Project Title
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Sustainable use of Natura 2000 habitats along the Slovenian-Hungarian border
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Acronym
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Landscape in harmony
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Priority
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2. Suistainable developement
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Lead Partner organisation
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Őrség National Park Directorate
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Country of Lead Partner
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Hungary
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Partner organisations
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P2 Public institute Krajinski park Goričko/Nature park; P3 Prlekija Development Agency; P4 Municipality of Apátistvánfalva/Števanovci; P5 Ecological Centre SVIT
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Regions/Counties involved
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Slovenia: Pomurje
Hungary: Vas, Zala
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Start date - End date
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1.11.2009 – 31.10.2012
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Total budget of the operation 1.317.193,66 EUR
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ERDF amount requested 1.109.300,99 EUR
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Partner 2 – JZ KP Goričko 540.961,15 EUR
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ERDF amount requested: 459.816.97 EUR
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National budget: 54.096.12 EUR
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Others: 27.048, 07 EUR
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Specific cross-border objectives of the project
The main objective of the project is to preserve biodiversity of the Natura 2000 network along the Slovenian-Hungarian border through the development of a sustainable land use model based on the natural, economic and social potentials of the area. We will survey potentials for nature-friendly land use in the Őrség, Goričko and Mura Natura 2000 sites. We will map Natura 2000 habitats and butterflies and prepare an atlas of them. We will investigate economic and social conditions of the area. We will develop new agricultural and touristic products and increase their profitability by a local trademark. We will develop criteria for nature-friendly agriculture and communicate them to farmers and evaluate agriculture through a “green point” system. We will contribute to the preservation of biodiversity through the implementation of sustainable land use. We will purchase machinery for habitat management and establish a small cheese producer. We will buy degraded grasslands and improve them. We will reinforce and popularize the sustainable use of natural resources in Natura 2000 sites. We will produce tourist guides on habitats, plants and butterflies of the project area. We will publish booklets and board games to popularize nature-friendly agriculture.
Added value of ERDF funding
The three Natura 2000 sites of the project area are similar in their natural settings and their wildlife is interconnected. Nature conservation activities in any of them therefore influence the wildlife of the others. The common conservation problem of the three areas is the disappearance of grasslands and their wildlife, and through this the loss of biodiversity. Partners seek joint solutions for their common problems. The chance of solving the problems is much higher with their joint efforts. The transfer of knowledge is also important in the project, e.g. partners will share their experiences on habitat mapping, local trade marks and rural development. The cross-border area is also a unifed tourist region; the two sides of the border are visited by the same people. Therefore, we will develop at least bilingual booklets and guides.
Quality of the partnership
Five partners will take part in the project. Őrség National Park Directorate (ŐNPI), the nature conservation manager of Őrség Natura 2000 site will be the lead partner. Goričko Landscape Protection Park (KPG) is the nature conservation manager of Goričko Natura 2000 site, and Prlekija Development Agency is responsible for the sustainable development of the Mura Natura 2000 site. The municipality of Apátistvánfalva (AÖK) from Hungary and Ecological Centre SVIT (ECS) from Slovenia will also join the partnership. Partners aim to solve nature conservation problems of the three connected Natura 2000 sites and they all contribute to the solutions. The two conservation organizations (ŐNPI, KPG) and PRA will contribute with their experiences on wildlife conservation and sustainable development. The role of ECS will be the development of sustainable agricultural products and their popularization. AÖK will be responsible for the nature-friendly maintenance of grasslands in Apátistvánfalva and for the representation of the interest of Slovenian minority. The partners have already had cross-border cooperation with each other and they have considerable experience with EU founded projects (Phare CBC, Interreg IIIA, LIFE Nature).
Outputs
We will carry out a survey on the natural, economic and social potentials of the three Natura 2000 sites. We will create Natura 2000 habitat maps and butterfly distribution maps and publish a butterfly atlas. We will survey the local human population for the potentials of sustainable land use. Based on these surveys we will develop a model of sustainable land use which will set the directions for future development of the region. We will work out guidelines for nature-friendly agriculture and publish a guide, which will be distributed among farmers and locals at forums. We will introduce “green point” system to evaluate agriculture and award farmers a local trade marks if they manage their lands on a nature-friendly way. We will buy machinery for grassland management and use it to maintain Natura 2000 habitats. We will establish a small cheese producer and promote the production of ecologic food. We will promote and popularize sustainable land use and natura-friendly methods of agriculture through multilanguage color booklets. We will popularize the project through commercial materials, a film and a website.
Results
The main result of the project is a sustainable land use model which solves the preservation of biodiversity through harmonizing conservation, economic and social interests. This will serve as a basis for future development of the region. The project will give birth to new agricultural products and increase their popularity both among producers and consumers. Agriculture will become more nature-friendly and the communication between nature conservation authorities and farmers will improve. The project will solve the nature-friendly management of at least 200 ha grasslands and maintain biodiversity on them. The natural heritage of Natura 2000 sites will become more popular due to the publication of tourist guides and other booklets.