On May 5 2026, an online monitoring visit was carried out, during which the project progress and achieved milestones have been presented to the representatives of the CINEA agency and ELMEN EEIG - ÚKE SAV institute. Subsequently, on May 7, the field visit of the project sites in Slovakia (Jakubov, SPA Záhorské Pomoravie), Austria (Pama, SPA Parndorfer Platte – Heideboden), and Hungary (Hegyeshalom, SPA Mosoni-sik) was conducted. The implemented measures on the sites were presented during the field visit: installed flight diverters, notice boards and insulated utitlity poles. 

Electrodistribution Grid West (EDG West), part of Electrohold Bulgaria, has won an award in the category “Responsible Business with a Focus on Biodiversity and Climate” for its participation in the international LIFE project “LIFE Danube Free Sky”.

In Bulgaria, the initiative is implemented in partnership between EDG West and the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB). BSPB experts survey the electricity distribution network and identify the sections posing the greatest risks to birds, while EDG West teams implement the necessary measures to make them safer.

The main conservation measures implemented in Bulgaria include:

·         Insulation of 1,221 medium-voltage electricity poles to prevent bird electrocution.

·         Marking of 15.2 km of overhead power lines with special reflective bird flight diverters, making the wires more visible to birds in flight and reducing the risk of collisions.

The award recognises the importance of long-term partnerships between businesses and conservation organisations, as well as the contribution of responsible businesses to biodiversity conservation.

It also demonstrates that through joint efforts, expert knowledge and concrete action, electricity distribution infrastructure can be made increasingly safer for wild birds.