From 2003 to 2006 ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation led a project aimed to outline the contours of the Pan-European Ecological Network (or PEEN) in South-Eastern Europe. In this project ECNC cooperated closely with research institutes, NGOs and government agencies from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, FYR of Macedonia, Serbia-Montenegro and Slovenia.

In recent years interest in the concept of ecological connectivity in general, and ecological networks in particular, has increased considerably, partly because of the growing concern about the impacts of climate change on Europe’s biodiversity. The Pan-European Ecological Network aims to link internationally and nationally protected areas and ecological networks with the goal to secure the favourable conservation status of Europe’s key ecosystems, habitats, species and landscapes. This project contributes in particularly to the target set at the Fifth ‘Environment for Europe’ Ministerial Conference held in Kyiv, in May 2003:
“By 2006, the Pan-European Ecological Network (core areas, restoration areas, corridors and buffer zones, as appropriate) in all States of the pan European region will be identified and reflected on coherent indicative European maps, as a European contribution towards a global ecological network.”

The map and accompanying Technical background document can be downloaded here.