Within the project "Development of a National Prioritised Action Framework for Natura 2000" (NPAF) 5 study trips to EU member states took place aiming at acquiring foreign experience and studying good practices. Representatives of government bodies, academic community and professional associations, who have extensive experience in the respective fields and are directly involved in the development of the Bulgarian National Prioritised Action Framework for NATURA 2000, took part in the trips.
The first trip was held in the Republic of Estonia in June 2013, where the Bulgarian experts had the opportunity to learn about the process of developing the Estonian Prioritised Action Framework, the approach to horizontal funding of priorities and measures, as well as the strategies and experience in the work with the stakeholders. There were meetings with experts from the Estonian Ministry of Environment, Estonian intermediate body for EU funding and local NGOs. How the prioritized action framework is actually implemented was observed in a visit to the National Park Lahemaa, which is a Natura 2000 site and is managed successfully through a partnership between the public authorities at national and regional levels and the associations of the private forest owners.
The second study trip to the Republic of Slovenia in the middle of June 2013 provided examples of successful management of protected areas as a result of constant dialogue with all stakeholders and active participation of the local communities. There were meetings with experts of the Slovenian government bodies for management of NATURA 2000 sites, and organizations responsible for the development of the Slovenian Prioritised Action Framework and reporting under Art. 17 of the Habitats Directive of the EC. In Triglav National Park the Bulgarian experts received information about the good experience of the park management in the communication and work with the local community. The visit to Škocjanski zatok Nature Reserve was an example of successful restoration of natural ecosystem and implementation of conservation measures for habitats and species, and Škocjanske jame cave – for conservation and management of cave habitats.
The topic of the third study trip to the Kingdom of Spain in July 2013 was funding of agricultural activities within the context of NPAF. Spain applies a decentralized management approach, namely the policy making and overall coordination is at national level and the autonomous governments of 17 Spanish communities decide how to implement the policies and enforce them. The same is valid for the activities related to environment and agriculture. There are 17 separate rural development programs and one for funding projects of cooperation between the communities. The group visited protected areas in Sanabria and Villafafila, where information about the system of park management and the measures applied for sustainable agriculture and conservation of natural habitats and species were presented. The group was made familiar with the approach of implementing conservation measures for a flag species, which facilitate the protection of other species and the area and create occupation for the local people through appropriate cultivation of the agricultural lands.
The participants in the fourth stidy trip to the Republic of Austria in September 2013 met the management of "Vienna Woods Biospeherte Park", the Federal Research Centre of Forestry, Natural disasters and Landscape, the management of Tayatal Valley National Park and the Federal Environment Agency. The forest management in NATURA 2000 sites was the subject of all discussions, including compensation measures for the owners and estimation methods, forest protection regimes and penalties for violations. The Bulgarian experts got acquainted on site with good practices for conservation of species and habitats in the forests.
The last study trip was held in the Italian Republic in September 2013 aiming exchange of experience and study of good tourist practices in NATURA 2000 sites. The Bulgarian experts had a meeting with experts from the Regional Park Agency, where they obtained information about the management of parks in Italy. The group visited Circeo and Abruzzo Nationals Parks and observed local tourist practices and their impact on the natural habitats, particularly dunes and wetlands. The involvement of the local people in a variety of activities supporting the park administrations and the constant communication among them lie at the root of the successful conservation and restoration of NATURA 2000 sites in Italy.
All study trips were organized in close cooperation with local coordinators experienced in NATURA 2000 activities, which contributed to interesting program meeting the expectations of the participants and the purpose of trips. Moreover, the study trips ensured collection of good practices applicable for Bulgaria, which may take place during the implementation of the National Prioritised Action Framework for NATURA 2000 in 2014 – 2020. All good practices will be presented in a book, which will be published and distributed in the framework of the project.
