The Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region hosts a two-day meeting to exchange expertise on biodiversity

On July 8 and 9, 2021, the Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region in Strumica hosted a Meeting for exchange of expertise, organized within the project “Common Strategies for Biodiversity Protection and Sustainable Development of the bilateral network of protected areas – COMBINE2PROTECT ”, co-financed by the European Union from the First Call through the INTERREG IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program between Greece and the Republic of Northern Macedonia 2014-2020.

The two-day meeting was attended by experts from educational institutions, representatives of protected areas, officials of national institutions involved in biodiversity and habitat conservation together with civil society organizations and discussed the importance of implementing monitoring programs, data collection and provisions of EU legislation on the NATURA 2000 network.

The meeting was virtually attended by experts from the cross-border region of Greece through the internet platform ZOOM, who shared their experience and gave their contribution and professional opinion on the given topics.

At the two-day meeting, the experts exchanged experiences and positive practices for biodiversity conservation, discussed the role of civil society organizations and their contribution, as well as EU nature protection legislation, EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the importance of managing NATURA 2000. At the meeting The Regional Strategy for Biodiversity of the South-East Planning Region, presented within the project, was presented as one of the most significant activities of the Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region.

The Combine2Protect project is a vision for the efficient, significant and long-term conservation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in the future.

This activity is co-financed by the European Union and the national funds of the participating countries.