EUROPARC FEDERATION ANNUAL REPORT...Welcome to the EUROPARC Federation Annual Report The EUROPARC...

EUROPARC FEDERATION

ANNUAL REPORT

2016

2 EUROPARC - Annual Report 2016

IndexPresident's remarks ..................................................................................................... 3

Welcome to the EUROPARC Federation Annual Report ..... 5

Working for nature ................................................................ 6Managing places for nature..................................................................... 7Making nature more connected ............................................................ 8Grow the PA network .................................................................................. 9Inspiring People .......................................................................................... 10

Helping people and organisations learn ........................12Collaborative work..................................................................................... 13Staff development...................................................................................... 14Training ........................................................................................................... 16

Promoting Sustainability ............................................ 18Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas........................................... 19Sustainable agriculture in and Around Protected Areas........... 20Nature and Health ..................................................................................... 21Climate Change........................................................................................... 22Future topics................................................................................................. 23

Working Together – building our organisation .............. 24Governance – how we work .................................................................. 25EUROPARC Governance Structure ...................................................... 26People Power – human resources....................................................... 27Federation Finances .................................................................................. 28Financial Report .......................................................................................... 29Talking and listening ................................................................................. 30

EUROPARC is the voice of Protected Areas in Europe.We unite national, regional and periurban parks, nature andbiosphere reserves, marine and landscape protected areas,

together with a large number of Natura 2000 sites in 37 countries.

We want to see a Sustainable nature: Valued byPeople with Protected Areas being the substantial

component to deliver that vision.

Photo on cover: Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland, Serge GoyLandscape Mümmliswil, Thal Regional Nature Park, Switzerland

3EUROPARC - Annual Report

Our European Network ................................... 32EUROPARC Central and Eastern Europe....................... 33EUROPARC France.................................................................. 34Federparchi-EUROPARC Italy ............................................ 35EUROPARC Germany............................................................. 36EUROPARC Low Countries.................................................. 36EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic ................................................... 37EUROPARC Spain.................................................................... 38

Contact us ..................................................... 39

Dear EUROPARC members and friends,

It is my pleasure to present you theEUROPARC annual report 2016.

2016 was again an exciting journey,where we experienced the beauty, thepower and the resilience of the fullEUROPARC constituency. We werefinancially more stable in 2016, ourmembership grew again and with theguidance of the Directorate, we weresuccessful in our main domains:representation and lobbying withEuropean institutions; supportingprotected area management, growingthe network of SustainableDestinations with the EuropeanCharter for Sustainable Tourism inProtected Areas, promoting cross‐border cooperation with theTransboundary Parks Programme, andinspiring new generations with theYouth+ and Junior Ranger Camp.

Besides all these achievements, I wouldlike to emphasize on a few highlights.Firstly, after a short but intense periodof preparation, we welcomedFEDENATUR - the largest Europeannetwork of peri-urban parks – into ournetwork. It is a key step for ourorganisation and it resulted in a triplewin situation: we gained extraexpertise, we strengthened ourEuropean leading position and wewidened our family.

Secondly, we made a big progress onthe governance structures, where wedeepened and opened our relationshipwith EUROPARC Sections, weevaluated our Council’s work and wemodernised the working groups intonew commissions.

Last but by no means least, we cametogether as a “family”! With the theme“A Taste of Nature”, the European Dayof Parks was a mega-success, coveredby media across Europe. And with anexcellent conference in the Parc Juravaudois in Switzerland we energisedourselves to take responsibility fora sustainable planet.

Together, for all the daily work you andyour colleagues undertake in yourparks and habitats and for yourcontinued support working withEUROPARC, I, on behalf of the wholeEUROPARC Council, Directorate andSections, want to say a huge thankyou for making Europe a wilder,greener and healthier place to live.

Ignace Schops

EUROPARC Directorate 2016

President's remarks

5EUROPARC - Annual Report

Welcome to the EUROPARC Federation

Annual ReportThe EUROPARC Federation Annual Report has a new look and structure, to

provide a clearer view on how we are implementing the EUROPARCStrategy 2015-2021. Download the strategy in EN, DE or FR at:

http://www.europarc.org/our-strategy

Travel across our four priority areas and discover the activities and projectswe’ve undertaken in 2016. In particular, the work we do to lobby on behalf

of our member’s interest is highlighted in blue throughout the report.

Each of our 4 strategic themes of work has its own section in the report,with the priority areas and relevant objectives shown. The associated

activities are summarised for each area of work.

As in the previous reports, this new Annual Report will also bring updatesprovided by EUROPARC Sections, in chapter 5, showing the work

of the Federation done at a national and regional level across Europe.

We wish you happy reading, Your Directorate team.

Working for nature

Managing places for nature

Making nature more connected

Grow the protected area network

Inspiring people

Enhancing the management of places for nature, facilitating theexchange of good practice and promoting international cooperation.

In Brussels, EUROPARC works to ensure that Protected Areas have higher visibility at European level and greater recognition of their role and function.


“Europe’s Nature-Regional-Landscape Parks”

EUROPARC partnered with theAssociation of German Nature

Parks (Verband Deutscher Naturparkee.V., VDN) in the project “Europe’sNature‐Regional‐Landscape Parks”.The project seeks to strengthen theaforementioned parks by gatheringknowledge on their work, successesand challenges, supplying thisinformation to all participatingcountries and promoting the park’svalue towards political decision-makers.

After an online form to ProtectedAreas and park associations (in 2015)and several study visits (2016), theresults will be compiled in a book andpresented at the final projectceremony in Brussels, 2017.

Research and Protected AreasWorking better together

How much would our ProtectedAreas benefit with the scientific

community and the Parksadministration coming togetherand finding joint solutions?Establish a stronger and dynamicdialogue between parkmanagement and research is theaim of the Learning Landscapeproject. In 2016, EUROPARCgathered different experts todiscuss a “set of standards” to testthe model that was elaboratedthough previous workshops, andsubmitted a project proposal.

7Working for nature

Managing places for natureProtected Areas are better managed through international cooperation.

The European Union’s target ofhalting biodiversity loss by 2020

remains a serious challenge. Europe’sbiodiversity continues to bedangerously eroded, with ProtectedArea managers being daily challengedwith biodiversity loss, invasive alienspecies, climate change effects,pollution and lack of resources.

Learning from Protected Areas acrossEurope and implementing models thathave already been tested by others, cansave our members time, money andresources. Therefore, EUROPARC worksto promote best practice on landmanagement, and organisesnetworking events for members toexchange experiences.

In 2016, EUROPARC establisheda Commission on Natura 2000management. The Commission will bean expert and communicationplatform for Natura 2000 sitemanagers within our network, toshare their experiences and goodpractice examples.

Biogeographical Seminar Process

Mapping the conservationchallenges, identify relevant

stakeholders, and develop newmanagement insights is the aim of theNatura 2000 Biogeographical process,led by the European Commission.EUROPARC with with ECNC and otherpartners, has been active in the process,with the organisation and facilitation ofSeminars and workshops in differentbiogeographical regions.

In 2016, EUROPARC facilitated theSecond Atlantic BiogeographicalSeminar in Ireland, organiseda Networking event in Morocco (seepage 9), and contributed to the SecondBoreal Biogeographical Seminar, inLithuania.

More about the Biogeographical seminar process:

As the voice of Protected Areas,EUROPARC was heard by the

European Commissioner forEnvironment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, in

a dedicated meeting in Brussels. TheFederation presented the important role

of Protected Areas to contribute to theachievement of the EU Biodiversity targets

and laid solid foundations for the futurecollaboration between EUROPARC and the

European Commission.

In 2016, the EU examined in detail theEU Nature Directives and confirmed they are

fit for purpose. EUROPARC contributed to theFitness Check consultation and will support

members implementing the Action Plan,which will be announced by the EU

Commission in 2017.http://www.europarc.org/europe/natura‐

2000‐fitness‐check/

To represent the interests of Protected Areas,EUROPARC is member of the Co‐ordination

Group for Biodiversity and Nature – CGBN,the European Habitats Forum – EHF, and theEC Natura 2000 management Expert Group.Nature and Biodiversity, EU Nature Directives,

Green Infrastructures, Natura 2000Management and Financing andSustainable Agriculture are some

of the topics EUROPARC isfollowing within these groups.

www.europarc.org/europe/biogeo-seminars

Policy


Making nature more connectedDemonstrating the importance of green corridors in land use planningand promoting land connectivity in and around Protected Areas.

EUROPARC, as member of the GreenInfrastructures Expert Group and

the European Habitats ForumWorking Group on GreenInfrastructures (EHF WG), has beenfollowing closely the implementation ofthe EU Strategy in this field. In thecourse of 2016, a collection of casestudies among Protected Areas startedand exchanges and discussions wereheld with partner organisations andwithin the EHF WG to elaborate futureactions and initiatives on greeninfrastructures.

EUROPARC follows the periurbanparks agenda being now an activemember of the cross-sectorialadvisory council on greeninfrastructure of the BarcelonaMetropolitan Region, replacing theposition of FEDENATUR.

Moreover, EUROPARC contributes tothe debate on the coexistence ofLarge Carnivores and People, takingpart in the EU Platform on this topic.EUROPARC’s focus is on collectingbest practice in monitoring andmanagement of large carnivores inProtected Areas, particularlyconsidering cross‐border activitiesand conflict resolution betweenstakeholders.

EUROPARC maintained its closecooperation with the Council ofEurope contributing to the work onthe Protected Areas Diploma,Landscape Convention initiatives andattending the meeting of the ExpertGroups for Protected Areas andEcological Networks.

Marine Protected Areas

To support the work of Marine Protected Area,EUROPARC participated in the Forum of Marine

Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean.The event, organised in Tangier, Morocco, happensevery 4 years gathering all relevant stakeholdersto tackle the challenges MPAs face in theregion. The Tangier Declaration was themain output of the Forum, setting uprecommendations for theMediterranean Sea.

EUROPARC, in strong cooperationwith the European CommissionDirectorate-General Environmentand MEDPAN, organiseda specific Focus session onIntegrating Natura 2000objectives in marineProtected Areasmanagement. The eventgave important inputs forthe Tangier Declaration,and was organised in theframework of theEU Natura 2000BiogeographicalProcess.

9Working for nature

Grow the Protected AreanetworkEnlarge and grow the Protected Area model, especially in themarine/coastal and periurban environment.

Integration with the Federation of Periurban Parks

The integration of FEDENATUR andEUROPARC was initiated after a meeting

in Brussels between the two organisations. Thebasis of a good understanding and a realisationof common interest and mutual benefitbetween both associations were agreed.

The agreement reached was presented andagreed by the EUROPARC members at theGeneral Assembly, in September 2016.

To give continuity to the work developed byFEDENATUR, a periurban commission wascreated with the aim of proposing action linesand projects on the periurban agenda for thenext two years, and organise technicalworkshops for A representative of FEDENATURwas invited to attend EUROPARC Councilmeetings and the FEDENATUR staff memberwas incorporated in EUROPARC Directorate.

The merging process will culminate in 2017 atEUROPARC Conference (6th September,Portugal), when both organisations’ GeneralAssemblies will be held simultaneously andFEDENATUR will formally approve its dissolutionand final integration within EUROPARC.

The preparationof the Workshop inMorocco gave the

opportunity to holdseveral meetings with

European Commissionofficials. There, EUROPARC

highlighted the role of MarineProtected Areas for the effective

conservation of endangered habitats.EUROPARC presented the expertise

of our members in building successfulpartnerships with local communities, in

the fishing and tourism sector.

EUROPARC has an established track recordon the promotion of wilderness in and

outside Protected Areas. In 2016,EUROPARC again, hosted in Brussels the

annual meeting of Wild Europe, where therequired actions for wilderness in different

areas across Europe were discussed.

Policy

Chasseral Regional Nature Park, Switzerland

Torre Guaceto Marine Protected Area, Italy

www.europarc.org/tangier-declaration http://www.europarc.org/fedenatur-and-europarc/


Inspiring PeoplePromote the values and benefits of Protected Areas, through inspiringcelebrations, European level programmes and Awards.

European Day of Parks

In 1999, EUROPARC initiated the EuropeanDay of Parks (EDoP). Now, on or around

the 24th May, hundreds of activities areorganised to celebrate the valuable work ofour parks, highlight their importance andshow their connection across Europe.

2016 was the biggest celebration ever,with over 350 events in 23 countries beingorganised under the theme “A Taste ofNature”. Thousands of EU citizensparticipated in tasting sessions, gastronomicworkshops, guided tours and local marketsand nationally broadcast TV, radio andnewspaper reached huge audiences.“A Taste of Nature” strengthened the linkbetween Protected Areas and sustainableagriculture and promoted the value ofa healthy nature for Europe’s food security.

Alfred Toepfer Medal

The Alfred Toepfer Medal isa recognition of those who

have made a significantcontribution to natureconservation in Europe.Nominated by members, theMedal is an opportunity to praiseand value the work by peersfrom across Europe. At theEUROPARC Conference, theAlfred Toepfer Medal 2015 wasawarded to Giuseppe Antocci,Director of the Nebrodi RegionalPark in Sicily, Italy, in recognitionof his strong courage in defenceof nature, against organisedcrime. Read more about thewinner on page 35.

www.europarc.org/alfred-toepfer-medal

www.europarc.org/edop2016/

11Working for nature

Junior Ranger Programme

Every year, EUROPARC co-organises the InternationalJunior Ranger Camp, Junior Rangers between 13 to 17

years old gather in one Protected Area to share experiencesand meet new friends from all over Europe. They learn aboutnature and how other Protected Areas are managed butalso to understand environmental issues and experienceEurope’s cultural diversity.

The 15th International Junior Ranger Camp “Discover thediversity in Europe’s Parks” took place in Gauja NationalPark, Latvia, from the 10th to the 16th of July and gatheredover 40 participants, coming from 13 countries.

International JuniorRanger Camp 2016,

Gauja NationalPark, Latvia

http://www.europarc.org/international-junior-ranger-camp-2016

InternationalJunior RangerCamp 2016,Gauja NationalPark, Latvia


Collaborative workStaff developmentAlfred Toepfer Natural Heritage ScholarshipsTraining

EUROPARC promotes collaborative workand capacity building of Protected Areastaff, through networking meetings, technicalworkshops, use of new digital learning tools, and producing guidelines developed by members for members.

Helping people and organisations learn

Isojarvi National Park, Finland, Timo Nieminen

13Helping people and organisations learn

Bringing people together, creating a stronger network.

Transboundary Parks Programme

The Transboundary ParksProgramme is a special

verification and certification systemthat aims to promote and facilitatecross‐border cooperationbetween European ProtectedAreas.

In 2016, two TransboundaryAreas were successfully re‐evaluated and received their awardcertificate during the EUROPARCConference 2016: Oulanka andPaanajärvi National Parks (FI/RU)and Krkonoše and KarkonoszeNational Parks (CZ/PL). These parksare a model of collaborativeworking, despite the manychallenges they encounter, theystrive for a common understandingand best practise in their work,resulting in better management oftheir shared habitats andecosystems.

Collaborative work

www.europarc.org/discover-our-transboundary-areas/

http://www.europarc.org/transparcnet-meeting-2016/

Annually, the TransParcNet meetinggathers Protected Area professionals

interested in Transboundary Cooperation todiscuss and share good practice. Visitormanagement in Protected Areas was thetopic of the 8th TransParcNet Meeting 2016,which took place in Bad Schandau (Germany)from 7th-10th June, kindly host by the Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland Transboundary Parks(composed of Bohemian SwitzerlandNational Park, Labské pískovce ProtectedLandscape Area (both CZ) and SaxonSwitzerland National Park (DE)).

Over 80 participants coming from 13countries (12 European and Peru!)shared their experiences in managingvisitors in their Protected Areas andacross international borders.Participants have shared methods andtools to improve information aboutand for visitors in Protected Areas.

TransParcNet: the Transboundary Parks Programme Network

Get to know the TransParcNet at:

Workshop at EUROPARC Conference 2016, Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland

TransParcNet 2016, Saxon SwitzerlandNational Park, Germany


Staff developmentPromoting the exchange of experiences, information and ideas

Annually, the EUROPARC Conferenceis the main gathering of our

members. Thus, it is the ideal momentto promote the exchange ofexperiences between members fromacross Europe, and organise capacitybuilding sessions. In Le Sentier –Switzerland – we organised 15thematic workshops and 9 tutorials,on different aspects relevant toProtected Areas management.

Discover the outcomes of theworkshops and tutorials with theConference report and download allpresentations at:http://www.europarc.org/europarc-conference-2016/

New digital tools for members

Making use of digital andaccessible tools to share

information and develop capacity isat the core of EUROPARC’s work. In2016, EUROPARC LIVE was launched:a new series of video interviews toProtected Area professionals from ournetwork, about relevant topics forProtected Area management, withinformation concise and accessible.These will be enhanced with furthermaterials available as “toolkits” on theEUROPARC website.

More than a technical perspective,EUROPARC aims to share the humandimension and personal experienceof those working behind the scenes ofProtected Areas. Along this year,EUROPARC has produced 12 videos available here:http://www.europarc.org/europarc-live/.

EUROPARC started the preparation ofEUROPARC webinars, new web-basedmeetings that will enable members toexchange experiences at a very lowcost way. Members will be able to joinin the webinars that will be organisedby EUROPARC in 2017.www.europarc.org/europarc-webinars

Alfred Toepfer Natural Heritage Scholarship

Each year the EUROPARCFederation, with support from

Alfred Toepfer Stiftung, awards threeAlfred Toepfer Natural HeritageScholarships (ATS) to promisingyoung conservationists, who arecommitted to working for the benefitof Protected Areas. To enhanceinternational cooperation andadvance the quality, innovation andEuropean dimension of ProtectedArea management is the aim of theScholarship. Each is worth €3.000 andenables successful applicants toundertake a study visit on a particulartheme to one or more ProtectedAreas in a European country.

www.europarc.org/europarc-conference-2016/

www.europarc.org/europarc-live/

Discover the outcomes of the workshops and tutorials withthe Conference report and download all presentations at:

Videos:

Workshop at EUROPARC Conference 2016,Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland


Baiba Galniece is Senior Expert at theNature Conservation Agency ofLatvia, working directly at theKurzeme Regional Administration,Latvia. Baiba will focus on analysingprojects of floodplain grasslandrestoration and analyse how theseproject sites have been managedafterwards by the Protected Area’sadministrations. Baiba selected threeProtected Areas in Poland, Hungaryand Estonia due to the similaritieswith Latvia’s natural and socio-economic conditions.

Bryony Thomson is CommunityInvolvement Ranger at the Peak DistrictNational Park, England. For Bryony,People need nature and nature needspeople thus, her project is based onvisitor engagement: understandingvisitor’s motivations and findingeffective methods to engage them.Bryony will be visiting 6 ProtectedAreas in 4 countries (Estonia, Finland,Germany and Switzerland) and willmake surveys to adult and child visitorsto analyse demographics, attitudes andengagement.

Tymur Bedernichek isa Researcher at the M.M. GryshkoNational Botanical Garden in Kiev,Ukraine and wants to re‐establishthe Miloš Deyl Alpine ResearchStation on Pop Ivan Maramures,in the Carpathian BiosphereReserve. Miloš Deyl was a famousCzech botanist and ecologist whoconducted detailed research onvegetation, soils and climate atPop Ivan Maramures, back in the1930s. Now, 80 years after, Tymurwants to repeat Deyl’s studies onthe same plots, to evaluate theimpacts of global climatechanges on the most sensitiveand fragile ecosystems –subalpine and alpine tundra. Hewill be visiting climate stations inPoland and Czech Republic.

www.europarc.org/ats/

Get to know the 2016 winners of the Alfred Toepfer Natural Heritage Scholarships:

Alfred Toepfer Scholarship winners awarded at EUROPARCConference 2016, Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland


TrainingIncreasing expertise on EUROPARC programmes and developing newtraining for Protected Area managers.

European Charter for SustainableTourism in Protected Areas (ECSTPA)Verifiers Training

Following the recent updates on theEuropean Charter for Sustainable

Tourism in Protected Areasmethodology, EUROPARC organiseda new training for 20 Charter Verifiers,that took place in Gut Siggen, Germany,November 2016.

EUROPARC gathered experiencedand new verifiers, to share the newprinciples and changes in theevaluation process. During thetraining, the Charter application andre-application forms were analysed indetail, with the guidance of theCharter Evaluation Committee. Theinformation acquired will be used toassess and check the Charterapplications, verify the veracity of thestrategies and action plans, and seekto secure maintenance of thestandards that are expected ofa charter area. Many new andyounger verifiers were welcomed tothe team through this training, givingopportunity to both develop newskills and bring their perspectives intothe system.

http://www.europarc.org/charter-verifiers-training-2016

Charter Verifiers Training 2016, Gut Siggen, Germany

Transboundary Ecoregion Julian Alps, Prealpi Giulie Nature Park, Marco di Lenard

More about the Charter Verifiers training:


E-learning for Protected AreaManagers

In 2016, the 3 year project „Increasingeducation opportunities on

sustainable development for ProtectedArea managers in Romania“, thatEUROPARC supported with ProPark,came to an end.

The project achieved the development,implementation and promotion of aninnovative tool to increase knowledgetransfer to Protected Area professionals.The project was developed for theRomanian context, but it is intended toelaborate the model so it can bereplicated in other countries.

The existing curriculum for ProtectedArea Specialists in Romania wasadapted, to be available as a blendedlearning activity ‐ combining e‐learning with face‐to‐face meetings.The innovative method is now morecost efficient than traditional trainingsand offers learning possibilities forparticipants when it suits their schedule.

The first 45 officially certified ProtectedArea Specialists (PAS) in Romania weretrained to become efficientadministrators of Protected Areas in thecountry.

All training material (in Romanian) isavailable on a web platform(http://www.proparktraining.ro/) afterregistering, along with guidelines forparticipants and a manual for trainers onhow to develop on-line courses (both inRomanian).

The project was funded by DeutscheBundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) and thefinal project report can be found herehttp://www.europarc.org/tools-and-training/education-opportunities-pas/

EUROPARC will seek funding to developthis tool for Protected Area professionalsacross Europe.


PromotingSustainability

Sustainable Tourism in Protected AreasSustainable Agriculture Nature and HealthClimate ChangeFuture topics

EUROPARC seeks to mainstream Protected Areas as models forsustainable development, to deliver social, economic andenvironmental benefits: providing Parks, methodologies andquality standards and working closely with EU institutions toraise the voice of Protected Areas.

Parks are catalysts for sustainability andlife changes at a local, regional and national level.

Soomaa National Park, Estonia, Mati Kose

EUROPARC continued itsadvocacy work with the

European Institutions to ensuresynergies between biodiversity

conservation and sustainabletourism and to share good practice

and experiences from the parks.

EUROPARC maintains good connectionand relation with Members of the

European Parliament (MEPs) active intourism within the Transport and Tourism

Committee and in the “IntergroupEuropean tourism development, cultural

heritage, Way of St. James and otherEuropean cultural routes”.

Among several events in 2016, EUROPARCpresented the experience of the Charter forSustainable Tourism to the Intergroup and

attended the High‐level Tourism Event“Towards a stronger tourism policy for

European growth and jobs” organised bythe Intergroup. The Charter Award

Ceremony at the European Parliamentreceived also a great acceptance by

Members of the European Parliament andEuropean Commission, who have heard

best practice from the Parks awarded.

19Promoting Sustainabil ity

Sustainable Tourism in Protected AreasSustainable Tourism is good for Parks and good for People.

European Charter for SustainableTourism in Protected Areas

The European Charter for SustainableTourism in Protected Areas is

a practical management tool that enablesProtected Areas to develop tourismsustainably. The Charter Network includesnow 157 European SustainableDestinations from 19 countries.

The Charter methodology is a journey thatencompasses 3 parts: SustainableDestinations, Sustainable Partners andSustainable Tour operators. In 2016, theItalian section started to work with Partnersby involving two Protected Areas andbusinesses. Other positive developments ofCharter were made, with 15 tour operatorsin France and 2 in Spain being awarded,highlighting their commitment tosustainability.

In 2016, a Communications andMarketing commission was establishedto support the creation not just ofa communication strategy forEUROPARC but also of a new plan for theCharter Programme. TUI agreed tosponsor the new logotype, which will beintroduced in 2017, as a celebration of theUnited Nations International Yearof Sustainable Tourismfor Development.

www.europarc.org/european-charter-sustainable-tourism

Policy

Charter Award Ceremony

The Charter Award Ceremony 2016 wasagain a great success, with 19 Sustainable

Destinations awarded in a ceremony wherethe social and economic benefits ofSustainable Tourism in Protected Areas werehighlighted. The event gathered over 80participants and was hosted at theEuropean Parliament thanks to the supportof MEP Ramon Tremosa i Balcells and theRegion of Catalunya.

For the first time, EUROPARC awardedtwo Parks from Greece anda Transboundary Region – the JulianAlps Ecoregion (that encompassesTriglav National Park in Sloveniaand Prealpi Giulie Nature Park inItaly). Following the CharterAward Ceremony, theDelegation of theGovernment of Cataloniawelcomed all theparticipants and speakersfor a special side event.

The Charter website wasincorporated into theEUROPARC website. Now,it is possible to have anoverview of EUROPARCSustainable Destinationswith a quick glimpse onthe new map; and accessall updates from thenetwork.

Charter Award Ceremony 2016, European Parliament, Brussels

Among decision makersand the general

public, it seems, conflictsbetween Protected Areasand agriculture are more

known than the hugenumber of positive

relations, collaborationsand common initiatives

in existence.


Promoting nature friendly agriculturalpractice across Europe

Thus, in order to reversethis tendency, EUROPARCcreated a Commission onSustainable Agriculture towork on the promotion ofa more positive positivedialogue and partnershipswithin the EUROPARCnetwork.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

In Brussels, a growing group of NGOs has come together inthe Sustainable Food and Farming Platform (SFFP) toaddress the challenges around the food and farming system.

As a sub-group of this SFFP, the CAP NGO group has been lookingmore in detail at the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as one ofthe policies that needs specific scrutiny. EUROPARC is part of bothSFFP and the CAP NGOs group, with the aim to representProtected Areas’ perspective to the debate on sustainableagriculture and on the CAP modernisation and simplification.

Policy

Sustainable Agriculture in and Around Protected Areas

EUROPARC presented case studies on the Health and Social Benefits of Biodiversity

and Nature Protection, a 2-days workshop organisedby the Institute for European Environmental Policy

(IEEP) and the European Commission, hosted by theCommittee of the Regions (Brussels).

The work in cooperation with the European Network ofOutdoor Sports is ongoing, to contribute to its policy studies on

the health benefits of outdoor sports in Protected Areas andtowards the definition of guidelines and code of conducts for

outdoor sports in Protected Areas and N2000 sites.

Policy


Nature and HealthHighlighting the benefits of nature for human health andbringing together Protected Areas and the health sector.

Parks make a significant contribution tohuman health and well-being. To

follow up the work on this area,EUROPARC created a Commission onHealth and Protected Areas that willwork on policy development andshowcase of best practice. TheCommission is also in charge of deliveringwebinars and workshops at EUROPARCannual Conference.

Krkonosze National Park, Czech Republic, Radek Drahny


http://www.bioeuparks.eu

Climate ChangeSupporting Protected Areas on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

BioEUParks – Biomass in EU Parks

EUROPARC partnered 3 EuropeanEnvironmental organisations and 5 Parks

in the BioEUParks project - Exploiting thepotentialities of solid biomasses in EUParks. Aiming at finding local solutionsfor sustainable energy, project partnersdeveloped and implemented differentmodels for sustainable wood biomassexploitation in their regions, ensuringnature protection whilst bringing economicbenefits for local communities. The report“Socio‐Economic and EnvironmentalResponsible Models for SustainableBiomass Exploitation in EuropeanProtected Areas“ is available fordownload, resuming lessons learned bythe Project partners and guidance onhow to implement small‐scale biomasssupply chains in Protected Areas. Theproject came to an end in 2016 and wasfunded by the IEE programme.

In 2016, EUROPARC organised theInternational Mainstreaming Conferencein Brussels, where the results of the Projectwere presented and different perspectiveson sustainable biomass exploitation in Parkswere discussed. The Conference “SolidBiomass in European Protected Areas:Sustainable Supply Chain Models” washosted by Committee of the Regions,March, and gathered over 40 participants.Case studies from the project partners werepresented, and several interventions fromNGOs and representatives of EUinstitutions ‐ such as the EuropeanParliament, European Commission andCommittee of the Regions – were held.

http://ow.ly/EFFg30dgCMrDownload the report:

Woodlands, Angela Benito


Future topicsExploring new topics to support Protected Area managers´ contributionto sustainable development.

IMPACT INTERREG Europe project

EUROPARC is theCommunication manager of

IMPACT ‐ Innovative Models forProtected Areas: exChange andTransfer, an Interreg Europeproject that aims at introducingnew management models tobalance conservation withsustainable use of natural assetsin Protected Areas.

www.interregeurope.eu/impact/More information at:

The project is organised in twophases: during Phase 1 (2016-2018), partners from Andalucía,Lithuania, Molise region, Romaniaand Regional Parks from Hauts deFrance will work on the exchange ofgood practice and prepare anaction plan to adapt lessons learntfrom the other partners into theirrespective regions. During Phase 2(2018 – 2020), they will implementand monitor the action plandevised in Phase 1.

Thayatal National Park, Austria, D.Manhart

Handmade cheese in Sierra de Grazalema Nature Park, Andalucia, Spain


Working Together –building our organisation

Governance – how we work

People Power – human resources

Federation finances

Talking and listening

Being an effective and efficient network means looking forcontinual development in the fields of governance, human

resources, finances and communications.

Podyji National Park, Czech Republic

25Working Together – building our organisation

Structure and Governance

The members elect a President anda Council, to develop the strategic

direction and oversee the work of theorganisation.

Further, members elect an InternalAuditor who actively takes part inCouncil meetings and produces anannual report with recommendationsfor improving the governanceprocesses within EUROPARC. Heprovides guidance to Council membersand the Directorate to better performtheir role in delivering the EUROPARCmission for the members.

Get to know the EUROPARC structurein the next page.

Governance – how we workImproving the governance system of the EUROPARC Federation to meet goodgovernance principles and increase efficiency.

General Assembly 2016

The annual General Assembly isthe most important discussion

point between the members,Council, Directorate and Sections;and is the final decision-makingforum of the EUROPARCFederation.

In 18th October, in Parc JuraVaudois, Switzerland, EUROPARCmembers gathered to review andagree on the activities during 2015,and to have an overview of thelatest updates on the fields oflobby, programmes andcommunications.

www.europarc.org/general-assembly-2016 Download all reports from General Assembly 2016

EUROPARC Conference 2016, Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland

EUROPARC Directorate developing new ideas for theFederation, Gut Siggen, Germany


EUROPARC Governance Structure


People Power – human resourcesDeveloping the potential of human resources and the communications flow betweenall components of the Federation.

Historical PartnershipAgreement between EUROPARCand its Sections

To ensure that EUROPARC is thestrong and united voice for all

nature and landscape ProtectedAreas, the Federation and itssections have signeda Partnership Agreement, at theGeneral Assembly 2016.

The objective of this agreement isto strengthen the existingcollaboration between the differentsections that make up EUROPARCand it has been signed byEUROPARC President IgnaceSchops and the representativesfrom 7 (out of 8) EUROPARCsections, namely Atlantic Isles,Central and Eastern Europe, France,Italy, Low Countries, Nordic-Balticand Spain.

The agreement underlines andendorses the collectivecommitment to find new ways ofworking together within ourorganisation on behalf of ourmembers. A common set ofprinciples of cooperation wasagreed and Sections committed tosupport the Federation pursuing itsvision of a Sustainable Nature,Valued by People.

EUROPARC Commissions

EUROPARC reviewed its previousworking groups and defined newcommissions, which are open tothe participation of EUROPARCmembers. Two type of commissionswere created: one-yearcommission, to better supportinternal processes of the Federation(Membership; Communications andMarketing) and fourcommissions thatwill be working fora period of twoyears and will befurther developingpriority topics for EUROPARC,namely Natura 2000, Health andProtected Areas, SustainableAgriculture andPeriurban/Fedenatur.

More Commissions will be createdin due time.

www.europarc.org/europarc-commissions/

Sections Partnership Agreement, signed at EUROPARC General Assembly 2016, Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland


Federation FinancesFinding new ways for funding and sustaining financially the Federation’s activities.

EUROPARC Membership

Being a member of the biggestnetwork of European Protected Areas

gives you a wealth of uniqueopportunities to support your work.From management tools and capacitybuilding events, to experience exchangewith like-minded professionals, as well ashaving your issues represented ata European level.

In December 2016, EUROPARC had 384members in 37 countries, who representhundreds of authorities and thousands ofProtected Areas. Despite the financialdifficulties many European countries face,EUROPARC gained 14 new members in2016 from 10 countries – Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic,Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal,Russia and Switzerland. The new membersbalanced the 4 members that unfortunatelyresigned and the 11 members that werestruck off, after not paying theirmembership fee for the last two years.

In May 2016, FEDENATUR and EUROPARCFederation reach a productive agreementto integrate and strengthen Europe’sleading Protected Area network (see page 9). The board of Fedenatur and thecouncil of EUROPARC have createdEurope’s largest organisation,representing parks from the city to thesea and from the metropolitan to themountain tops. The members of thecombined organisations servea constituency of at least 25% of theEuropean population.

So far, we can proudly say EUROPARC isthe largest and most representativeProtected Area network in Europe,representing 40% of the total area of theNatura 2000 network.

Membership Campaign

In 2016, EUROPARC initiateda targeted membership campaign in

order to increase the network ofProtected Areas represented byEUROPARC Federation.

The membership campaign istargeting Protected Areas and Natura2000 sites administration bodies, aswell as governmental authorities atmunicipal, regional and national level,responsible for the coordination ofProtected Areas. It is being conductedby the Council members andEUROPARC Sections and for whichnew promotion tools were created.

Membership Commission

In 2016, EUROPARC Councildecided to establish

a Membership Commission todiscuss and propose a new revisedpolicy for membership and itscategories. The one-yearCommission will be working to havea proposal of the new potentialcategories ready for EUROPARCGeneral Assembly 2017.

Opening ceremony atEUROPARC Conference 2016,

Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland


Financial Report

2016 2015

Balance Sheet

Assets

AssetsTotal fixed assetsShares in affiliated companies (EP Consulting)Total current assets

Total Assets

Liabilities

Profit Reserve

LiabilitiesProvisionsAccounts payable

Total Equity and Liability

Income

Membership fees Grants EC core grant Project grantsOther income

Total Income

Simplified Expenditure

Total Personnel costs

Total Office costs

Total Travel and Subsistence

Total Other direct costs

Total Overhead costs

Total Project direct costs

Total External Assistance/ Professional Fees

Financial Assets Depreciation

Total costs

Result

5 404,50 0,00 308 202,83

313 607,33

176 313,67

20 388,5 116 905,16

313 607,33

4246,40 0,00 201 460,4

205 706,80

164 364,66

19 533,46 21 808,68

205 706,80

Income and Expenditure

273 378,50 109 267,20 117 297,64 105 989,68

605 933,02

350 698,06

25 435,35

95 241,52

17 862,32

31 038,20

9 318,97

64 974,59 0,00

594 569,01

11 364,01

297 117,00 0,00 54 722,00 147 526,96

499 365,96

273 784,78

23 633,25

72 942,02

17 855,84

52 577,42

9 339,43

47 172,27

118 000,00

615 305,01

-115 939,05

2016 2015


Talking and listening Developing smarter communications.

Talking, Listening, Engaging

Member’s participation in EUROPARCprogrammes was excellent in 2016,

with 19 charter areas awarded, 2Transboundary Parks re-evaluated andover 40 youngsters participating in theJunior Rangers Camp and YOUTH+ event.

The EUROPARC Conference 2016 “We AreParks”, held in Parc Jura Vaudois,Switzerland from the 18 – 22nd October,was the highest moment of the network.Over 300 delegates had the chance todirectly connect with their peers and sharetheir best practice, projects and ideas.

Digital communication channels arebecoming the preferred tool to exchangeand access information. Hence, EUROPARCproduces and updates content on thewebsite and social media, on a dailybasis, which includes latest news onProtected Areas management andEUROPARC project and programmesupdates. Through the constant inputs onEUROPARC website, we have achieveda total number of 173,358 page viewsduring 2016. Regarding social media, theFederation got over 625.000 impressionson its posts (362.000 on Facebook and263.000 on Twitter).

Moreover, in 2016 the Federationdeveloped some new digital toolsand started the preparation of newopportunities for our members toexchange experiences, which will befully delivered in 2017:

a) EUROPARC interactive mapswere produced for theTransboundary Parks Network, forthe ECSTPA network; JuniorRangers Programme and for theEuropean Day of Parks activities.

b) EUROPARC LIVE video interviews– 12 films have been produced,portraying the experience andopinions of different professionalsof our network on different topicsconcerning Protected Areasmanagement.

Mount EtnaEtna Regional Park, Italy


EUROPARC produced the annualJournal of the Federation ‐Protected Areas In‐Sight thatfollowed the topic of theConference “We Are Parks” anddelivered its bi-monthly e-News.

c) Toolkits started to be prepared, withthe objective of responding tospecific learning necessities. They willgather different resources (casestudies, videos, news and others) ona specific topic relevant for ProtectedAreas management.

d) Case studies section withinEUROPARC website, which will befully available in 2017.

e) Webinars, in 2017 EUROPARC willlaunch a new cost-efficientopportunity to share experiencesand best cases.

EUROPARC Communications and Marketing Commission

Aone-year commission of professionals in communicationsand marketing from across EUROPARC network was created

in order to support the Federation in the development of itsCommunications Strategy and Action plan for 2017-2021 anddevelop a Marketing plan for the European Charter forSustainable Tourism in Protected Areas.


Our European

Network

EUROPARC Central and Eastern EuropeEUROPARC FranceEUROPARC ItalyEUROPARC GermanyEUROPARC Low CountriesEUROPARC Nordic-BalticEUROPARC Spain

Over the years, the Federation has supported the creation ofregional and national sections. The EUROPARC sections fulfill manyof the Federation's aims, working to implement the strategy, whilstreflecting the priorities and characteristics of the areas they cover.

33Our European Network

EUROPARC Central and Eastern EuropeThe EUROPARC Central and Eastern Europe Section (hereinafter CEE) celebratedits first anniversary in 2016, since its expansion from the former Czech sectionin 2015. The CEE section network includes approximately 30 members fromseven countries - Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,and Slovenia. The core areas of work remain capacity building andtransboundary cooperation through communication and experience sharing.

Key Activities in 2016

Members Assembly of the CEEcombined with a workshop onsustainable tourism

The Members Assembly of the CEEsection took place in Hostětín,

‘ecovillage’ with a successfulinformation centre operated by theNGO Veronica. The meeting wasattended by more than 25 participants.Results are available at the CEE websitewww.europarc.org/central-and-eastern-europe.

‘Small workshop’ on invasive alienspecies organised by Hungariancolleagues in Hortobágy National Parkin May 2016 was a successful exampleof information sharing among expertsfrom the CEE countries. The advantageof the meeting is its low cost that allowa participation of colleagues fromorganisations with limited budget.

TransParcNet meeting was held inSaxon Switzerland NP, DE and co-organized by Bohemian SwitzerlandNP, CZ in June.

‘Wilderness round table’ Czechmembers organized a two round tablemeetings attended by 15 experts fromthe Ministry of the Environment, all fournational park administrations, CzechNature Conservation Agency and otherbodies interested to clarify a naturalprocesses protection in Czech Republic.The activity is a typical example of theCEE role in the region, i.e. to facilitateand support understanding among PAmanagers and other bodies.

Other activities are related to internalmembership campaign (Czech Ministryof the Environment became a memberof the Federation in 2016), and technicalsupport (leading of two workshopsduring the annual conference,participation at the Bern Convention andthe European Commission events).

Successes and challenges

Successes

Above listed activities show that the CEEhas been enlarging its impact andtechnical support crossover the region.The work plan for March/2016 –March/2017 has been continuouslyimplemented and regularly amended bynew activities.

Challenges are mainly linked with theactivity of CEE members. Still ourchallenge is how to energize all ourcolleagues to take an active role in thenetwork.

Another challenge is a projectcooperation. The idea to prepare a jointproject from the INTERREG CentralEurope or the INTERREG Danube failed.The reason is that the CEE section doesnot have a legal entity, and a majority ofthe section members are overloaded bytheir own projects.

http://www.europarc.org/europarc-central-and-eastern-europe/

https://www.facebook.com/europarccee

TransParcNet meeting 2016, Saxon Bohemian Switzerland (Germany and Czech Republic)

CEE Section General Assembly 2016,Hostětín, Czech Republic


EUROPARC France

Key activities in 2016

Strengthening of links within thenetwork

The French Section saw the 3 networks ofWallonia, Switzerland and Luxembourg

being incorporated to trial a “French-speaking section” in 2017.

The French Section attended the annualconference in the Jura Vaudois Nature Park:Michaël Weber, President of the Federationof Regional Natural Parks of France (FPNRF),took part in a panel discussion on the rolesof Park Presidents, and the Sectionorganised a stand at the “Initiatives Market”.Pierre Schmelzle, a co-opted member of theEUROPARC Council, volunteered to take partin the Sustainable Agriculture Commission.

Ignace Schops took part in the “TerritorialWellness” workshop and helped to mana stand for to foreign delegations at theCongress of Regional Natural Parks.

Contribution to the work of theEUROPARC network on the ECSTPA

A report was produced on the first year pilotphase for recognising tour operators in Part3 of the ECSTPA. The French Section workedon and discussed with EUROPARC anECSTPA communication strategy. It alsoconducted promotional activities aimed attour operators (trade fairs, fam trips, etc.)

Participation in European andinternational lobbying activities

The French Section contributed to the studyof natural parks in Europe. The Federation ofRegional Natural Parks of France, along withthe Montagne de Reims and Pilat RegionalNatural Parks, welcomed the delegationfrom the German Association of NaturalParks (VDN) in May.

Main successes and challenges of 2016

Participation in the governance ofEUROPARC

Dominique Leveque, President of theMontagne de Reims Regional NaturalPark, Pierre Schmelzle, representative ofPilat Regional Natural Park, continued toserve on the EUROPARC Council. OlafHolm, director of the Montagne de ReimsRegional Natural Park, retained his role asInter-Sectional Representative andCoordinator.

Signing of the first agreement betweenEUROPARC and the French Section

ECSTPA certification

In 2016 three regional national parkssaw their ECSTPA diploma renewed:Alpilles, Livradois Forez and Vercors.

15 parks engaged in Part 3 with300 tourism service providers

15 approved travel operators in thisPart, of which three were newadditions in 2016, first results:

n More than 80 stays co‐created orapproved with 13 Parks

n More than 2,500 customers andrevenue of almost EUR 1,000,000

http://www.europarc.org/europarc-france

In 2016, the French Section strengthened links within the network and continued itsactivities on the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas (ECSTPA)

Cevennes National Park, France

Promoting Inclusive tourismwith Joilette in FrenchNature Regional Parks


http://www.federparchi.it/

Federparchi-EUROPARC Italy is been actively working in the promotion and activation of theEuropean Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas (ECSTPA) in Italy. By the end of2016, Italy had 34 Protected Areas awarded with the ECSTPA and manyother areas applying. At the Charter Award Ceremony in Brussels,December 2016, five Italian protected areas obtained the EuropeanCharter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas.

Federparchi-EUROPARC Italy


The new Charter parks are: ArchipelagoToscano National Park, Cilento Vallo di

Diano e Monti laburni National Park, theTorre Guaceto Marine Protected Area, theMonviso Regional Park and the Gole delFurlo Regional Reserve.

Successes and Challenges

The ECSTPA reached another greatsuccess, thanks to the lobbying and

promotion activities promoted byFederparchi. The new Italian StrategicPlan of Tourism defined by the Ministry ofTourism (Italian Ministry of CulturalHeritage and Activities and Tourism) andofficially recognised by the Governmentclearly affirms the importance ofECSTPA approach. Special chapters of theStrategic Plan are focused on sustainableactivities in protected areas because theyproduce and promote high-quality food,soft mobility networks and other advancedservices as tourist attractors. For that, theItalian Ministry of Tourism Plan proposesthe implementation of the ECSTPAapproach and principles to other fields oftourism management outside parks andnot only for environmental purposes.

One of the best news of 2016 hasbeen the Alfred Toepfer Medal,awarded by EUROPARC to GiuseppeAntoci, President of a Regional Parkin Sicily for his distinctiveness andsuccess in Conservation.

Since he was appointed as Presidentof the Nebrodi Regional ParkGiuseppe Antoci’s commitment hasbeen addressed to guarantee theutmost administrative regularity ofthe Park Authority. Antoci is fightingthe local mafia system that hasspread in recent years and thatallowed to receive European fundsfor the support of fake farmers andshepherds pretending to managelarge areas of agricultural land.

Therefore, he has adopted a specificlegality protocol with the MessinaPrefecture which includes the anti-mafiacertification (i.e. a check that there are nomafia infiltration in the farmsmanagement) for all the pastures in thepark territory. The so called “Antoci’sprotocol”, is now recognized asa successful model that has been signedby all Prefects and the President of theRegion, and extended to the entire island.Because of his daily commitment againstthe mafia, he received many life-threatsand for this reason he is under protectionsince December 2014. In 18th May 2016,he was victim of an attack by the localmafia but thanks to the State Police, hemiraculously survived. The results Mr.Antoci is achieving demonstrate howprotected areas can play a crucial role notonly for the conservation of biodiversitybut also for ensuring a legal defenceespecially in those territories in which thelocal communities are victims, along withthe environment and landscape values.

Giuseppe Antoci receiving the Alfred Toepfer Medal at EUROPARC Conference 2016, Parc Jura vaudois, Switzerland.


EUROPARC Germany

2016 is the 25th anniversary ofEUROPARC Deutschland – for Natureand Society

Representatives from national andregional political parties recognised

the association’s 25 years of existencewith a ceremony during EUROPARCDeutschland's general meeting held inthe Black Forest National Park in June2016. A special milestone in theassociation’s history was theintegration of all protected areas inGermany using a single standardisedcorporate identity under the umbrellabrand “National Natural Landscapes”.Nowadays, the tricolour roundel logo isused by over 100 licensees and inalmost every German federal state.

Experiencing nature first-hand in theNational Natural Landscapes

In 2016 EUROPARC Deutschland, incooperation with the Association of

German Nature Parks, published the codeof practice “Bringing the Fascination ofNature to Life – a guide for thedevelopment and implementation ofnature and adventure activities in theNational Natural Landscapes”; itscompilation was supported by theGerman Federal Agency for NatureConservation and the Ministry for theEnvironment, Nature Conservation,Building and Nuclear Safety. The guidehelps the administrators of protectedareas and those involved in regionaltourism to develop and market attractive,nature-based tourist activities in theNational Natural Landscapes whichconsistently guarantee the protection ofnature and landscapes.

Since 2008, EUROPARC Deutschland’sprogramme “Partners of the NationalNatural Landscapes” has also beenfocussing on creating high quality offersto experience nature. In 2016 24protected areas nationwide took part inregional partner initiatives. Theycooperate with a total of around 1,000businesses that have developedsustainable offers for overnightaccommodation, catering, handicrafts,nature experiences etc. The partnerbusinesses are classified according tostandardised quality and environmentalstandards nationwide and are importantambassadors of the National NaturalLandscapes.

International study trips for staff from protected areas

EUROPARC Deutschland is contributingtowards European cooperation on

protected areas with its project“Stakeholders from National NaturalLandscapes in an International Exchangeof Expertise”, known as ANNIKA for short(duration: 2015-18). The project supportsthe international exchange of expertise,experience and methods of work throughthematically specialised study trips toparks in Germany and abroad open tofull-time staff and volunteers fromprotected areas. In 2016 six Germanparticipants spent a one-week study tripin Austrian protected areas on the topic of“Accessibility and Inclusion in ProtectedAreas”. Another seven people visitedBritish protected areas during a similarstudy trip which focussed on “RegionalDevelopment and Tourism in ProtectedAreas”. Five further study trips areplanned for 2017, in Germany, Hollandand Finland. The project is sponsored bythe German Federal Agency for NatureConservation with funding from theMinistry for the Environment.

Additional fields of work of EUROPARCDeutschland, which continued to bedeveloped in 2016, include, for example,Junior Ranger, Volunteer Management,Inclusion of People with Disabilities,Commercialisation of Ecosystem Services,Development of Quality Standards forWilderness Areas and the InterimEvaluation of National Parks.

EUROPARC Deutschland can look back on 25 years of active networking tobring together the national parks, wilderness areas, biosphere reserves andnature parks in Germany

http://www.europarc-deutschland.de/

Book "Bringing theFascination of Nature to

Life" by VDN andEUROPARC Germany

German participants at the study visit"Accessibility and Inclusion in Protected Areas"learning about practical examples in theAustrian Nature Park Kaunergrat, Tobias Wiesen

EUROPARC Low CountriesIn 2016, the EUROPARC Low Countries meta few times, mostly in conjunction with activitiesrelated to the renewal of the National Parks inthe Netherlands. The limited time available wasmainly focused on that item. In 2017 we hopeto broaden the activities of the section again.


EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic

Key Activities in 2016

2016 was very calm and silent yearfor Nordic – Baltic section. In thebeginning of 2016, the secretariattried to organise a meeting formaking plans for 2016 year, buteveryone had so much work atnational level that it was decided todo e-mail conversations and havea meeting during EUROPARC annualconference.

At EUROPARC annual conference,was decided that the Section willhave a conference by the beginningof 2017, under the theme “scientificdatabases and how we use them inProtected Areas management.”

We also had a quite fun activity inNordic-Baltic section: a photocontest “best winter photo”. Thephotos taken by Nordic-Balticsection members were shared ona facebook page and the picturethat earned more “likes” wona secret prize. Out of 18 pictures,the “best winter picture” was takenby Janek Joab from Karula NationalPark, Estonia.

There is a lot of debate andconversations going about whoshould and can take the lead for thesecretariat for the next period,which is 2018-2021, replacingLithuania, who is currentlyencharged.

Challenges that we faced in 2016:

n A lot of work has to be done at nationallevel, so members donot have much timeto dedicated international level work.Staff cuttings and re-structuring takingplace in almost Member countries createseveral obstacles to internationalexchange (overloaded staff andpersonnel changes). Everyone has somany responsibilities, national projects,duties that it is hard to plan or attendinternational meetings and events.

n Dealing with governments. Finances isa huge problem for us all and we need tofight with authorities for that and lookfor other ways to get funding to createnew ways to preserve nature.

n Communication between members ischallenging. To connect witha neighboring country could be easy, butNordic-Baltic section has 8 countries andaround 50 members so it is harder toconnect to each one of them. More andmore, we rely on digital communicationchannels to share information.

Things to look for in 2017:

n Conference in Lithuania “Usingdatabases in PA management”

n New secretariat for 2018-2021 yearwill be announced

n Other fun activities (not decided yet).

Karula National Park, Estonia, Janek Joab

http://www.europarc-nb.org/home/


EUROPARC Spain


Among the main activities during2016 it can be underlined the

following:n Conference ESPARC 2016, held in

Laguardia, Alava, June 2016, with 160participants.

n Production of Manual 12EUROPARC‐España ‐ Guide togood practices for holdingmountain races in protectednatural areas 2016. Available inEnglish, Castellano, Catalan andBasque.

n Workshop to discuss themethodology of phase III of theEuropean Charter for SustainableTourism in Spain.

n Project “Open catalogue of theintangible heritage of the SpanishBiosphere Reserves” thanks to thesupport of the Organismo AutónomoParques Nacionales. Moreover,a training course in CENEAM with 20managers of Biosphere Reserves wasorganised in October.

n New LIFE Project RED BOSQUES“Knowledge and training networksfor the effective management ofNatura 2000 Mediterranean ForestHabitats in Spain”. More informationcan be found at:http://www.redbosques.eu/english-version

n Project “Integrating climate changeadaptation in the planning andmanagement of protected areas inSpain” financed by the Spanish Officeof Climate Change (Oficina Españolade Cambio Climático). In 2016, twoseminars were organised anda guidance document wasprepared. The criteria forincorporating adaptation to theProtected Areas management havebeen tested in four planninginstruments.

n Support to members in specificprojects: Cabildo de Tenerife (Limitsof Acceptable Change in ParqueRural Teno), Aragón Government(participatory process in Sierra deSanto Domingo ProtectedLandscape).

n Training: collaboration with the 16th

edition of the Master Degree onProtected Areas Management;organisation of 6 training courses oncommunication, conservation andpublic use of Protected Areas.

Successes and challenges

One of the main successes of 2016 wasthe final publication of theProgramme Society and ProtectedAreas 2020. This is more thana publication, it is the Road Map ofEUROPARC Spain that aims to influenceand involve not only “Parks people”, butalso other people and institutionsrelated to agriculture, tourism, forestry,fishery, landscape planning. This RoadMap is the umbrella under which wefind our challenges for the coming years.The document is also available inEnglish. The book is dedicated to ourdear companion and friend SalvadorGrau, whose soul flies free over thosepages.

www.redbosques.eu/english-version

www.redeuroparc.org

ESPARC 2016 - EUROPARC Spain Conference, Álava, Spain

Tha “backbone” of the activities promoted by EUROPARC Spain is the “Programme Society andProtected Areas 2020”, the Strategy approved by the 23 members of EUROPARC Spain. The Programmecontains eight lines of action aimed to enhance the role of the 27% of terrestrial and 8% of marineProtected Areas from a wide perspective, including Nature conservation and benefits for Society.

39Contact us

Contact us

ImprintCopyright/Publisher: EUROPARC Federation 2017

Editors: EUROPARC Federation Directorate

Translations: EuroMinds

Graphic Design: Václav Hraba, [email protected]

Many thanks go to all those who contributed to thisedition of the Annual Report.

Funded by the European Union.

The production of this Annual Report has been supported financiallyin the framework of the European Commission’s (Directorates

General Environment and Climate Action) LIFE + funding programmeof operating grants for European Environmental NGOs. The content

of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of theEuropean Union. Responsibility for the information and views

expressed in the publication lies entirely with the authors.

Stay connected via FACEBOOK, TWITTER @EUROPARC and LinkedIn

www.europarc.org

The Council

President: Treasurer/Vice-president Internal Auditor:Ignace Schops Paulo Castro Roger de [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Vice-president: Vice-president: Section Representative:Kaja Lotman Michael Hošek Olaf [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Council members:Olaf Ostermann Dominique Lévèque Alessandro [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Co‐opted members:Peter Rawcliffe Pierre [email protected] [email protected]

FEDENATUR Representative: Youth Representative:Marià Martí Laura Peters [email protected] [email protected]

EUROPARC Sections

EUROPARC Atlantic Isles: EUROPARC Central and Eastern Europe:Anita Prosser Michael Hošek [email protected] [email protected] www.europarc-ai.org www.europarc.org/europarc-central-and-eastern-europe

EUROPARC France: EUROPARC Germany:Katy Monier Anne [email protected] [email protected]/europarc-france www.europarc-deutschland.de

Federparchi - EUROPARC Italy: EUROPARC Low Countries:Corrado Teofili Hans [email protected] [email protected]

EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic: EUROPARC Spain:Giedrius Norvaisas Marta Múgica de la [email protected] [email protected] www.redeuroparc.org

The EUROPARC Directorate

EUROPARC Headquarters: Brussels Office: Executive Director:Waffnergasse 6 Boulevard L. Schmidt 64 Carol Ritchie93047 Regensburg 1040 Bruxelles [email protected] Belgium Tel: 0049 941 59935980 Tel: 0032 487 213 544

Managing Director: Communications and Marketing Manager: Communications and IT Officer:Federico Minozzi Bárbara Pais Fernando [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Policy Officer: Project and Policy Development Manager: Project Manager:Stefania Petrosillo Teresa Pastor Giacomo [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Financial Manager: Administrative Assistant: Office Administrator and Members Services Officer:

Michaela Zeller Katrin Varnhagen Brigida [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

www.europarc.org

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