. The BlueLink Foundation is also a member of this civic association.

 

Recent activities by BlueLink

 

Environmental rules for the steel industry

Seven organizations from the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, and Poland, united by the Justice and Environment (J&E) network, set out to investigate how well the steel industry in each country adhered to environmental permitting rules in these countries. The environmental performance and carbon footprint, and how well they met the permits and licenses of the target installations and the best available techniques (BAT) for the steel sector, were reviewed. It provided a basis for designing legal strategies to impact their decarbonisation pathways. The project involved organizations from post-Soviet countries that had undergone economic and social reforms, but still lagged in terms of industry transparency and accountability, and effective control by administrative authorities. Their efforts were supported by funding from the European Climate Foundation (ECF). Activities took place from November 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024.

 

Let's stop the hatred and oppression of human rights activists and environmentalists on Bulgarian Facebook!

A study: resulting publication in Bulgarian here. 

In 2022, many activists, opinion leaders, and communicators complained that Facebook had restricted and removed their posts, as well as their entire profiles. The people affected were part of the civil society community that upheld the values of a united Europe, democracy, and the environment. To counter this practice, the CivicAction Network BlueLink launched the initiative "Stop hate and the suppression of human rights defenders and environmentalists on the Bulgarian Facebook!" The goal of the project was to analyse the reasons for the problem and propose solutions from international and Bulgarian experts. In the course of the research, BlueLink collaborated with digital rights experts from the Association for Progressive Communications, where BlueLink was a member, as well as from AccessNow and other international and Bulgarian partners. The project was funded by the Solidarity Fund of the Civic Association "Equal BG" through the Bulgarian Fund for Women. It ran until August 2023.

Discussions and Actions for Climate and the Environment (DACE)

Six legal environmental NGOs from Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Spain joined forces under the umbrella organisation Justice and Environment (J&E) to raise people's awareness on climate rights and climate change policies (with a focus on adaptation). The purpose was to support their access to justice and participation in government decision-making that affected them. Eventually, the activities could lay the ground for climate rights litigation and connect citizens to lawyers who could protect their rights. The project supported the climate goals of the European Green Deal and the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change. To achieve these goals, project partners conducted public opinion polls and surveys to uncover the public perception of climate change and climate rights; organised national events aimed at environmentally conscious citizens, environmental NGOs and other stakeholders (e.g. local communities affected by environmental problems, journalists) to discuss climate change adaptation questions and climate rights; organised a final closing event to share their findings and knowledge with national stakeholders and the EU Commission. The partners also formulated a standpoint and communicated it to EU decision-makers. The project thus influenced EU and national climate change adaptation policies. The timeline of the initiative was from November 2022 to November 2024. The project was funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Union.

 

The Geopolitics of a Post-Growth Europe.

The project The Geopolitics of a Post-Growth Europe was organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks, Fondation de l’Ecologie Politique, Etopia, Transición Verde, BlueLink Foundation, Center for Green Politics, and Green House think tank, and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. In 2023, the project explored tensions between de-growth / post-growth and the geopolitics then dominated by Russia’s war on Ukraine, a country on the way to EU integration. It aimed to spark a conversation between critics of economic growth and progressive thinkers on foreign and security policy, who at the time often operated in separate circuits. It sought solutions beyond naïve anti-militarism on one hand, or the convenient belief in green growth on the other. Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks coordinated desk research and released two podcast interviews. BlueLink contributed to the analytical process by holding twin interviews with green-minded politicians and advocates, exploring their perspectives on the nexus between de-growth/post-growth and geopolitical pressures to increase security spending. We hosted two academic-practitioner workshops on the project’s matter: a national one for Bulgaria, and a regional one for Central and Eastern Europe and Ukraine. BlueLink also hosted a thematic session to gather the perspectives of human rights and environmental defenders from the Global South on the project’s subject.

 

Just transition is possible

BlueLink, with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, continued to research and promote the idea of ​​combining social and green policies for Bulgaria to carry out a just energy transition, to phase out coal and switch to more environmentally friendly energy sources, providing quality jobs for former employees of the coal sector. In the project "Just transition is possible", we considered the case of the Brickel power plant - a shutdown of the coal power plant by order of the Regional inspection for environment and water. The project included an analytical report, a seminar with interested parties in the municipality of Galabovo, where the power plant was located, and at the national level, as well as journalistic publications about it.

 

Heritage of DiKiro in young hands - civic participation in the restoration of the sgraffito about Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master in Sofia

The project Heritage of DiKiro in young hands - civic participation in the restoration of the sgraffito about Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master in Sofia was implemented by the BlueLink Foundation in cooperation with the Museum of the New Bulgarian University and with the financial support of the Culture Program of Sofia Municipality. It aimed to help preserve and restore unknown cultural and artistic heritage in Sofia - the sgraffito "The Master and his models" by Dimitar Kirov - DiKiro, while socialising it with the participation of young and active artists, journalists, civic activists, and experts. The creative program "Talents for humanity and nature" was implemented within the project. It enabled young and active artists, designers, applied artists, musicians, architects, urban planners, writers, poets, journalists, and other artists to work on artistic projects involved with issues such as violence, peace, discrimination, inequality, pollution, nature protection, and other problems of our time.

 

Journalism and Science for Climate

The project “Journalism and Science” aimed to challenge the insufficient and often misleading coverage of the climate mitigation topic in the media in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Serbia. We believed that improved communication between journalists and scientists working on climate was a key to solving this problem. Therefore, we planned to build up a community of interested journalists and scientists, provide them with skill-based training, and allow them to work together to produce science-based journalistic articles covering different aspects of climate mitigation. We also promoted a cross-border regional cooperation for the exchange of knowledge and experience. The project was implemented by the BlueLink Foundation in partnership with Climateka (Bulgaria), Klima101 (Serbia), Masfel Fok (Hungary), InforClima (Romania), and supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). The duration of the project was from 15.08.2021 to 31.03.2023.

 

 

Fostering Public Debate on Green Recovery and Resilience Process in Bulgaria

The strategic goal of the project was to contribute to the improvement of the public dialogue with various stakeholders and professional groups that were directly affected by the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPRR). Activities included research and analysis of alternatives and good practices from 3 other EU Member States related to the green recovery from COVID-19. The analysis identified the 3 most problematic thematic areas of the proposed NPRR and prepared recommendations and position papers with specific proposals for their alignment with the applicable EU regulations. The position papers were discussed with representatives of political parties, institutions, industry and trade organizations, NGOs, and other target groups, which supported the "greening" of NPRR. They also contributed to the development of journalistic articles and publications on social media. The project was organised by the Green European Foundation (gef.eu) with the support of Bluelink and with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. Thе project ran from January 4 to December 31, 2021. 

 

Towards Transparent Management of Public Funds in Blagoevgrad District

The project "Toward Transparent Management of Public Funds in Blagoevgrad District" was implemented in cooperation with the Association for Free Media - Blagoevgrad from 15 December 2020 to 15 June 2022. The aim of the project was lasting improvement of transparency, civil monitoring, and established practices and policies for spending public funds in the Blagoevgrad district. BlueLink supported the implementation of project goals through improving the opportunities and capacity for civic and media monitoring of public spending in the Blagoevgrad district. In particular, Bluelink created a secure online platform for civic participation and oversight of the management and spending of public funds in at least 5 municipalities in the region. The planned project activities contributed to limiting the misuse of public funds and restoring trust in the institutions, and to providing opportunities to every citizen and economic entity in the Blagoevgrad district to control the spending of public funds. The project was implemented according to contract № BEE.1036.20201202 from 15.12.2020. Support for the Grantee (Bluelink Foundation) was provided by the America for Bulgaria Foundation. The statements and opinions expressed therein were solely those of the Grantee and did not necessarily reflect the views of the America for Bulgaria Foundation or its affiliates.

 

Linking Religion to Rights and Freedoms

Religion had been actively instrumentalized for inflicting intolerance and oppression of other vulnerable and minority groups, such as women/gender minorities and migrants. This resulted in conflicts and hate speech both offline and in a variety of online spaces, including mainstream media and the most popular social media. Supported by the Association for Progressive Communications, BlueLink explored the potential of religious communication to promote environmental protection and human rights within the project "Linking Religion to Rights and Freedoms".

 

E-networking and journalism for civic action

BlueLink supported defenders and advocates for European values, democracy, human and environmental rights in Bulgaria by providing a functional e-networking and information hub at www.bluelink.net. BlueLink consolidated the existing trust-based platform for direct content exchange and coordination among CSOs and the virtual newsroom for watchdog journalism in a hybrid platform, employing video exchange and netcasting. First steps of the transformation were supported by ‘Citizens For Europe’ - a community of engaged European citizens from NGOs, foundations, media, public authorities, willing to expand their networks, share resources, and exchange good practices.

 

DANube Urban Brand + Building Regional and Local Resilience through the Valorization of Danube’s Cultural Heritage

The DANube Urban Brand + Building Regional and Local Resilience Project through the Valorization of Danube's Cultural Heritage (DANUrB+) project was implemented by a partner consortium led by the University of Technology and Economics in Budapest within the EU program for transnational cooperation "Danube" 2014-2020. The project lasted 30 months from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2022. 19 main and 23 associated strategic partners from 6 Danube countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Croatia and Slovakia) worked together to promote the sustainable use of cultural heritage and resources in the Danube communities. BlueLink supported the realization of the project goals by organizing 6 regional seminars for journalists in the project partner countries and creating a documentary film about the cultural heritage in the peripheral regions of the Danube and the potential for local economies from its protection and development. Experts from BlueLink took an active part in the organization of project-related meetings and trainings, and the development of strategic documents and partnerships, as well as in the identification and promotion of little-known cultural sites in the municipalities along the Danube in Bulgaria. The project was co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), as well as from the national budget of the Republic of Bulgaria through the budget of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.
 

Green policies on social and human rights

BlueLink launched the project "Expanding green policy space to human and social rights". Among the objectives of the project was to define green policies regarding the protection of human, ethnic, women's, gender, refugee, social, and economic rights and to analyze their closeness, to demonstrate successful examples of actions taken until then in this direction, and to outline areas and opportunities for further interaction between environmentalists and human rights defenders in Bulgaria and Europe. The first steps for the realization of the project were carried out with the support of the office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Sofia.

 

People Power

In July 2020, BlueLink continued working alongside the Smoke-Free Life Coalition and the Smoke Free Bulgaria Association to support tobacco control initiatives and public health policies. This work was conducted as part of the project "People Power: Building Support for Tobacco Control Enforcement," which received support from the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases.

 

The Role of Internet in gender based violence

A research team led by BlueLink analyzed the role of technology in gender-based violence and investigated whether internet communication could overturn dominant attitudes against gender rights. The study aimed to present possible approaches to the wave of negative reactions against gender rights and gender-based violence in Bulgaria, while helping civil groups and institutions address these challenges. The research was conducted by a team of experts from BlueLink, the Media Democracy Foundation, the Gender Alternatives Foundation, and independent experts. It was implemented as part of the project "After the Storm: How to restore policy dialogue and supportive discourse against GBV online in Bulgaria," which BlueLink carried out within the "Feminist Internet Research Network" (FIRN) of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

 

 

Implementation of European tobacco control legislation

In 2019-2020, BlueLink collaborated with ICF, Rand Europe, King's College London, and IVO Research Center to implement a project analyzing the application, enforcement, and impact of the Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU across 28 EU Member States. The project investigated the period since the Directive's entry into force on May 19, 2014. The results provided the European Commission with a comprehensive, independent, and evidence-based analysis of how the Directive was implemented by the EC, Member States, and key stakeholders, including business and civil society.

 

 

The right of health

In November 2018, BlueLink continued its joint work with the Smoke Free Life Coalition and the Smoke Free Bulgaria Association to advocate for a comprehensive ban on the advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products in Bulgaria. The initiative focused on stricter compliance with smoking bans in public places and monitored tobacco industry interference in public health decision-making. These activities were carried out as part of the project "Melting the Ice for MPOWER in Bulgaria," which was funded by the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases.

 

Journalists and environmental activists against toxic waste

The Center for Environmental Rights BELLONA, in cooperation with BlueLink and a consortium including the Association of Environmental Journalists in Russia, the Russian-German Environmental Information Bureau, and several other conservation and animal protection groups, launched the project "Quality Journalism for Environmental Activists in Russia and the EU." Supported by the EU-Russia Citizens' Forum, the project aimed to develop professional skills and facilitate an exchange of experience between environmental activists and journalists from Russia and the EU. Its primary focus was on investigating waste management issues, specifically involving hazardous non-radioactive waste.

 

Journalism on the SDGs

BlueLink's executive editor, Pavel Antonov, prepared and conducted a training session for journalists from Bulgarian media on some of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The two-day event was organized in Plovdiv by the Bulgarian Platform for International Development, co-founded by BlueLink. External speakers from the WHO - Bulgaria, the UN Refugee Committee, the Gender Project in Bulgaria, and others took part in the journalism session.

 

 

Rural Watch on Albania's extractive and energy industry

EcoPartners (Tirana) and BlueLink (Bulgaria) launched Rural Watch, an EU-sponsored initiative designed to improve the quality of life and ensure a clean, safe environment in Albania's rural regions. The project addressed pressing issues caused by the extractive and energy industry (EEI). Rural Watch aimed to enhance the environmental performance of energy and extractive companies in selected rural hotspots across the country. Additionally, the project sought to increase the transparency and accountability of both public authorities and businesses operating within the EEI sector. Ultimately, the goal was to empower and better inform rural communities, enabling them to monitor and control the impact of industrial activities in their areas.

 

Stories on migration

Articles on the status and detention of migrants were prepared within the BlueLink Virtual Newroom and published in the electronic magazine for journalism in the public Interest "Euromegdan". The texts were prepared in cooperation with the Center for Legal Aid - Voice in Bulgaria within the project "Protection of migrants with precarious status: reducing the use of detention and implementing alternatives in the community", implemented by the Center for Legal Aid - Voice in Bulgaria and English human rights lawyers, funded by the Network of European Foundations (NEF) through the European Program for Integration and Migration (EPIM).

 

 

Free Speech vs Hate Speech in Bulgaria

BlueLink launched the campaign "Free Speech vs. Hate Speech: Online security for Environmental, gender, and human rights activists in Bulgaria" to research the methods, routes, and consequences of online hate speech directed at civil society activists in Bulgaria. The initiative also aimed to introduce effective counteractions that activists could utilize in their work. The project was supported by the Association for Progressive Communications.

 

Remembering Europe

Experienced researchers in the fields of history, politics, and the media in Central and Eastern Europe analyzed the pressure exerted by politicians and the media against democratic civic groups and organizations involved in human rights and the environment. These actions were compared to the persecution of citizens by totalitarian regimes in the continent's recent past. The analysis served to identify practical measures to counter this pressure and helped restore memory and support for the civic and democratic values enshrined in the creation of the EU. The BlueLink Foundation implemented this work as part of the project "Remembering Europe: Civil Society Under Pressure Again," which was funded by the EU's "Europe for Citizens" program. The initiative aimed to recall the common history and shared European values of CEE countries while offering solutions to the contemporary challenges facing civil society in the region.

 

 

BlueLink Virtual Newsroom

The BlueLink Virtual Newsroom project was implemented jointly by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Brandenburg and the BlueLink Foundation, with funding provided by the German Environmental Foundation (DBU) and Heinrich Böll in Brandenburg. The project aimed to increase public attention to the challenges of climate change and the potential for energy extraction from environmentally friendly sources across the former socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Within the initiative, young and active journalists from the CEE region produced work on climate change and clean energy for BlueLink Stories, the BlueLink Foundation's English-language electronic edition.

 

 

Training for Turkish environmental journalists

BlueLink's executive editor, Pavel Antonov, held in September 2018 a training seminar for journalists from regional media in Turkey on the techniques of covering environmental issues and overcoming the difficulties that accompany it. The training was organized by the Turkish branch of the international environmental organization WWF. The participants exchanged experiences and received information about the state of environmental journalism in Bulgaria and other countries in the Central and Eastern European region.

 

 

Against the shrinking civic space

BlueLink, together with eleven other organizations, launched a campaign against shrinking civic space in Bulgaria between October 31 and November 2, 2018, in seven cities in the country. The campaign aimed to promote human rights and democratic values, to inform the public about the active work of non-governmental organizations in achieving positive changes in various public spheres, and to raise awareness about the shrinking space and new challenges facing the civil sector. The coordinator of the campaign was the Bulgarian Fund for Women, with the support of Civitates - an initiative for philanthropy, democracy, and solidarity in Europe.

 

In support of a comprehensive TAPS ban

In October 2017, BlueLink continued the joint work with the Smoke Free Life Coalition and the Smoke Free Bulgaria Association in support of the adoption of a comprehensive ban on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products in Bulgaria, within the project "Building political will for complete TAPS ban in Bulgaria", funded by the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases.

 

Investigating and combating cross-border corruption

BlueLink was a partner of the Dutch Helsinki Committee in a project of the expert group for combating cross-border corruption at the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum. BlueLink's executive editor, Pavel Antonov, worked as a coordinator at a regional international conference in Prague, held in June 2016, where scientists, investigative journalists, and activists presented research and analysis of civil society participation in the fight against cross-border corruption. In October 2017, BlueLink hosted an international roundtable in Sofia, where leading anti-corruption prosecutors and investigators from EU countries, Ukraine, and Russia discussed the practical aspects of their work with representatives from civil society and investigative journalists.

 

Journalism by Women for Women

In-depth journalistic articles created by young and active female journalists and women who want to work in the field of independent journalism in the public interest contribute to overcoming discrimination against women and young girls in journalistic content and practice. The materials were realized within Euromegdan as part of the project "Journalism by Women for Women", implemented by BlueLink with the financial support of the Bulgarian Fund for Women. The activities aimed to sharpen the professional pen of journalists, so as to create quality content on the problems and challenges facing women, counteracting the increasingly degrading content in the media.

 

Re-Vision the Economy in the Balkans: Change Policy, not Climate

The trans-border project "Revision of the Economy in the Balkans: Change Policy not Climate!", funded by the Green European Foundation, brought together best practices for a green economy in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia. The initiative aimed to highlight the transformation toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly economy. The project worked to inform stakeholders, politicians, and the public about the economic potential of green policies, encouraged shifts in production and consumption, and proposed new approaches to civic participation in policy-making.

 

Let's free ourselves from tobacco advertisement

As part of the project "Addressing Policy Loopholes for Comprehensive Ban of Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship and 100% Smoke-Free Law in Bulgaria", funded by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, the Smoke-Free Life Coalition and BlueLink joined forces for the adoption of a comprehensive ban on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products in Bulgaria. 

 

Sectoral Policies to Enhance Commitment to Improving the Ecosystem Services in Bulgaria

BlueLink was a partner of the BALKANS Wildlife Association and GRID-Arendal, Norway, for a detailed analysis of the state and degradation of ecosystems on the Black Sea coast, their interaction with tourism, economic, and climatic impacts on them. Based on the research, a strategy for the sustainable use of ecosystem services for the benefit of both business and nature was created. A BlueLink research team verified the results of the research using methods from the arsenal of social sciences and coordinated the involvement of various stakeholders. In addition, we trained journalists who professionally covered issues and innovative solutions related to the sustainable use of ecosystem services in the online edition Euromegdan. A BlueLink team of journalists produced multimedia reports. Within the project, the other partners collected data and analyzed it with the help of geographic information systems, the state of ecosystems and threats to them, as well as their interaction with the tourism industry along the coast. The project was funded by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area for Bulgaria, within the program area "Biodiversity and Ecosystems", priority 03.03, for improved integration of biodiversity considerations in sectoral policies and legislation. The operator of the program for Bulgaria was the Ministry of Environment and Water.

 

Green Watchdogs

As a part of the project „Establishing a Transboundary Watchdog Mechanism for Environmental Problems For Green Political Parties and NGOs on the Balkans“, funded by the Green European Foundation, were published journalistic investigations and organised events in Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, and Moldova related to illegal logging and cross-border corruption. The project is funded by the European Green Foundation - Brussels.

 

 

The 'Fourth Estate' in young hands

Young and active journalists, wishing to practice honest and serious journalism in the public interest, received support and opportunity for realization through the virtual newsroom of BlueLink.net. Since the beginning of 2014, the Civic Action Network renewed its efforts to promote independent journalism and create a quality journalistic product in partnership with the team of the student online radio "Reaction." The goal was to strengthen the professional standards and norms by which the journalist upholds the collective and individual interests of citizens. The network focused civic energy and resources to counteract the notion that journalism was nothing more than serving the economic and corporate interests of media owners. BlueLink.net implemented a project for an independent virtual newsroom. and acted to fully engage young and active journalists against attacks on minorities, intolerance of corruption, hatred, xenophobia, manipulation, and violation of human rights and democratic participation in government. The project was funded under the NGO Support Program in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014.

 

Extractive and Energy Industry watch

The project targeted local communities, informal civic groups, and investigative journalists. Through its activities, it met the needs of local people affected by the activities of the Energy and Mining Industry (EDP) by offering solutions for access to information and litigation. NGOs enriched their work through established good legal and journalistic practices, and investigative journalists could receive new channels and sources of information, as well as be trained to cooperate with local communities and NGOs. All target groups were able to access, but also supplement, the collected useful practices and pilot cases through the created resource website - Extractive and Energy Industry Watch. As a partner within the project, BlueLink worked with journalists who investigated identified EDP cases. The project was funded under the NGO Support Program in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014.

 

Participation for nature. Support for NGO representation and participation in decision-making on sustainable development and environmental policies

Despite more than 10 years of history, the practices of civil and NGO participation in environmental decision-making were not satisfactory for the pre-protection civil society. The project encouraged the involvement of NGOs in policy formulation and decision-making at local, regional, and national levels. Participation for Nature included research and analysis of the civic representation for Bulgaria and formulation of recommendations for its improvement, advocacy work on changing regulations concerning the recommendations made, and stimulating direct civic participation in decision-making processes and policy-making through joint work with interested communities. BlueLink was involved in the first stage of the project, which conducted research and analysis of the existing practices of civic and NGO representation to various institutions in the field of environmental protection, but also outside it. As a result of the study, recommendations for improving civic representation were formulated. The project was funded under the NGO Support Program in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014.

 

YouthLink: Web tools and capacity for civilian monitoring, advocacy, and impact

As a result of the harmonization of the Bulgarian legislation with the European norms, the possibility of citizens to participate in the elaboration and implementation of public policies was guaranteed. Although many state and municipal institutions created electronic mechanisms for such participation, citizens did not exercise this right. The reasons were the inhomogeneity of e-mechanisms, the diverse logic and design of institutional websites, as well as the layered culture of helplessness of the individual in front of the "system," the lack of trust in institutions and in their own strengths and skills. The project overcame this helplessness by building e-tools: signali.bg and bluelink.net, and skills for their use. As a result, at least 45 NGO members and activists, including Roma and people from remote communities, gained practical skills and access to e-tools for monitoring and participation. The project was funded under the NGO Support Program in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014.