Bansko, Bulgaria – Bulgaria’s Supreme Court has ruled that the new Plato chairlift at Bansko ski resort was constructed illegally.

The five-judge panel ruled last week that construction of the lift by resort operator Yulen AD was done in a manner inconsistent with its long-term lease agreement with the Pirin National Park, within which the lift is located. The current agreements covers resort operations through 2031.

The controversial 4,964-foot summit quad replaced an existing lift at the resort, but the new lift was built longer and with a wider footprint than its predecessor.

As a result of last week’s ruling, environmental groups are pressing for the cancellation of Yulen’s lease agreement and financial penalties against the company.

The chairlift issue is only one of several controversies afflicting Yulen’s operation of the ski area, Bulgaria’s most popular. Last month Bulgaria’s National Audit Office found that the country’s Ministry of Environment and Water failed to implement adequate control over the implementation of the lease agreement with the company, and that the agreement lacked any penalty for any breach of obligations under the contract.