I. Introduction

I.1. The "Environment for Europe" Process and the four Sofia Initiatives

" We welcome the "Sofia Initiatives" developed by CEECs in co-operation with the EAP Task Force and International Financing Institutions. These initiatives build on achievements in CEECs in reducing the pollution through policy, regulation and investment. They will provide concrete steps to further implement the EAP after Sofia conference, in co-operation with western partners, and to exchange experience."

The initiatives cover the areas from EAP which are of high priority for Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), where they have already achieved positive results and can achieve more by working together. The Sofia Initiatives are representing a step made by the respective Environmental Ministries of the CEE Region to establish a new level of regional environmental activity.

• The Sofia Initiatives were independently initiated by CEE governments;
• the initiatives are tailored on the basis of the specific needs of the countries of the CEE region and the Newly Independent States (NIS);
• and they are principally implemented by CEE and NIS experts.

I.2. The Sofia Biodiversity Initiative

The main working principles of the SBI are:

• use of existing experience and capacities in the region;
• avoiding overlapping between various activities run by different organisations, authorities, governments and other groups;
• and use of experience in different fields (financing, public participation, integration into different socio-economic sectors, land use planning, etc.) within the Environmental Action Programme.

The Initiative is led by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of Slovenia. The following countries participated in the SBI: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, FYR Macedonia and Yugoslavia.

The activities undertaken in frame of the Sofia Biodiversity Initiative were reported to the Task Force for Implementation of the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe. The Executive Bureau of PEBLDS was kept informed about the progress. The secretariat for the SBI was provided by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) and the European Programme of the World Conservation Union (IUCN-EP).

II. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN TO IMPLEMENT THE SBI

II.1. General considerations

The Environment for Europe process has been a vital vehicle for establishing networks of environmental stakeholders in changing Europe and accelerating the development of new environmental strategies in CEECs. This work has had catalytic influence on the biodiversity management as well. Ministries of Environment in CEECs have undertaken and already performed numerous tasks in the field of biodiversity protection focusing on policy, institutional building and investments. Most CEECs have elaborated and adopted National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and National Plans for Wetlands. National Ecological Networks have been developed in several countries - Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, etcÉ

The SBI is trying to be a pragmatic approach to biodiversity conservation, based on the philosophy of the Environmental Action Programme. It provides and opportunity for the CEECs to share the specific experience available in the region, to respond to the challenges of the transition period, to formulate common approaches for biodiversity issues and spread the good or bad lessons between themselves and other European countries, as well to take the advantage of the different processes underway and to contribute to them through a sub-regional response. The SBI has opened a dialogue between the governments and NGOs and other interested parties.

The main challenge in front of 10 CEECs is the EU Accession process. This is a new important dimension of the European wide co-operation. It presents unique opportunities and threats for European biodiversity conservation, therefore new and urgent actions are required not to miss the possibilities of this historical moment. The ongoing restructuring of economic sectors and the support of EU for sustainable development provide an opportunity for the CEE landscape and biological diversity to become a common European asset. On the other hand intensive pressure for economic development is expected and the low priority given to the conservation of biodiversity may weaken the countriesÕ capacity to prevent irreversible damages.

In the EU enlargement process the biodiversity needs special efforts while resources for action remain scarce. Innovative policies and solutions for CEECs are needed and the SBI can provide a framework for formulating proper strategies of biodiversity protection and to mobilising national and external resources for priority steps and investments.

II.2. The First CEE Biodiversity Initiative Conference (Jan. 16-18, 1997, Tirana, Albania)

The main goal of the workshop was to initiate regional and national networks for implementing the SBI and for integrating and co-ordinating biodiversity related activities.

The objectives of the conference were:

• to provide an opportunity for exchange of experience between the CEE region's biodiversity officials and NGO representatives;
• to develop the scope of the Biodiversity Initiative;
• and to discuss future methods of co-operation between the CEE countries.

The following major areas of activities were identified:

• There is an urgent need for facilitating information flow, exchange of opinions and informal briefings about topics of common interest before major international meetings. Regular networking opportunities should be afforded through various meetings of different programs and "ad hoc" meetings of the participants in the initiative.
• The process of capacity building should start at the top levels of national governments and embrace the conservation staff, local authority staff, NGOs and the private sector.
• Enhancing awareness of biodiversity issues among the general public, professionals working in the field and the business sector should be an integral part of all the efforts under this initiative.
• To contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in the region and respond to the challenge of EU Approximation, the CEE countries should develop common elements of biodiversity conservation policies.
• The CEE countries should further develop the East-East and East-West partnerships and should work closer together within the framework of existing international initiatives, taking special care to articulate their particular needs for assuring sustainable development in the region.

II.3. The Second Regional SBI Workshop (April 23-25, 1998, Martuljek, Slovenia)

The main goal of the meeting was to provide an opportunity to strengthen the existing networks and to start formulating common principles for protection of biodiversity in the region. It also provided a forum for discussing the requirements of the EU Nature Protection Directives and for sharing the experiences and lessons learned by some EU member states in the implementation of the Birds and Habitat Directives and other EU policies and initiatives related to the field of conserving biological diversity.

Three priority areas of future action, meant to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the EU Accession process, were identified:

• the transposition and implementation of EU nature conservation legislation;
• the integration of biodiversity into agricultural policies;
• and the use of new major funding opportunities such as the ISPA facility.

As for the EU nature conservation legislation and international programmes, the participants highlighted the following important issues:

0. The Birds and Habitats directives should be transposed and implemented as soon as possible. Special emphasis should be placed on the early identification of species and habitats on the national level, to be submitted for amendments and exceptions from the annexes of the Habitats Directive (1992/43). There is a need for broader awareness-raising, information exchange and training in relation to the accession process.
1. Agri-environment programmes offer opportunities for the inclusion of biodiversity considerations into agricultural policies, as well as vital social, job creation and cultural benefits. Agricultural development must take into account the principles of sustainability. Existing experience from various preparatory projects in CEE countries -- such as those examined in the IUCN Best Practices Guide, two of which were discussed at the meeting -- can be of great value. A dialogue between environmental and agricultural authorities, and other stakeholders in rural areas, has to be established as soon as possible. A key issue is the prevention of further loss, degradation, or fragmentation of biologically diverse agricultural habitats.
2. The ISPA mechanism, which will start with structural support for the accession countries in the year 2000, offers another opportunity for the development and implementation of programs and specific projects with strong biodiversity objectives. Conservation Authorities can take advantage of the mechanism by working together with local communities and other actors in rural areas.
3. There is tremendous need for capacity building and exchange of experience between CEE countries and also with EU member states. In particular, this includes co-operation and training in the fields of identification, preparation and implementation of local sustainable development projects. Greater input from different sectors should be sought for, concentrating in particular on agriculture, rural development and job creation.

II.4. The Joint Biodiversity Secretariat

III. CONCLUSIONS, FUTURE ACTIVITIES

III.1. The major achievements

• a network of CEE experts (governmental and non-governmental) has been established in order to facilitate discussions both "horizontally" (i.e. between different countries) and "vertically" (i.e. between different stakeholders of society, such as governments, NGOs, etc.);
• a thorough discussion of common CEE principles on integration of biodiversity issues into other sectoral policies, with particular respect to the EU integration process;
• the main hindrances to biodiversity and the policy-making and technical necessities have been identified;
• CEE countries were given assistance in the process of articulating their special needs, finding common issues and indicating them at international forums, particularly with respect to the upcoming Aarhus Ministerial Conference.

III.2. The new challenges for CEE countries can be summarised as follows:

• The challenge of cross-sectoral integration of biodiversity has not been fully met. The CEE countries must seek to integrate biodiversity conservation considerations into all relevant sectors, the most important being agriculture.
• Experience in agriculture and rural development in CEE countries should be used more intensively in preparing policy directions for biodiversity conservation within the new Common Agricultural Policy.
• There is an urgent need for a widespread dissemination of information on the existing requirements, initiatives and networks which are of relevance to biodiversity projects.
• Steps should be taken to identify areas and sites of importance for European biodiversity in order to avoid their deterioration by large scale development projects financed by different international financing institutions.
• The need for taking advantage of the synergy between the four Sofia Initiatives and the necessity of a "multi-stakeholder" approach in undertaking biodiversity projects was obvious and is to be the working principle of all further activities.

The SBI is a part of the global efforts for preservation of the biodiversity and is a concrete contribution towards protection of the common European Natural Heritage The SBI is a practical and specific regional response of the CEECs towards achieving concrete results in biodiversity protection with region's own available resources and capacity. Further support has to be provided to the region by other European countries and by the international donor funding community.

Acknowledgments

Chair of the Sofia Biodiversity Initiative
Dr. Pavel Gantar , Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Slovenia

Project Manager, Sofia Biodiversity Initiative
Mira Mileva, Joint IUCN - REC Biodiversity Secretariat

We would like to express our appreciation to the work done by the staff of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of Slovenia to foster the activities of the SBI, as well to the representatives for governmental and non-governmental organizations participated in the SBI: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia Lithuania, Latvia, FYR Macedonia and Yugoslavia.

We would like to thank to the MoE Albania and Slovenia and REC local offices in these countries for their invaluable help in hosting the workshops. The JBS also thanks to EU- DG XI and DG XVI, to the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fishery, the Netherlands, Birdlife International and ECNC for their valuable contribution to the SBI.

The Joint Biodiversity Secretariat is very grateful for the advice of the participants of 2nd workshop on Sofia Biodiversity Initiative (SBI) in particular to:

Kadira Mocevic, Federal Ministry of Physical Planning and Environment Bosnia and Herzegovina
Elizaveta Matveeva, Ministry of Environment and Waters, Bulgaria
Darka Spudic, State Directorate for Protection of Nature and Environment, Croatia
Handrij HŠrtel, Ministry of Environment, Czech Republic
Jaroslaw Sarul, Ministry of Environment Protection,Natural Resources and Forestry
Csaba FŸleky, Ministry of Environment and Regional Planning, Hungary
Vija Busa, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Latvia
Zlata Jari¾, Institute for Nature Protection, FR Yugoslavia Serbia
Antoaneta Bukleska Ralevska, Agency for Environment and Nature protection and Promotion, FYR Macedonia
Mart Kulvik, Environmental Protection Institute, Estonia
Dubravka Soljan, FONDECO, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jan Plesnik, Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, Czech Republic, IUCN membership organization
Geko Spiridonov, Wilderness Fund, IUCN membership organization
Charlie Avis, IUCN - Ecosystem Management Commission
Laurence Rose, Birdlife International
Bertrand Delpeuch, EU DG XI
Ian Clark, EU DG XVI
Liz Hopkins, IUCN
Peter Skoberne, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of Slovenia
Ruta Vaiciunaite, REC Local Office, Lithuania
Marta Kaczinska, REC Local Office, Poland
Milena Marega, REC Local Office, Slovenia

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