What is PEEN?

The Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN)

One important element of the implementation of the Pan-European Biological and Landscapes Diversity Strategy is the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network. The participating states have agreed that the network should be established by 2005. The national efforts for national ecological networks and for international cooperation should enable the establishment of the PEEN.

In order to support the establishment of the Pan-European Ecological Network, the Council of Europe created a Committee of Experts for the development of the Pan-European Ecological Network (STRA-REP). It was set up in 1997 in the framework of the Council of Europe under the authority of the Council for the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (STRA-CO).

PROJECT LIFE III CRO-NEN - “BUILDING-UP THE NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL NETWORK AS A PART OF THE PAN-EUROPEAN ECOLOGICAL NETWORK & NATURA 2000 NETWORK” (PROJECT ACRONYM CRO-NEN)

In Croatia State Institute for Nature Protection has implemendet LIFE Project “Building-up the National Ecological Network (CRO-NEN)“. In every country, National ecological network (NEN) is established by national nature protection legislation. Croatian nature protection law (NN 162/03) defines National ecological network (NEN) as network of nationally and internationally important areas. NEN, once established, will be included in PEEN that is developed by European Centre for Nature Conservation. Implementation of this project is one of the obligations Croatia has to meet in the accession process to the European Union.

Beneficiary (2003): Ministry of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Building

Beneficiary (2004-2005): State Institute for Nature Protection

Partner: OIKON Ltd. Institute for Applied Ecology

Participation: European Centre for Nature Conservation

Specific objectives:

• To train nature protection authorities for implementation of Croatian obligations in the accession process to the European Union and develop methodology for presenting National Ecological Network to local population and all stakeholders;
• To make a map of national ecological network as a part of the Pan-European Ecological Network and basis for EU Program NATURA 2000;
• To develop in Croatia large/broad network of adequately trained associates for gathering data and biodiversity monitoring as a basis for the establishment of National Biodiversity Monitoring Programme

Main activity: Capacity building - training of human potentials.

Project status: Finished

Project beginning: 2002, December 1st

Project ended: 2005, May 31st

More about the Project you can find on Project web-page: http://www.cro-nen.hr