Current Activities
9.6.2010 / Meeting
6th meeting of the Platform Ecological Network and international exchange with the Carpathians
The Platform meeting will take place on 21st September in Mikulov, Czech Republic.
On 22 and 23 September an international exchange on ecological networks between the Alps and the Carpathians will be organised. The draft description of the programme is available here.
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27.1.2010
New online and printed information available
The new common brochure “Ecological networks in the Alps” is now available in English, German, French, Italian and Slovenian! It explains issues and initiatives regarding ecological networks and connectivity aspects to all concerned stakeholders and interested persons. An online version is available for download here. A printed version can be delivered on request. In this case, please get in contact with
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.
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01.12.2009
Fourth official Platform meeting: Members of the Ecological Network Platform are greeted by snow in Chamonix, France.
In the sumptuous setting of the Majestic Convention Centre, the incoming French Presidency presented the Platform work programme for the next two years: official selection of "pilot regions" by the Alpine Convention — regions involved in projects to establish ecological networks — and developing a list of indicators suitable for assessing the current state of play of the Alpine ecological network.
In 2010, members of the Platform will be attending a range of national and international conferences and seminars where they will give presentations on ecological networking activities in the Alps and raise awareness about this subject.
Download the minutes here.
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The third meeting of the Platform "Ecological Network" took place from 11-12 December 2008 in Berchtesgaden, Germany
The minutes are available here.
You can download the agenda and the presentations here.
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17.10.08 / Meeting
Committee of experts for the development of the Pan-European Ecological Network
The Platform “Ecological Network” gave a presentation at the joint meeting of the Ecological Networks of the Council of Europe on 17 October 2008. You can download the presentation here (1 MB).
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7.10.2008 / Event
Side-event at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona
On 6 October 2008, a side-event organised by the presidency of the platform ecological networks took place at the WCC in Barcelona: "Establishing ecological networks - from the Alps to the Carpathians and beyond".
Based on the experiences of the Alpine, the Carpathian, and the Himalaya region, this workshop encouraged participants to share knowledge and to discuss the benefits, requirements and processes of successful networking in the context of conservation. The workshop was used to discuss regional approaches that contribute to the development of a global network of protected areas.
Key outputs include:
- Sharing of best-practice experiences
- Identifying potential partners
- Identifying key challenges, obstacles and gaps and ways to address these, notably with respect to existing regulations under and between the Alpine Convention, the Carpathian Convention and the CBD.
Download the outcome protocol and the presentations here.
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1.7.2008 / Event
Side-event "The Alpine Ecological Network"
9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity
29 May 2008, Bonn (DE)
The German presidency of the Alpine Convention's Platform „Ecological Network“ (Silvia Reppe, German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst, German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) took the initiative to organise a side-event within COP 9 on alpine ecological networks.
Introducing the topic, Thomas Scheurer (ISCAR) underlined the need for establishing ecological networks to overcome and anticipate ongoing fragmentation in landscapes. He highlighted that although lots of concepts have been developed, implementation is still lacking.
In this context, the Ecological Continuum Project was mentioned as one of the promising projects to advance towards implementation, and Claude Martin (MAVA Foundation) confirmed the disposition of the MAVA-Foundation for supporting such efforts in the Alps. The Bavarian Minister Dr. Otmar Bernhard and representatives of the Alpine Convention (Ambassador Laurent Stefanini), the Carpathian Convention (Heorhi Heorhijowytsch Filiptschuk, Ministry for Nature Protection Ukraine), the Convention of Biological Diversity (Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf) and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (President Prof. Beate Jessel) accentuated that ecological networks will play an important role in future strategies in nature conservation, which have to go far beyond protected areas and the protection of endangered species.
At the end of this side-event, another type of network was established: The representatives of the Alpine Convention, the Carpathian Convention and the CBD signed a Memorandum of Cooperation concerning nature protection and the establishment of ecological networks in and between these neighbouring mountain ranges. Let us hope that this international agreement will have an impact on the support of existing and new initiatives! The memorandum can be downloaded here.
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1.7.2008 / Event
Second meeting of the Platform Ecological Network
16 April 2008, Chambéry (FR)
The meeting aimed to review passed activities of the platform, to exchange on current and upcoming initiatives, to discuss and specify the current programme of work, and to examine methods of work of the platform. It was attended by 16 participants.
As a result concerning the programme of work of the platform, it was decided to establish two new working groups:
a working group on communication will elaborate priority tasks related to communication (e.g. communication strategy, internet appearance).
A working group on pilot areas will work out a concept of nominating pilot areas under the platform. This is seen as a means to stimulate protected areas to further engange in ecological networking.
The presidency of the platform has invited interested members and chairs the working groups.
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30.10.2007 / Meeting
Cooperation with EU Commission
Exchange between the Platform and the EU Commission (DG Environment, Directorate B: Protecting the Natural Environment) was initiated in 2007. The Presidency of the Platform had introduced platform activities at two occasions: in a meeting with Ladislav Miko (Director - Protecting the Natural Environment) in June 2007 and at the European Habitats Committee in October 2007. Connections between the initiative to establish an alpine-wide ecological network on the one hand and the Natura 2000 network on the other hand were highlighted and problems of implementation, also with regard to climate change, were discussed. The Commission showed strong interest to further engage with the platform and to make use of synergies. It was decided to have at least one meeting per year and to exchange material regularly.