Following the successful Seminar Dialogue events organised in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 on 14 November 2024 EUROPARC, Protected Areas representatives and the European Commission met for a dialogue.
Partnerships for Biodiversity – European Policies and the role of Protected Areas
By bringing together representatives of the European Commission and Protected Area professionals, EUROPARC aims to spotlight the contribution of Protected Areas to the achievement of European policy goals, whilst giving the European Commission a clear insight into the challenges faced by professionals in the field.
‘Seminar Dialogue’ is an opportunity to give a voice to nature within the European Commission and highlight the importance of Protected Areas.
In 2024, EUROPARC and the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) organised a hybrid event focused on the following key areas:
- Protected Area Management Effectiveness
- Protected Area designations
- Biodiversity financing and funding
See the programme and download the presentations below.
Programme Seminar Dialogue 2024
9:30 to 9:40 – Opening and welcome
- Andrea Vettori, Head of Unit of the Nature Conservation Unit D3, European Commission Directorate-General for Environment.
Introduction of the event and setting of the scene
- Michael Hošek, President of EUROPARC Federation.
9:40 to 9:45 – Practical information for the online participants
- Simone Prestes Dürrnagel, EUROPARC Federation.
9:45 to 10:00 – Overview of EU strategic priorities related to protected areas and nature conservation
- Andrea Vettori, Head of Unit of the Nature Conservation Unit D3, European Commission Directorate-General for Environment.
10:00 to 10:15 – Question & Answer Session
10:15 to 11:05 – Topic 1: Protected Area Management Effectiveness
- Introduction to the topic, Michael Hošek, President of the EUROPARC Federation.
- Outcomes of EUROPARC e-Forum on management effectiveness and information on the LIFE PAME Europe project, Federico Minozzi, Head of Policy and Projects, EUROPARC Federation.
- Capacity building in relation to management effectiveness, Neil McIntosh, Head of Communications and Capacity Building, EUROPARC Federation.
- Discussion
11:05 to 12:05 – Topic 2: Protected Area designations
- Introduction to the topic, Michael Hošek, President of the EUROPARC Federation.
- Outcomes from the event “Strictly Protected Areas in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030”, Frank Vassen, Policy officer, the Nature Conservation Unit D3, European Commission Directorate-General for Environment.
- Process of designation of new national parks, Johanna Breyne, Director, Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse National Park, Belgium.
- Non-exclusive approaches to nature protection: the Regional Nature Park tool in France and its replicability in Europe, Eric Brua, Director of the Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France (Federation of Regional Natural Parks of France).
- Discussion
12:05 to 12:25 – Break
12:25 to 13:25 – Topic 3: Biodiversity financing and funding
- Introduction to the topic, Michael Hošek, President of the EUROPARC Federation.
- Multiannual Financing Framework and biodiversity financing, including LIFE funding and funding for Nature Restoration Law, Frank Vassen, Policy officer, the Nature Conservation Unit D3, European Commission Directorate-General for Environment.
- Innovative financing in PAs, Federico Minozzi, Head of Policy and Projects, EUROPARC Federation.
- How to unlock finance for biodiversity: Palladium’s experience from the UK and beyond, Emma Davies, Senior Partnerships Manager, Palladium Group.
- Discussion
13:25 to 13:30 – Concluding remarks
- Concluding remarks, Michael Hošek, President of EUROPARC Federation.
- Concluding remarks and end of the event, Frank Vassen, Policy officer, the Nature Conservation Unit D3, European Commission Directorate-General for Environment.
13:30 Closure of the event
Presentations Seminar Dialogue 2024
EUROPARC – Capacity building in relation to management effectiveness
Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse National Park, Belgium – Process of designation of new national parks
Federation of Regional Natural Parks of France – Non-exclusive approaches to nature protection
EUROPARC – Innovative financing in PAs
Palladium Group – How to unlock finance for biodiversity
Since 2017, EUROPARC and DG ENV have successfully organised the annual Seminar Dialogue. With this initiative, the EUROPARC members have a new chance to sit with the European Commission to share mutual initiatives, concrete experiences & needs.
The Seminar Dialogue is open to staff from registered EUROPARC members only.
