LIFE RENATA “Roadmap for the alignment of EMERALD network establishment and management to NATURA 2000 standards in Moldova” is a project co-financed by the European Union, LIFE Programme, aiming at supporting the Republic of Moldova in advancing the establishment and management of the Emerald Network of protected sites and to move closer to the EU standards for the conservation of habitats and species, by providing support in legal, technical and operational level.
The project started in February 2024 and is expected to be completed in two (2) years.
The project is coordinated by Lever Development Consultants S.A., member of «Samaras & Partners» Group of Companies, with the participation of five (5) beneficiaries from Greece and Moldova: the Institute of Forestry Research and Development (ICAS) (Moldova), the Goulandris Natural History Museum – Greek Biotope/Wetland Centre (EKBY), the consulting company for environmental and energy engineering kartECO (Greece), the NGO EcoContact (Moldova) and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova.
The role of EKBY: ΕΚΒΥ is responsible for the implementation of actions regarding the support for operational advances towards EU Habitats and Birds Directives (assessment/prioritization of habitat types, species and Emerald/Natura 2000 sites, guidelines for the preparation of action plans and appropriate management, support for Emerald / Natura 2000 sites monitoring and reporting, training to enhance the capacity of competent authorities and relevant stakeholders). Also, EKBY provides support to the rest of the partners in the implementation of institutional/legal and technical actions regarding the alignment of the two protected areas’ networks, and takes part in the project management, communication and dissemination of the project’s objectives and results.
The official launch of LIFE RENATA took place with the project’s kick-off meeting held in Chisinau, Moldova, on March 13-14, 2024, with the presence of representatives of all partners, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Environment of Moldova, the Czech Environmental Protection Agency and the Programme Officer EU Delegation in the Republic of Moldova.
At the kick-off meeting, in addition to the presentation of the project and its objectives, the current status of the EMERALD Network sites in Moldova, the habitats and species included, as well as the “sister” project ConNaturLIFE “Project Conservation of Natural Heritage for Life in Ukraine” implemented by the Czech Republic and Ukraine, were presented.
The project is expected to improve the competence of relevant authorities and stakeholders by providing: a) understanding of the European Union Directives on habitats and species protection, b) understanding of the characteristics of Natura 2000 sites and identification of the Emerald sites in Moldova that have these characteristics, c) monitoring and reporting methods and tools, and d) a Knowledge Repository regarding the networks of protected areas, and a GIS database to record and map the sites of the EMERALD network in Moldova.
