Duration: September 2018 – September 2019

Project budget: € 45.830,122

Lead Partner: Danube Ipoly National Park Directorate

Co-financing sources: European Regional Development Fund

Project description

Mountain regions in the Alps and the Carpathians as well as the Danube floodplain represent some of the most important (semi) natural areas in Central and South-East Europe. Economic development is increasing constantly in this area, causing growing impact of habitat fragmentation and making genetic exchange between wildlife populations difficult.

The richness in bio-geographic regions qualifies Central and South-East Europe as model for corridor functionality and the establishment of Trans-European Network for Green Infrastructure (TEN-G). Facing the leading role of Protected Areas to foster habitat connectivity, in 2016, the Protected Area
Networks (DANUBEPARKS, ALPARC, CNPA) formed the “ADC Net”. Their MoC – elaborated under the patronage of EUSDR PAC6 and EUSALP AG7, signed under the Alpine Convention – aims for the realization of common actions towards ecological networks in and among their respective regions, but still waiting for consequent implementation.

“Three Networks, two macro-regions, one vision” is now to:
– strengthen this strategic cooperation
– anchor ADC Net better on policy level
– identify joint best-practice actions to improve ecological connectivity
– elaborate an Interreg-project proposal to better connect the Alps and the Carpathians through the Danube
– qualify the Networks for future leading roles in the main project
– deliver good practice for cooperation among the EU-macro regions: on site, on operational and on policy level

Two Protected Areas at the linkage of Danube and Alps, respectively, Danube and Carpathians, are responsible for the operational implementation.
The project set-up and implementation involve both EUSDR PAC6 and EUSALP AG7.

Activities relevant for the WG Biodiversity:

• Harmonization of the approach of ALPARC, CNPA, DANUBEPARKS
• development of transnational tools on eco-connectivity (e.g. Jecami)
• definition of pilot regions at the interface of the tree bio-regions: tributary rivers could serve as model for Green Infrastructure to connect the Alps and the Carpathians with the Danube (most larger tributary rivers are cross-border riverine corridors, a transnational management approach should be developed)
• strengthen Protected Areas and Natura 2000 as core sites within trans-European eco-corridors: contribution to ongoing political discussions to establish new Protected Areas, often located at Alpine/Carpathian tributary rivers (e.g. 3rd National Park in Bavaria including Isar mouth; Podunajsko National Park (SVK) at the Danube and cross-border river Morava; ROM/UK/MD: trilateral biosphere reserve at the Prut, coop MDD)
• Policy work: boost TEN-G, jointly by the PA Networks, PAC6, AG7, EU commission working group on TEN-G