Do you know that more than 360 species of birds are breeding and wintering in Serbia? Do you know that Serbia is very rich in biodiversity, with around 43% of the European species present in the country? And that more than a third of the territory of Serbia is covered by potential Sites for Community Interest and Special Protection Areas due to the high nature value of these areas?
These are all the reasons why improving the nature protection in Serbia is crucial and why the identification and establishment of the Natura 2000 network is in the process through the implementation of the project “EU for Natura 2000 in Serbia”.
Approximately 336 species and 74 habitat types have been identified as priority species and habitats for establishing this network of protected areas. Some species are endemic of Serbia or in the Balkans, and some of them have also been a part of Serbian history, as Ramonda nathalieae, and endemic plant species of the central Balkans, nowadays a symbol of the Armistice Day, that we recently celebrated.
Also, during the fieldwork activities implemented by the project, new distribution areas for concrete species were recorded, as the Pannonian bush-cricket (Isophya costata), endemic species of the Carpathian Basin discovered at Slano Kopovo area, one of the future N2000 sites.
What is Natura 2000?
The Natura 2000 network is a vital instrument for biodiversity protection in the European Union based on the two most important environmental Directives, the Birds and the Habitats Directives. It is an ecological network of protected areas established to secure the survival of the most valuable species and habitats, promoting the protection of numerous ecosystems, and ensuring that the European nature system stays healthy and resilient, considered the largest network of protected areas in the world nowadays.
Nature protection is an essential topic for Serbia as a part of the negotiation process for the accession to the European Union, related to the implementation of Chapter 27 dedicated to environmental protection and climate change. The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia supports the Ministry of Environmental Protection through several projects in the transposition of the Environment European Directives to Serbian legislation. One of these projects is “EU for Natura 2000 in Serbia, a two-and-a-half years project financed by the European Union.
But the Natura 2000 is not considering only biodiversity conservation – it is much more than that. The Natura 2000 aims to balance nature protection with local development and the sustainable use of natural resources, creating different benefits for local and land users.
Since 2019 more than 30 international and national experts have been working on this project. During its implementation and with the contribution of all relevant Serbian scientific institutions, 277 potential Sites of Community Interest and 85 Special Protection Areas have been identified according to the Birds and Habitats Directives. These facts will put Serbia on the map of the European protected species and habitats. Some of these sites overlap with the current Protected Areas and the Ecological Network established in Serbia.
The fieldwork activities for the identification of these sites were supported by the mobile application “Terenska”, developed by the project. Researchers can use it during field mapping, providing the opportunity to gather standardised information from species and habitats. This information can be managed thought the web app designed for data analysis and maps preparation through a geographic information system. Among other activities, the development of three pilot management plans based on EU Directives can be highlighted; the six training seminars implemented under the specific crucial topics for the future designation of Natura 2000 in which more than 150 people have participated.
For the establishing network Natura 2000 in Serbia, the European Union donated more than 3,5 milion EUR from 2015.
Also, the project aimed to raise awareness about the rich nature of Serbia, emphasising the importance to keep the treasure that has been given to us because we don’t have another nature.
More information about the project “EU for Natura 2000 in Serbia” you can find on:
