Advancing the Emerald Network in Moldova with EU support

On 28 April 2023, the first information workshop on the development prospects of the Emerald Network in Moldova: policies and legal aspects was organised.  The workshop was conducted as part of the WB action under the EU4Environment Programme in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Moldova.

The event brought together specialists, stakeholders, and authorities from state institutions, academia, research institutions, NGOs, and protected area management. The objective was to discuss the necessary steps to enhance the protection and conservation of habitats and species within Emerald sites, with a specific focus on developing standardised Management Plans for all sites. Given the amendments to the Law on the Emerald Network in 2022, the workshop facilitated discussions on various aspects, including the creation of a national register for the Emerald Network, the establishment of a monitoring system for assessing the conservation status of species and habitats within the network, the reporting process, and the development of network management plans.

The Emerald network – is an ecological network made up of special conservation areas, being a component of the national ecological network, representing the extension in non-member countries of the European Union of the coherent European ecological network of special conservation areas “NATURA 2000”.

During the meeting, the evaluation of the existing legal and policy framework was presented, and certain shortcomings were identified. Consequently, the workshop addressed the establishment, management, and protection of the Emerald Network in the Republic of Moldova. The first draft of the roadmap and proposed actions to improve the management and protection of the Emerald Network was presented. Additionally, the participants discussed the initial draft of the methodology for developing Emerald Management Plans in the Republic of Moldova. This draft was formulated based on the opinions gathered from relevant institutions, encompassing all aspects of institutional management, conservation, and protection.