EU environmental policies and strategies in South-Eastern Europe : training guidelines for involving CSOs from SEE in the implementation of EU nature-related legislation

There are a number of EU policy areas that could have a direct or indirect impact on nature and biodiversity, and without effective application of cross-compliance principles, conservation efforts cannot be successful. The current publication does not make an attempt to cover all those areas but instead it presents in detail those most relevant to the protection of nature. It covers the concept of Green Infrastructure as an effective approach of combating the increasingly fragmented European landscape. The concept components, among others, include ecological connectivity and its implementation in practice through Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Appropriate Assessments (AA) and land use planning documents. Ecological networks, as one of the most important tools for effective conservation, are presented through the special case of the Natura 2000 network. The publication is intended to assist conservation experts in their effective engagement in national conservation efforts and to provide them with a tool for delivering knowledge to CSO members. It contains theoretical sections under each topic, practical exercises and a section listing further reading and references to various sources of information, such as websites, presentations, guidelines, etc.