Kranj, 8th June 2018 – Regional Development Agency Gorenjska, BSC Kranj organised the fourth partner meeting of the INTERREG - Project LENA "Local Economy and Nature Conservation in the Danube Region". More than fifty participants from seven Danube countries discussed the best means to communicate and to raise awareness of nature values and potentials of protected areas along the Danube river.

The partner meeting took place from 4th to 7th of June 2018 in the ECO hotel Bohinj in Bohinjska Bistrica where the project partners presented the progress and success of the project so far, next activities and already discussed the follow up activities after LENA project.

First day afternoon was dedicated to networking of the transnational LENA group of Danube stakeholders. The Nature Policy workshop, the second day, was the first of the two planned for the elaboration of the Strategic policy analysis with recommendations, addressing the impact of current relevant sectoral, financial and fiscal policies  on level of implementation of EU nature legislation, protected area policies, green job and business policies. One of the main topics discussed on the workshop were the policies for the protected nature areas in the Danube. Ms. Laure Ledoux, Deputy Head of Biodiversity Unit at The Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) presented how biodiversity will be included in the future EU budget - multiannual financial framework 2021-2027. There are new facts which are influencing the future budget: it will be the first EU budget without United Kingdom contribution, there are new priorities such as security, defense and migration and it needs also to ensure the continuity of EU policies. She pointed out two main fields of actions: environment and climate changes, two main beneficiaries from the new budget are new priorities and sustainability.

Photo is taken by Stefan Blanz

The second half of the afternoon engaged participants in the discussion about the final steps of elaborating the Guidance on mobilising finances for conservation, nature-based jobs and business models in Danube Region, which is one of the 4 guidance documents being elaborated within the LENA consortium. Danube partnership is working on creating shared know-how and shaping policies and tools on effective sustainable use approaches for protected areas through developing 4 guidance documents and policy recommendations.

On the third day in Bohinj, on Wednesday, discussion focused on other three guidance documents. Participants from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Serbia and Slovenia discussed how to communicate to local people and visitors the value of nature to the local economy and what are the values of protected areas that should be communicated to people; how to develop the capacity for sustainable use of the natural and cultural heritage as element of protected area management and how to increase market access of sustainable sourced natural products.

Within the LENA project the quality guidance for Danube guides was developed and the training for the trainers of the Danube guides was implemented, it took place in Orth, Austria at the National Park "Donau-Auen in April 2018. The programme connected an intensive didactical training with various aspects of the region, such as history, ecological and social topics, as well as the cultural and natural heritage of the Danube. 15 participants finished the training and they are already preparing the regional trainings. Danube guides training is the LENA contribution to the job creation in protected areas. The Danube Guide programme thereby creates further employment opportunities for local tour guides, enhance transnational scientific cooperation, and promote European solidarity across the Danube area.

Photo is taken by Stefan Blanz

The last day of the meeting in Bohinj was dedicated to the e-manager workshop, where partners discussed on the transnational e-biking strategy, wild plants, fish markets and sustainable agriculture workshop. On the workshops the participants discussed how to generate income from wild plants, sustainable fishery, and the certification and marketing of organic farming products of the Danube area.

LENA project partners meet in Bohinj in the time of the International wild flower festival. The festival provides a bouquet of events that have one thing in common – the presentation of alpine flowers in all kinds of environment in Bohinj, along with the waters, meadows, hills, mountains. The purpose of this festival is to remind the local people and the visitors of the unique natural advantage of Bohinj as a tourist destination in the sense of nature preservation and tourism. The 4th project partner meeting in Bohinj finished with study visit of the International Alpine flower festival.

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Project LENA — Local Economy and Nature Conservation in the Danube Region — is co-funded by the European Union funds (ERDF, IPA) and implemented through the Danube Transnational Program, with the support of the European Regional Development Fund, co-financed by the European Union and the Hungarian State.