EUROPARC Annual Report 2017
The EUROPARC Federation Annual Report 2017 is now available for download in English, German and French. The Report provides a clear view of how we are working to achieve a “Sustainable Nature, Valued by People“, through the implementation of the EUROPARC Strategy 2015-2021.
Travel across our four priority areas and discover the activities and projects that the Federation undertook in 2017. In particular, the policy work we do to in Brussels highlighted in blue throughout the report.
In 2017, we successfully undertook new challenges and engaged in new opportunities, advancing the implementation of EUROPARC Strategy 2015-2021.
wrote Ignace Schops on his welcome message to the Annual Report 2017, congratulating all those who have contributed to the work delivered by the Federation: Sections, Directorate and Commissions.
2017 was also a year of change within EUROPARC, with the election of the new Council members, the re-election of Ignace Schops as EUROPARC President, and the official integration of FEDENATUR into the Federation, at EUROPARC General Assembly in the Portuguese Magic Mountains.
Download the full report in English, German or French.
The EUROPARC Annual Reports from previous years are available for download from EUROPARC Library.
Quarrying and Protected Areas: the first meeting with Sibelco
First meeting organised by EUROPARC and Sibelco on quarying in and around Natura 2000 sites. Belgium, April 2018
Quarrying and Protected Areas: Towards a new partnership for Biodiversity
In todays’ society we are dependent on the extraction industries much more than we ever realise. By their very nature, quarrying, of all kinds, does have a negative impact on the landscape and on biodiversity. This is particularly relevant when the extraction happens within or nearby protected areas and Natura 2000 sites.
The Action plan for nature, people and the economy launched by the European Commission in 2017, requires a wider involvement from multiple industries, outside of the environmental and protected areas world, if we are to reach the aims of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and the improvement of climate resilience and mitigation (see Action 8.C). Further, the European Commission is now reviewing the guidelines for non-energy extracting activity in Natura 2000 to promote good practice and encourage the development of innovative partnership models.
Yet a growing number of companies are now ameliorating negative effects and reinstating or establishing new sites of value for biodiversity. Sibelco is one such company and has come to EUROPARC and our members, to share expertise and knowledge to help understand the challenges and opportunities and develop new partnerships, in a bid to benefit biodiversity.
EUROPARC has teamed up with Sibelco to look particularly at a closer cooperation with non-energy mineral extractive industry to promote best practice in land management and restoration within protected areas and Natura 2000 sites.
In order to understand the challenges and opportunities of mining in PAs and to develop new partnerships, Sibelco and EUROPARC have organised a joint workshop that took place on the 18th-19th of April, in Belgium. Two days of very productive learning exchange with the participation of representatives from Sibelco national units in charge of sustainability and protected areas managers responsible for extractive activities in their areas.
Case studies from the Peak District National Park (UK), the Grand Parc Miribel Jonage (FR), the Parc Natural Serra de Collserola (ES) were presented and issues concerning restoration, habitats modification, site management and dialogue with stakeholders widely discussed.
Further steps
It was clear that this was a preliminary meeting and the following actions conclusions for future action were agreed:
– The need to identify a list of overlapping Sibelco mining sites and EUROPARC Protected Area members.
– From within the overlapping sites list, establish a working group that would bring together protected areas managers and quarrying managers. The objective of this group would be to identify key challenges and propose solutions mainly focusing on: tools to improve governance and partnerships between mining sector and PAs; sustainable management of mining activities in PAs and on restoration plans. The group would also be a platform for learning exchange and possibly develop guidelines for other sites across Europe.
– Still, to establish this group and to make it run, funds are necessary: need to identify possible resources, if from the private sector or applying for European funds with specific projects.
– Invitation to Sibelco to attend the EUROPARC Conference 2018: an opportunity to present Sibelco to EUROPARC network and directly share some information.
– Once we have a more clear plan of actions we can consider to come to a specific partnership agreement among our two organisations.
– Other aspects that were discussed and can be considered for further joint work: support for the management of Sibelco assets and learning exchange/trainings/ capacity building for Sibelco managers/staff.
If you have expertise and interest in this topic, contact us to f.minozzi @ europarc.org.
We are looking for a Super Intern!
Internship in Communications
- Location: Regensburg, Germany
- Duration: 6 months (longer internships can be considered
- Deadline for applications: 16th May
The EUROPARC Federation is currently looking for a full time intern in its Communications department in Regensburg (DE). The intern will contribute to enhance the organisation’s outreach and communications activities and will support EUROPARC Communications with operational and administrative tasks.
The candidate must have strong writing skills – able to create and deliver messages through a variety of media channels for internal and external stakeholders – and good knowledge of digital communication tools. The position requires good IT skills, good organisational and multitasking abilities as well as attention to details.
The intern will have the opportunity to contribute directly to the work of a wide European environmental organisation, working along with an international team. The intern would have the chance to further develop communication skills, to learn about EUROPARC Federation and its programmes, and to discover from closer the functioning of European Protected Areas and EU environmental policies.
The applicant must be an enrolled student (preferably EU and EEZ citizen) who is required to complete a mandatory internship in order to finish their studies. During the whole period of internship, the candidate must have a confirmation from the University that he/she is a full time enrolled student. Candidates with the ERASMUS + Internship are also accepted.