In 2025, the Siggen Seminar hosted the External Advisory Board of the LIFE PAME-Europe project, as well as the EUROPARC Management Team and Council.
External Advisory Board of LIFE PAME-Europe
LIFE PAME-Europe brings together Protected Area managers, national and regional authorities, European institutions, and networks to strengthen how Management Effectiveness is understood and assessed across Europe.The focus is not on creating a new reporting obligation, but on building a shared framework that supports better management, reduces duplication, and makes existing data more comparable — from site level to European scale. To do so, it aims at unifying different approaches to evaluate Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME).
As there are many national and international systems currently in operation, it is important to engage experts in the field of Management Effectiveness (ME) in the project. This will ensure that the resulting framework will be of true benefit to Protected Area Management Authorities and National Agencies in charge of reporting. That is why an External Advisory Board supports the development of the project!
The 2025 Siggen Seminar provided the first opportunity for these External Advisors to get together face to face and kick-start the thinking of what this framework should – and should not – entail.
LIFE PAME-Europe Advisory Board members in Siggen
Key Messages from the Discussions
As one Board member states:
We know a lot about what to assess. The real challenge is how we do it, and how we scale it up.
To do so effectively, we need:
- Comparable data, shared learning: Many Management Effectiveness systems already exist across Europe. LIFE PAME Europe builds on this experience to identify common elements and make data comparable, so we can better understand how Protected Areas are managed across the EU.
- Support, not bureaucracy: Assessments must help Protected Area managers improve their work — not add another task. Simplicity, clarity and real value for managers are essential.
- A framework, not a one-size-fits-all methodology: Europe’s diversity is a strength. The LIFE PAME Europe approach will act as a common framework, working in synergy with national and regional systems rather than replacing them.
- Useful at every level: Management Effectiveness needs to be meaningful for site-level management while also allowing aggregation to show progress and trends at national and European levels.
- Management and biodiversity outcomes are different — but connected: Well-managed Protected Areas may still be affected by external pressures such as climate change. Understanding Management Effectiveness helps clarify where management is strong and where additional support is needed.
If biodiversity is declining, it doesn’t mean Protected Areas aren’t working: it means we need to better understand what’s influencing them.
- Capacity building and community are key: LIFE PAME Europe will invest in guidance, training and communication, including the creation of a Management Effectiveness Community, to ensure the framework is practical, inclusive and widely adopted.
The final point is key for LIFE PAME-Europe. That is why the Framework will be trialled and tested by 45 Protected Areas across Europe.
What Happens Next?
Sue Stolton, LIFE PAME-Europe External Advisory Board
The Advisory Board and project partners agreed on the next steps in the project. They include:
- Review and compare existing Management Effectiveness approaches across Europe
- Develop a draft EU Management Effectiveness framework, building on the Marine Natura 2000 methodology and national systems
- Work with the European Environment Agency to design a simple, user-friendly IT tool
- Launch targeted questionnaires to understand needs and challenges at national, regional and site levels
- Pilot the framework with selected Protected Areas
- Provide training, guidance and translated materials to support implementation
LIFE PAME Europe is about building consensus — not ticking boxes.
LIFE PAME Europe is a collective effort to ensure Europe’s Protected Areas are not only well designated, but well managed, supported by data that is meaningful, comparable and useful for those working on the ground. We encourage anyone that would like to stay up date with the project to join the Management Effectiveness Community!
EUROPARC Council & Management Team Meeting
The second half of the week was dedicated to an internal meeting of the EUROPARC Council and Management Team. It provided a valuable opportunity for the 2024 elected Council to for the first time get together live, and exchange with the Directorate Management Team. Discussed topics included the opening for the call for a new EUROPARC Director, the simplification of EUROPARC member participatory groups, and exploring new financial avenues for the Federation.
As always, the EUROPARC Federation thanks the Alfred Toepfer Stiftung for their generous support in the organisation of the Siggen Seminar.
