Natura 2000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country rich in biodiversity and, considering the EU perspective of this country, EU accession is surely a key objective. With the main goal of ensuring sustainable development while protecting biodiversity in the region, WWF Mediterranean is supporting B&H in the implementation of EU Nature protection legislation (including Habitats, Birds and Water Framework Directives), but also in building capacity, demonstrating solutions and establishing partnerships for conservation.
In 2007, WWF started an ambitious project to support the implementation of Natura 2000 in the country. Supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the “Europe’s Living Heart“ project aims to improve the nature conservation system in B&H by using Natura 2000.
The project is based on positive collaboration with relevant authorities and specifically aims at provision of strategic support to government institutions in the process of preparation of B&H for Natura 2000 site nomination, including capacity building for identification of habitats and species present in B&H and protected by EU legislation, completion of standard data forms fordefined pilot sites, collection of relevant information, identification of legal and administrative gaps and needs, and setting up mechanisms for transfer of experience regionally related to the process to adapt to EU nature protection standards.
Semra Fejzibegovic

Building Natura 2000 in the western Balkans and Turkey - the role of civil society

The study tour Building Natura 2000 in the western Balkans and Turkey - the role of civil society will take place in Brussels, 13-16 September 2010.
This study tour takes place as part of the People 2 People Programme (P2P) run by the European Commission. It gives participants the opportunity to familiarise themselves with Natura 2000 and with EU environment and biodiversity policy in general. It offers participants exchange and networking opportunities in a respectful atmosphere among themselves and with European-level as well as Member State-based civil society organisations active in this field. About 40 participants from western Balkan countries and Turkey will attend this event, which is organized in cooperation with WWF.
The P2P is one of the three strands of the Civil Society Facility of the Directorate General Enlargement of the European Commission.
Tanja Petrovic

Report on Best Practice Examples

Within the project of DG Environment “Dealing with Conflicts in the Implementation and Management of the Natura 2000 Network - Best Practice at the Local / Site Level”, which is part of Preparatory Actions for Natura 2000, a report on best practice examples has been published. The interesting 80-page report reviews 24 best practice case studies on how conflict in Natura 2000 areas is resolved.
You can read it on http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/report%20LOT3_Task%202-Best_cases.pdf

Updating the Natura 2000 Standard Data Form

The Standard Data Form (SDF) documents Natura 2000 sites and is regularly updated based on best available information. The first, and currently valid, SDF was adopted in 1997 (Decision 97/266/EC). Since 2008 the Expert Group on Reporting have been revising the SDF with a view to improving the availability and quality of data needed for the Natura 2000 network. The increased availability of digital spatial data has been taken into account. Additionally, certain important gaps have been filled (e.g. information on the percentage of marine areas within the sites) and necessary improvements made to the structure of the data on ecological information.
The fast development of information technology for data management as well as the increasing availability of digital geographical information and analysis tools have also informed the revision. Therefore no paper maps or forms are required any longer and data needs to be provided in electronic format only.
More about SDF on http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/index_en.htm#sdf
Milka Gvozdenovic

NGOs begin to work on Water Framework Directive

July 2010 saw the start of implementation of the project ‘’Preparation of Serbian Public for Participation in Water Protection”, which runs until July 2011. The project team, led by Young Researchers of Serbia, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme and Environmental Engineering Group, will work on strengthening the capacity of environmental NGOs for the monitoring of EU laws on the water framework in Serbia, with particular attention on the Water Framework Directive.There will be many training courses and meetings, as well as educational materials for NGOs published during the project. How to use the Water Framework Directive, and its connection with the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive are everyday questions in the EU. NGO network “Natura 2000 Resource Center of Serbia” will form a working group that will work only on water issues. The importance of Water Framework Directive in the biodiversity protection is huge and we hope that this project will run many activities in the sector.
Milka Gvozdenovic