17 de April de 2024
The European Commission has selected 27 finalists from 96 eligible applications, representing 107 organizations across Europe. The jury will select one winner from each of the five categories.
- Citizens can vote for their favorite project among the 27 finalists that the European Commission has selected to compete in the final until April 25.
- The projects are characterized by the protection of the biodiversity of the European Union while protecting the local economies of many rural areas.
- The awards ceremony will take place on May 29th as part of the "EU Green Week"
The European Commission (EC) has announced the 27 projects that will compete as finalists in the 2024 edition of the Natura 2000 Awards . Natura 2000 is a European ecological network of biodiversity conservation areas whose objective is to ensure the long-term survival of species and habitat types in Europe, contributing to halting biodiversity loss. Indeed, it is the main instrument for nature conservation in the European Union.
Thus, the finalists represent the best initiatives for protecting biodiversity while promoting the development of local economies. It is not surprising, therefore, that some rural development aid funds under the CAP are indirectly linked to Natura 2000 sites.
The Natura 2000 Awards consist of 5 categories :
- Conservation on land
- Marine conservation
- Communication
- Working together for nature
- Cross-border cooperation
Plus the Citizens' Prize , which is a public recognition of their favorite project . Finalists in all categories automatically participate in a public vote, and the finalist with the most votes wins the European Citizens' Prize.
This year, voting is open until 11:59 p.m. on April 25, 2024.
Spanish finalists
For this year's edition, the EC has selected 27 finalists from 96 eligible applications, representing 107 organizations across Europe. The jury will select one winner from each of the five categories. The winners will be announced at the Natura 2000 Awards ceremony on 29 May 2024, during EU Green Week 2024 .
Regarding Spain, our country has participated in 9 projects , either individually or in cooperation with other European partners:
A cross-border cooperation project between Spain and Portugal that successfully addressed the ineffective enforcement of environmental legislation in Spain and Portugal, resulting in an increase in the number of convictions and fines imposed for illegal activities in Natura 2000 sites.
2. Grazing to preserve Natura 2000 habitats and species
A cross-border cooperation project between Spain and France addresses the impacts of undergrazing and overgrazing on semi-natural pastures, restoring 1,670 hectares of mountain grassland areas and publishing a best practices manual for mountain pasture conservation.
A Spanish initiative that rescues amphibian larvae and hatchlings in and around the Sierra de Guadarrama, allowing for the natural recolonization of 40 interconnected wetlands by various amphibian species.
4. Raising awareness and preventing invasive aquatic alien species in the Iberian Peninsula
Cross-border cooperation project between Spain and Portugal aimed at combating invasive aquatic species. The project has introduced efficient river management strategies in Natura 2000 sites in Portugal and Spain, and its online detection system is applicable throughout Europe.
5. European Association for Earth Care
A cross-border cooperation project between Spain, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, and Serbia. This initiative established a European network of landcare partnerships working with a wide range of stakeholders to preserve and restore biodiversity in European landscapes.
6. The Monachus Project: restoring and connecting European black vulture colonies
Spanish initiative that has successfully reintroduced black vulture populations in previously isolated populations in Spain and France.
A Spanish project that supports the relevant authorities in community conservation and management efforts in an area of special environmental interest: the L'Albera Natura 2000 marine area in Catalonia.
8. The Formentera Marine Management Board
An excellent example of networking and volunteering in Spain is the Marine Stewardship Board , which engages numerous stakeholders to ensure both development and nature conservation objectives for marine protected areas.
This initiative has proven to be an economical, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional rodent pest control on agricultural land, specifically the common vole, by providing support to birds of prey.
You can support Spanish projects by voting for them here .