MOVING Project: Enhancing HNV Farmland Policy in Western Stara Planina, Bulgaria

MOVING is an EU Horizon 2020 project advancing mountain valorisation through green growth and policy innovation, focusing on the Western Stara Planina region in Bulgaria. This case study examines extensive, low-input HNV grasslands sustaining biodiversity through traditional farming. Despite agri-environmental payments under EU rural development programmes (2007–2020), the long-term viability of these ecosystems and farming systems remains at risk due to structural and policy challenges. The project highlights the need for integrated, targeted, and coherent policy interventions, informed by wide stakeholder engagement and civil society oversight—particularly by organisations like STEP and ARC2020. The findings support sustainable rural development and biodiversity conservation in mountain regions.