03 December 2007

The SEENET programme ended last month. It facilitated the implementation of the Pan-European ecological Network (PEEN) in South-East Europe and the Black Sea region. The SEENET Programme was financially supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the BBI-MATRA programme.

In the past two years the SEENET programme has developed an extensive network of experts (http://www.seenet.info/html/organisations/listorganisations.php) and knowledge of ongoing activities in the field of ecological networks in the region covered by the programme.

A clearing-house mechanism was set up to distribute information and serve as a doorway to the world of ecological networks. The SEENET website (www.seenet.info) received 5,000 visitors per month from the region.

The programme has provided many opportunities for different stakeholder groups to participate in national or international fora, events, training and seminars organized in the region (http://www.seenet.info/html/training/training.php) or in EU bodies and institutions where experts were able to represent their region.

Communication materials were also developed on PEEN and stakeholder involvement in ecological networks, and sectoral brochures were published on ecological networks and forestry, water management, agriculture, road infrastructure and marine and coastal areas (http://www.seenet.info/html/promotional/promotional.php). The programme also aimed to involve different, essential stakeholder groups involved in the implementation of ecological networks, such as the spatial planning sector (stand to promote ecological networks at the 5th International Congress on Spatial planning, Malaga, Spain).

The programme also targeted schools in the SEE region and asked the pupils to provide their views on ecological connectivity in form of posters. The winning pupil of the poster competition, Antonio Veres (11) from Zagreb, Croatia, received the SEENET Poster Award and a prize of € 500 at the Ministerial Conference ’Environment for Europe’ in Belgrade in October 2007. Antonio was accompanied to the ceremony by his teacher.

The winning poster 'Ecoduct' by Antonio Veres

The SEENET programme served as a messenger from the region to the international policy community and represented the region at several fora, e.g. PEEN Committee of Experts, EU Habitat Forum, PEBLDS Council, PEBLDS Bureau, Environment for Europe Conference, and CEMAT.

The SEENET team would like to take the opportunity to thank all who have contributed to the programme!