The greenAlps partners discuss co-ordination needs and next steps

Apr 16, 2014

Project partners met in Innsbruck, Austria, on 19 March 2014, to coordinate the activities of WP4 “Governance in pilot areas” and WP5 “Capitalization & integration”. WP4 Leader EURAC presented the current status of their activities. The EURAC team visited all four pilot areas to get firsthand information on their previous experiences and their future needs. They found, for example, that transnational work can be difficult and that not only is a good legal framework needed but also the political will. Moreover it turned out that public interest in the concept of ecosystem services is growing. For greenAlps, an evaluation of ecosystem services, based on the selection of services that are important for the Alps produced by recharge.green, and their impact on ecological connectivity is very relevant. Stakeholders will discuss these issues at upcoming workshops. During these workshops participants will identify key needs for transnational co-operation and will discuss the practicalities of extending efforts across borders to achieve transboundary planning with the aim of creating a long-term, integrated policy.

Within WP5 the stakeholder mapping process has begun. Stakeholders across the Alpine region who were involved in previous (EU-) projects and who are already well known will be included. Moreover, a gap analysis will take place in order to reach new stakeholders as well; this will also include the metropolitan areas around the Alps.
Another main step within WP5 was the development of an online expert survey on biodiversity policy. The online survey has been designed to collect feedback from knowledgeable stakeholders and experts from varied relevant sectors on subjects related to EU and national/regional biodiversity policy.  This questionnaire is now online, and circulation to expert networks has begun.