Discussions | CEETO NETWORK

The European environment-state and outlook 2020

Early December this year, the European Environment Agency (EEA) issued the European environment - state and outlook 2020 (SOER 2020). It is stated that Europe will not achieve its 2030 goals without urgent action during the next 10 years to address the alarming rate of biodiversity loss, increasing impacts of climate change and the overconsumption of natural resources. ˝The focus now must be on scaling up, speeding up, streamlining and implementing the many solutions and innovations - both technological and social - which already exist, while stimulating additional research and development, catalysing behavioural shifts and, vitally, listening to and engaging with citizens.˝ 

Ente Parchi Emilia Centrale, ready for the ECST application

70 projects complete the dossier with which the Park Authority will present to Europe its application for the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in the Protected Areas of Central Emilia.

The final plenary forum (Rubiera - Modena - Italy - 04/12/2019) marked the end of the process started by Ente Parchi Emilia Centrale last April to obtain the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST), a certification recognised at continental level and supported by Europarc and Federparchi.

The idea of starting the application process started with the participation of the Management Authority in the European project CEETO, of which the Emilia-Romagna Region is the leading partner and within which the Park Authority has prepared, for some protected areas of its territory, a five-year Action Plan and implemented two Pilot Actions for the knowledge and a more sustainable management of tourism flows.

Central Emilia is the first "macro-area" of the Emilia-Romagna region to apply for certification for all its 8 protected areas located between the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which thus start, along with their territories, to obtain the important recognition and to be included among the destinations of excellence at European level.

In recent months, dozens of public and private stakeholders have taken part in the candidacy process, working in a vast territory that embraces very different environments and "kind of tourisms".

Municipal administrations, cultural and sports associations, entrepreneurs and tourism operators, promotion offices and destinations management organizations (DMOs), environmental and excursion guides, training and category bodies have been the protagonists of a proactive discussion both among themselves and with the Parks Authority. A step-by-step process that began with a shared analysis of the opportunities to be seized, useful for defining a common strategy and outlining concrete objectives to be achieved in the next five years, through an Action Plan (including those prepared within the framework of the CEETO Project), which includes no less than 70 initiatives and projects (for a total of about 12 million € of investment) carried out not only by the Managing Authority but also, and above all, by the subjects who participated in the process.

The final forum was the moment of approval (in the photo) and subscription of the actions that constitute the heart of the " application dossier ", already sent to the examination of the commission of Europarc.

The EC study ˝European tourism: recent developments and future challenges˝

Recently issued study ˝European tourism: recent developments and future challenges˝ provides an overview of the current state of affairs in European tourism, considering the latest developments, identifying future challenges and emerging opportunities. It draws a number of conclusions and makes recommendations at an EU policy level that will support the sustainable development of the sector.

Some recommendations extracted from the study: develop strategies for tourists to be more environmentally sustainable and socially respectful when traveling; invest in sustainable transport infrastructure; the EU to take the lead in promoting the development and use of new technologies; emphasis on providing the skills, both for the existing and future workforces; ensure that citizens groups have direct channels to the decision making process and are appropriately resourced so that they are enabled in this process.

˝The School Network in Protected Areas-Guidebook for Protected Areas and Schools˝-regional educational program in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia.

Within the project "Protected Areas for Nature and People˝, WWF Adria and Park Dinarides recently developed a Guidebook: ˝The School Network in Protected Areas-Guidebook for Protected Areas and Schools˝. The Guidebook is created for Protected Areas managers who want to work together with local teachers to develop educational programs or improve existing ones, and for schools that are interested in conducting their school curricula in the amazing environments of Protected Areas. In the chapters Learning about nature through play and Educational Activities and Critical Thinking is explained how to develop educational activities and in Annex 1 - Learning about nature through play - Description of activities are provided detailed explanations of examples of activities.

School Networks aims to create long-term and efficient partnerships between local schools and a Protected Area that is bound by the common goal of preserving local natural and cultural heritage in a way that contributes to the wellbeing of the local community.

The Guidebook is available in English.

CEETO project to establish an innovative governance system for sustainable tourism in protected and NATURA 2000 areas