Environmental and Climate defenders in open dialogue with DG Clima in Sofia

Sofia, October 30, 2025. The future of European climate policies and the role of civil society in the green transition were the central topics of an open discussion with Jan Dusik, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA). Co-funding for the event was provided by the British Embassy in Sofia, with the aim of strengthening the preparedness of climate and nature advocates to deal with communication, media, and digital challenges.

The meeting, held within the framework of the European Climate Pact, brought together representatives of the Climate Coalition Bulgaria and leading environmental and climate advocates from across the country in Sofia. The discussion provided an opportunity for direct dialogue between the high-level EC representative and the Bulgarian civil society on the challenges and commitments related to the EU's climate goals. The event took place immediately after the end of the two-day training course "Protecting Environmental Defenders in Bulgaria," which allowed participants to actively engage in the discussion.

Jan Dusik (left) told Bulgarian civil society representatives: "I believe that we are all committed to the cause of addressing environmental and climate challenges, and you are all ambassadors for this cause in sometimes difficult conditions and situations. I would like to thank you for this commitment, which is often unpaid or poorly remunerated, but which is very important. We could not do what you do from our offices in Brussels. What we can do from our offices in Brussels is to continue to pursue the climate cause."

The meeting continued with great interest, with numerous questions and answers, and in a frank and constructive atmosphere. The Bulgarian organizations asked a number of questions about the implementation of policies at the national level and the mechanisms for civil society participation.

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BlueLink is publishing this article as part of the BeLife project, funded by the European Union's LIFE program. It empowers people to use the law to benefit the environment and climate by improving the resources available for environmental democratic rights, building the capacity of environmental and climate defenders, and improving the quality of environmental rights complaints. The information and views set out on the project website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

BlueLink co-finances the project activities with financial support from the British Embassy in Sofia, the European Climate Foundation, and its own funds.