In a new joint statement, EUROPARC recognises the urgency and opportunity that the new EU budget presents to elevate biodiversity conservation efforts across Europe.

The recent joint statement, “Unlocking funds for nature: How the next EU budget must deliver for biodiversity“, signed by EUROPARC and eight other organisations, outlines critical steps for enhancing biodiversity financing in the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The European Commission’s forthcoming proposal for the next MFF marks a significant opportunity to address the persistent financing gaps that hinder biodiversity conservation.

Effective implementation of the Nature Restoration Law requires robust financial support to ensure that Member States can enforce their provisions amid stringent financial regulations and public debt reduction efforts.

The joint statement brings three strategic proposals for biodiversity financing:

1. Dedicated Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration Fund: streamline financial resources to activities directly addressing biodiversity loss, including the management of Protected Areas, habitat restoration, and biodiversity monitoring.

2. Strengthening Biodiversity Mainstreaming: legally binding biodiversity spending objectives within each funding programme, ensuring dedicated financial commitments that are not overshadowed by other priorities.

3. Preventing Harmful Investments: redirection of EU funds from projects that damage biodiversity, and enhanced enforcement of EU environmental legislation.

The document highlights the need to simplify requirements and promote project bundling to enhance access to funding by smaller and more effective conservation projects. Also, expanding the LIFE programme and integrating its best practices into other funding streams to enhance biodiversity conservation efforts across Europe.

EUROPARC echoes this call for an accurate tracking methodology focusing on dedicated biodiversity projects and their outcomes for transparent and effective financing.

Read the joint statement “Unlocking funds for nature: How the next EU budget must deliver for biodiversity” here.

This call for tenders is issued within the scope of the Horizon Europe project, ‘NaturaConnect – Designing a resilient and coherent Trans-European Network for Nature and People’.

For the purposes of this tender, acting on behalf of the project partners, the contracting authority for this Invitation to Tender is EUROPARC Federation.

Procurement – External Service Contract for video editing & provision of associated support services

The contracting authority is looking to engage with an experienced external service provider to provide support services for the editing of videos to be produced and used as part of the NaturaConnect Learning Platform, that is publicly available at the European Nature Academy.

Bidders are asked to outline their budget proposal, specified by specific services. The VAT amount and rate must be stated separately on bids submitted. If the successful bid is from a country other than Germany, the contracting authority will make use of the reverse charge rule (intra-community supply of goods or services), and pay VAT in Germany that is non-recoverable.

Above all, the project requires a technical development contractor who is innovative, solution-oriented and able to think with partners. In particular, they should be able to demonstrate that they have sound experience in video editing using Adobe Premiere Pro. The videos will be for use for an international audience as learning materials as part of the NaturaConnect Learning Platform. Previous experience of delivering similar work as an external service contractor within the scope of an EU funded project would be an advantage: those bidding for this contract should be able to demonstrate familiarity with EU funded project terms and conditions especially in relation to publicity.

It is essential that the contractor is fully competent in the necessary technical development services but, equally, is able to anticipate and incorporate advanced new technologies to future-proof the technical products created by this contract and ensure their sustainability and longevity. This will help to ensure that the NaturaConnect Learning Platform, including the videos produced and used, are capable of meeting users’ needs and expectations now and in the future. 

Bids must be submitted in English and set out how they will deliver the contract effectively and efficiently and demonstrate relevant technical knowledge, skills and experience.

The bids must be submitted in the required format and received by 23.59 on 23 August 2024.

Download the full procurement call

The ESPARC Congress started in 1995 and, since then, it has consolidated as one of the main events to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of information between Protected Area professionals. Specifically, it targets public administration technicians dedicated to the planning and management of Protected Areas, although is open to the participation of all nature conservation professionals.

From May 22nd to 26th, EUROPARC Spain together with the Sustainable Development Office of the Castilla La-Mancha Chartered Community hosted the XXII ESPARC Congress in Sigüenza, Spain, under the theme “Territories of Life”.

The agenda included a highly technical component, workshops, information exchange, a marketplace, plenary sessions, and different field trips.

Workshops

The workshops featured a wide range of interesting topics, including:

• How to improve landscape connectivity and ecological restoration to increase adaptation capacities to climate change?
• How can we contribute to the objective of 10% strict protection in Spain through management experiences?
• How to ensure coherence between conservation objectives and tourism management in Protected Areas?
• How to face the challenge of rural depopulation and adaptation to climate change?
• How to move forward in connecting nature conservation with human well-being and health?
• How to improve communication of the role of Protected Areas in a context of global change?

Market place

The congress brought together 175 nature conservation professionals from all over Spain.

They had the opportunity to explore the experience market featuring 10 stalls, among which were spaces from EUROPARC Federation and EUROPARC Spain.

This was a great opportunity for EUROPARC Federation to spread the word about our projects, programmes and initiatives.

It was a pleasure to introduce the participants of the Congress to:

LIFE ENABLE and the European Nature Academy,

NaturaConnect,

MPA4Change,

Healthy Parks Healthy People Europe 

Interreg Europe GREENHEALTH

and the European Day of Parks.

On 17.06, the European Council has approved the Nature Restoration Law. An important step for nature and people!

EUROPARC welcomes the approval of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation

On the 17th of June 2024, the EU Council approved the EU Nature Restoration Law, two years on from its first publication by the European Commission. “This is a day that strategically changes our approach to EU nature conservation with crucial impact for the decades to come – Says EUROPARC President, Michael Hošek. Continuing:

It not only strengthens the EU environmental legislation, but also adds to the existing tools and measures (generally underperforming) a new approach that responds to both scientific knowledge and practical needs.

What is significant for EUROPARC and Protected Areas (PAs) from today’s approval?

1) Even though the proposal was changed in some parts during the deliberations, it is still strong enough and provides a sufficient framework for what is needed: the resulting compromise is an ambitious piece of legislation, with clear targets and good level of ambition.

2) The National Restoration Plans that will be drawn up by individual countries are the perfect tool not only for themselves, but also to support international cooperation for nature restoration.

3) Protected Areas will play an important role for the successful implementation of the new legislation. Even if the Nature Restoration Law primarily targets restoration beyond Protected Areas, till 2030 priority will be given to Natura 2000 sites. A large number of which are managed, or under the responsibility, of EUROPARC members: overlapping Protected Areas and other PA managing authorities.

Implementation of the law will soon start. EUROPARC acknowledges the challenges ahead and will continue to support member states and their Protected Area networks, to identify opportunities and drive innovation. We can do this best, by working across sectors, including tourism and agriculture, making new alliances, and finding routes to a resilient nature that ensures people are part of the process.

Council of the European Union official press release:

• Formal adoption of the Regulation on nature restoration: see press release.