PROJECT TITLE: Strengthening Administrative Capacities for Protected Areas in Serbia (Natura 2000)
COUNTRIES: Serbia
OVERALL OBJECTIVE: To strengthen the capacity of the competent bodies at the central level, as well as the regional/local authorities to implement and enforce environmental legislation in designated protected areas in Serbia.
The project contributed to:
a) The harmonization of the Serbian laws with the EU regulations;
b) The establishment of the NATURA 2000 network in accordance with EU criteria;
c) The elaboration and implementation of traning programmes which will systematically deal with capacity building in the field of development of NATURA 2000 network in Serbia.
ACTIVITIES:
Natura 2000, the centerpiece of the EU nature and biodiversity policy, is an EU wide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive. The network aims at ensuring the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It is comprised of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated by Member States under the Habitats Directive, while it incorporates Special Protection Areas (SPAs), which they designated under the 1997 Birds Directive.
The project aimed at contributing to the creation of preconditions for the establishment of a nature protection management system and involved: the harmonization of the Serbian legislation with the EU nature directives,the establishment of the Natura 2000 network in accordance with EU criteria, the development of two pilot management plans for Natura 2000 areas and the elaboration and implementation of a training program that will systematically deal with capacity building in the development of the Natura 2000 in Serbia.
Among the project’s activities were the reviewing of the existing Serbian national and international legislation in the ?eld of nature conservation, seminars on transposition of national law to the acquis communautaire in the ?eld of nature conservation, the organization of expert workshops to produce complete reference lists of existing habitat types and species protected under European nature conservation legislation, preparation of guidelines and recommendations for strengthening the existing system and the implementation of a public awareness campaign.
FUNDING AGENCY: European Commission
LEADER: EPLO, Austrian Ministry of the Environment
PARTNERS: Austrian Ministry of the Environment
TIME FRAME: 2010-2012
