Transboundary Parks
These pages aim to introduce you to the topic of Transboundary Protected Areas in Europe as well as to the EUROPARC programme "Transboundary Parks - Following Nature's Design". Please use the links on the right to browse throught the information and don't hesitate to contact Richard Blackman for more information on the theme or on our tranboundary park initiative.
Introducing Transboundary Protected Areas (TBPA's)
Europe is characterised by many borders that cut across ecosystems and areas of high natural values, often dividing the continent along natural barriers such as mountain ranges or rivers. Border areas are often the most favoured regions in biodiversity terms, partly as a result of their peripheral location or political factors in the past banning the development of border areas.
Natural areas shared by neighbouring countries are not only a common treasure, but also a common responsibility. Achieving ecological coherence in Europe, protecting and managing its natural resources in a sustainable way as well as preventing or mitigating environmental threats cannot be achieved by one country alone. It requires inter-regional and transboundary cooperation.
TBPA's represent a commitment of two or more countries to common management of their frontier regions and shared ecosystems. Moreover, transboundary protected areas help to reduce possible tensions and are a symbol of peace with great political visibility.
What is a TBPA?
There are many definitions. The EUROPARC definition encompasses legally designated protected areas which are directly adjacent to other protected areas across state borders. The Protocol to the Carpathian Convention states that “Transboundary protected area is an area composed of two or more protected areas located within the territories of two or more Parties, adjacent to the state border, each remaining under jurisdiction of respective Party”.
Transfrontier co-operation on nature conservation in Europe dates back to 5th September 1924 when an annex to the Kraków Protocol between the Governments of Czechoslovakia and Poland was signed, providing for the designation of the first transboundary protected area in Europe - a bilateral Nature Park in the Pieniny Mountains, which was established in 1932.
The World’s first UNESCO-MaB trilateral transboundary Biosphere Reserve (East Carpathians BR, between Poland, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine) was designated in 1992 also in the Carpathians.
The EUROPARC Federation and TBPA's
The concept of transboundary cooperation between protected areas has only recently been raised to a position of prominence in Europe. This is why one of the aims of the EUROPARC Federation is to encourage and facilitate inter-regional cooperation on nature protection issues, with a particular emphasis on supporting transboundary cooperation and establishing new protected areas in border regions.
Among thousands of areas protected world-wide and hundreds of protected areas directly adjacent to each other across state borders, there are only a few examples of well-developed transboundary cooperation, while even fewer transboundary areas have so far been officially recognised either by the governments of the countries concerned or by international organisations as “transboundary protected areas”. This is a gap which EUROPARC, recognising the value of transboundary cooperation, has tried to fill by developing significant expertise in the field over the last 20 years.
The Federation promotes raising awareness on the common responsibility for the border regions as well as values and benefits of transboundary cooperation between protected areas, thus providing for greater European integration in nature protection and translating the common European vision into practice.
Our efforts on meeting the demand for guidance on the promotion of best practice in transboundary cooperation in Europe focuses on the 'Transboundary Parks - Following Nature's Design' initiative. This is a special verification and certification system that aims to promote and facilitate transboundary cooperation between European protected areas.
There are three elements to the system: the unique EUROPARC Basic Standards for Transfrontier Cooperation, which protected areas strive to fulfil, an evaluation process carried out by external verifiers, and formal certification as a „EUROPARC Transboundary Area” at the end of the process if enough basic categories are fulfilled.
Together the Basic Standards, the evaluation and certification process provide a unique support system for protected areas engaged in transboundary cooperation in Europe. The system sets the standard for transboundary cooperation, to which all TBPAs should aspire.
There are currently 15 certified EUROPARC transboundary areas. The target set in the new EUROPARC Strategy (2008 – 2012) for the EUROPARC Transboundary Programme is to certify 12 TBPA by 2012. The TBPAs should form a network of best practice examples in transboundary cooperation and provide technical support to other European TBPAs.
