Annual Report 2014 EuroNatur Foundation by EuroNatur

Annual report 2014

Photo: Christiane Runte

Editorial

Dear Friends of EuroNatur, The so-called “renewable energies” as alternatives to coal or nuclear power are experiencing nothing short of a boom at present. Politics and business also advocate hydropower as a supposedly clean source of energy. In reality however hydropower plants are neither a renewable source of energy nor are they environmentally friendly. Quite the opposite is the case: Under the guise of green energy generation, projects are being conceived and implemented that instead of protecting nature damage it greatly. This is also the case on the Balkan Peninsula where Europe’s most valuable rivers are at risk of falling victim to something of a ‘dam tsunami’ under the pretence of sustainable energy generation. One of the focal areas of EuroNatur’s activities in 2014 was the protection from destruction of the Balkan Peninsula’s unique river landscapes. As a result of the pressure exerted by our “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign we have made some good progress. In

December 2014, for example, we received backing from the highest level: The Secretariat of the Bern Convention has started proceedings against Macedonia for the planned construction of two hydropower plants in the Mavrovo National Park, one of the campaign’s focal regions. The planned developments threaten the survival of Mavrovo’s population of the very rare Balkan lynx. Until such time as the situation has been clariﬁed the projects are halted (please refer to the Chapter on “Europe’s rivers”).

These successes of our efforts have been achieved together with our local partners, but they are also due in no small part to our donors, supporters and sponsors without whose help we could not have realized these projects. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to you all for your support. We hope to continue having you by our side. The protection of Europe’s unique nature for future generations is an endeavour we can undertake only through collective effort.

In Albania we also reached another milestone. In the spring of 2014 the Albanian parliament passed a two-year moratorium on all hunting. This step had been well overdue, given that in recent years illegal hunting has reached catastrophic proportions and has led to a massive decline in wildlife. Albania’s important and signiﬁcant decision to suspend hunting was due not least to EuroNatur’s engagement. We had persistently called on the Albanian government to put a stop to the unbridled hunting of migratory birds and other wildlife. You can read more on our work for the protection of Europe’s wild fauna in the Chapters “Europe’s large mammals” and “Protecting migratory birds in Europe”.

I trust that this report will make interesting reading. Yours sincerely,

Christel Schroeder

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Photo: Goran Safarek - Vjosa river

Mission-Statement

EuroNatur – Nature conservation without borders EuroNatur, the European Nature Heritage Fund, lives up to its name: There are virtually no other organisations that focus their project activities on transboundary conservation in Europe as strongly as we do. This European focus is enshrined in EuroNatur’s Statutes which set out the organisation’s commitments to include the “implementation of and support for nature conservation projects in Europe aiming at the protection, maintenance and reintroduction of fauna and ﬂora in the wild”. We see it as our core task to overcome the many national borders in Europe in a positive manner and to enable nature conservation efforts at the level of the European continent.

Large-scale protected areas in outstanding landscapes:

Presence both in the political arena and at the practical level:

We safeguard large-scale, intact natural landscapes and ecologically valuable cultural landscapes in Europe. In this context, one focus of EuroNatur’s work is on projects along the “Balkan Green Belt”.

EuroNatur is an advocate of European nature in Brussels. We ﬁght for a reorientation of the European agricultural policy to render it more favourable both in economic and environmental terms. And we ﬁght for a conservation policy that opens up future prospects for both people and nature. Moreover we campaign for the actual implementation of planned measures for the protection of European natural heritage.

We don’t shoot from the hip but we’re in it for the long haul: EuroNatur fosters long-term relationships and works on lasting successes rather than leaving important regions to their own devices on foot of implementing short-term projects.

Capacity building:

What are the particularly distinct features of EuroNatur’s work?

We primarily work with regional partner organisations on site and provide advanced training for our partners in the EuroNatur project areas to enable them to effectively protect nature in their own regions.

Transboundary protection of wild fauna:

Conservation WITH people:

EuroNatur engages in protection measures for species of wild fauna such as wolves, bears, lynx, Mediterranean monk seals, migratory birds and their habitats in Europe.

We promote sustainable development in rural areas and offer functioning examples of regional development in harmony with nature. This helps us to win over local people as partners for achieving our conservation objectives.

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Networks for nature: EuroNatur does not only engage in establishing an ecological network of the most important ecosystems in Europe but also brings together scientists, partners in conservation, farmers, politicians and business people from various countries, thus establishing transboundary communication and understanding.

Photo: Goran Safarek - Valbona river

Organisation & structure

A Foundation to protect Europe’s nature

Presiding Committee provides strategic orientation

EuroNatur is a non-profit foundation established in 1987 by Friends of the Earth Germany (Bund für Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland, BUND), the German Federation for Nature Conservation (Naturschutzbund Deutschland, NABU) and German Environmental Aid (Deutsche Umwelthilfe, DUH). It is headquartered in Radolfzell. EuroNatur is legally, organizationally and ﬁnancially independent, autonomous and non-partisan. A foundation having legal personality (rechtsfähige Stiftung) such as EuroNatur differs from a registered voluntary association (Verein) in that it has no membership base. EuroNatur is a member of, amongst others, the following organizations: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), European Habitats Forum, German League for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection (DNR), Association of German Foundations, AgrarBündnis e.V., Europarc, and Wetlands International - European Association.

New members of the Presiding Committee are proposed by existing members and elected to the Committee by majority vote. The President is elected from among the members of the Presiding Committee. In 2014, EuroNatur’s Presiding Committee had six voting members, all of whom served in a voluntary capacity. Their duties include determining the organization’s strategic orientation, approving annual budgets, and approving the annual accounts. The Presiding Committee oversees the work of the Executive Director and the Director for Nature Conservation Policy with a view to its lawfulness, expediency and economic efﬁciency. Detailed Committee member proﬁles can be accessed at www.euronatur.org.

The latest exemption notice (Freistellungsbescheid) was issued by the tax authority in Singen on August 19, 2013.

Board of Trustees serves as an advisory committee EuroNatur’s Presiding Committee can nominate persons to the Board of Trustees who support the organization’s concerns. In 2014, EuroNatur’s Board of Trustees had 21 members, all of whom served in a voluntary capacity. They support EuroNatur in three areas: technical advice, especially with respect to access to funding; public relations work; establishing the organization and its work more ﬁrmly within society. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees attends the meetings of the Presiding Committee in an advisory capacity.

Salaried management staff in charge of operative implementation The full-time salaried management team consisting of the Executive Director and the Director for Nature Conservation Policy is in charge of and responsible for steering the organization’s operative work. In 2014, EuroNatur maintained two ofﬁces in Germany and employed a total of 18 staff. Central functions such as managing donors, bookkeeping, general administration and public relations work are based in Radolfzell at Lake Constance, as are most of the project management activities. The conservation policy ofﬁce is based in Rheinbach near Bonn.

EuroNatur Service GmbH More than ﬁfteen years ago, the European Nature Heritage Fund established a wholly owned subsidiary, the EuroNatur Service GmbH, a limited company. This small but efﬁcient service provider publishes and markets landscape and wildlife calendars and guidebooks on EuroNatur’s project regions as well as a wide range of reference books and exclusive items. Additionally the EuroNatur Service GmbH has specialized on layout and mail order services which it provides to the European Nature Heritage Fund and other clients.

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Important project areas 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cantabrian Mountains (Spain) Senne (Germany) Brandenburg (Germany) Narew/Podlasie (Poland) Western Beskidy Mountains (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) Bohemian Forest/Šumava (Czech Republic) Mura-Drava-Danube „Amazon of Europe“

4 3

(Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia) 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Sava ﬂoodplains (Croatia) Livanjsko Polje (Bosnia-Herzegovina) Neretva-Delta (Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina) Bojana-Buna and Lake Skadar (Montenegro, Albania) .. Prokletije/Bjeshket e Nemuna (Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo) Munella Mountains and National Park Mavrovo (Albania, Macedonia) Jablanica-Shebenik Mountains (Albania, Macedonia) Illinska-Plakenska Mountains (Macedonia) Šar Mountains (Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo) Vjosa (Albania) Belasitsa Mountains (Bulgaria) Osogovo Mountains (Bulgaria, Macedonia) Sakar (Bulgaria) Carpathian Mountains (Romania) Northern Dinarides (Croatia) Tilos (Greece)

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7 8 6

22 9

10 11

12 16 19 13 14 15 18 17

European Green Belt

project areas

Map: Kerstin Sauer

Photo: Goran Safarek

Priorities for support

EuroNatur’s project foci in 2014 Protecting the European Green Belt and further advancing the European Green Belt Initiative Protecting Europe’s rivers Protecting migratory birds in Europe Large mammal protection in Europe Agricultural policy, biodiversity policy, energy policy This Annual Report describes in some detail a selection of projects under individual priority headings. The EuroNatur Foundation has supported and implemented a number of additional projects and initiatives over and above these priorities, a more detailed description of which is beyond the scope of this report.

Priority “European Green Belt” Funding spent on this priority: 201,000 Euro Projects:

tum-Strumica; Funding: DBU, EuroNatur’s donors), Protecting Šumava National Park (Partners: Hnutì Duha; Funding: BUND , EuroNatur’s donors), Transboundary protection for the Osogovo

Priority “Agricultural policy, biodiversity policy, energy policy” Funding spent on this priority: 347,000 Euro

mountains (Partners: BBF, MES; Funding: ZGF, EuroNatur’s donors).

Projects: Priority “Protecting Europe’s rivers” Funding spent on this priority: 379,000 Euro Projects:

sociations representing the concerns of nature conservation,

Agricultural platform - alliance consisting of roughly 30 asenvironmental protection, animal welfare, family farming,

“Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign (Partners: River-

organic farming, and development policy in the process for

Watch, MES, Ekosvest, Front 21/42, PPNEA, HDZPP; Funding:

the reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (Funding:

Mava Foundation, Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature

BfN with funding provided by BMUB, Mava Foundation, Ludwig

Conservation and Environmental Protection, EuroNatur’s donors),

Raue Memorial Fund), Guidance for the establishment of re-

Protecting one of Europe’s important lifelines – Support for

gional, decentralized economic and supply structures in Podla-

the Transboundary Biosphere Reserve “Mura-Drava-Danube”

sia/Poland with a focus on renewable energy (Partners: Bialystok

(Partners: Green Osijek, HDZPP, WWF; Funding: EuroNatur’s

Marshal‘s Office, Politechnika Bialystok, Podlasia Regional

donors, Mava Foundation), Protecting the Sava ﬂoodplains

Development Association, DBFZ Leipzig, Energievision Frankenwald

(Partners: HDZPP, Lonjsko Polje Nature Park; Funding: EuroNatur’s

e.V., the town of Wunsiedel and the Wunsiedel Department of

donors and sponsors), SavaParks Network for transboundary

Public Works; Funding: UBA with funds provided by BMUB)

protection for the Sava river landscape (Partners: Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, HDZPP, all members of the SavaParks Network;

Advancing the European Green Belt Initiative

Funding: Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation, Michael Otto Foun-

(Partners: BUND; Funding: BfN with funds provi-

dation for Environmental Protection, Wetlands International,

ded by BMUB, EuroNatur’s donors), Transboundary

European Commission, EuroNatur’s donors)

protection for the Belasitsa mountains (Partners: BBF Belasitsa, Belasitsa Nature Park, Lake Kerkini National Park, Environmental Association Plane-

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Priority “Protecting migratory birds in Europe” Funding spent on this priority: 411,000 Euro Projects:

Priority “Large mammal protection in Europe” Funding spent on this priority: 476,000 Euro. Projects:

Abbreviations

Safeguarding important resting areas for migratory birds along

Protecting brown bears in the Cantabrian Mountains (Partner:

AbL: Association for family farming in Germany

the Adriatic Flyway (Partners: HDZPP, Baobab, BIOM, DOPPS,

FAPAS; Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Protecting

APAWA: Association for Protection of Aquatic Wildlife of Albania

BPSSS, CZIP, Naše ptice, Naša bastina, APAWA, MES; Funding:

brown bears in the eastern Carpathians (Partner: Milvus; Funding:

BIOM: BirdLife Croatia

Partners:

Mava Foundation, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Protecting

WWF Germany, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Protecting brown

BPSSS: Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia

the Ulcinj salt ﬂats (Partners: CZIP; Funding: Mava Foundation,

bears in Albania (Partners: PPNEA, Alertis; Funding: EuroNatur’s do-

CZIP: Center for Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro

EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors); Protecting the Tivat salt ﬂats

nors and sponsors), Protecting brown bears, lynx and gray wolves

DBFZ: German Centre for Biomass Research

(Partners: CZIP, Morsko Dobro; Funding: DBU, Aage V. Jensen Charity

in the northern Dinarides (Partner: University of Zagreb; Funding:

DOPPS: BirdLife Slovenia

Foundation, EuroNatur’s donors), Optimizing management at

EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Balkan Lynx Recovery Pro-

ERA: Environmentally Responsible Action group

the Hutovo Blato Nature Park, with special emphasis on control-

gramme (Partners: MES, PPNEA, CZIP, Finch, ERA, KORA; Funding:

FAPAS: Wild animal protection fund (Spain)

ling poaching (Partners: Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Naše ptice,

Mava Foundation, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Establishment

HDZPP: Croatian Society for Bird and Nature Protection

Lijepa naša; Funding: CEPF), Protecting the Dalmatian pelicans

of conservation organizations in Montenegro and Kosovo (Part-

KORA: Coordinated Research Projects for the Protection and

at Lake Skadar (Partners: Noé Conservation, Lake Skadar National

ners: MES, PPNEA, CZIP, Finch; Funding: BfN with funds provided by

Park administration, Tour du Valat, APAWA, CZIP, Natural History

BMUB, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Protection of gray wolf

MES: Macedonian Ecological Society

Museum of Montenegro; Funding: CEPF, EuroNatur’s donors and

populations that have recolonized western Poland (Partner: Wilk;

PPNEA: Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania

Management of Carnivores in Switzerland

sponsors), Protecting Ospreys in Asturia (Partners: FAPAS, Fun-

Funding: Lappat Fund, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Protection

TPA: Tilos Park Association

ding: EuroNatur’s donors), Protecting migratory birds on Tilos

of large carnivores in Poland, with special emphasis on wolves and

Wilk: Conservation Association “Wolf”

island (Partners: TPA; Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors),

lynx (Partner: MRI; Funding: Elisabeth Seifert-Becker’s endowment

WWF: World Wide Fund For Nature

Protecting migratory birds in the Senne landscape landscape

fund for the protection of wolves in memory of Viktoria Neumann,

(Partners: Paderborn-Senne Biological Station; Funding: Gel-

Emilie and Franz Seifert, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Maintai-

Funding:

senwasser AG (water and energy supply company), Stadtwerke

ning the ecological integrity of migration corridors for large car-

BBF: Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation

Bielefeld GmbH - public utility, EuroNatur’s donors), Protecting

nivores (especially wolves) in Poland (Partners: Conservation orga-

BUND: Friends of the Earth Germany

the Eastern imperial eagle at Sakar (Partners: Green Balkans;

nisation “Workshop for all Beings”; Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and

BfN: German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation

Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Lesser kestrel rein-

sponsors), Transboundary protection of wolf populations in the

BMUB: Federal Environment Ministry

troduction at Sakar (Partners: Green Balkans, DEMA; Funding:

Western Beskids (Partners: Hnutí Duha, Wilk; Funding: EuroNatur’s

CEPF: Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

Life+, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Protecting of European

donors and sponsors), Protection of large carnivores in Baden-

DBU: German Federal Environmental Foundation

wet meadows and pastures, in particular in the European Stork

Wuerttemberg, ’Handlungsleitfaden Wolf’ (Guidelines for dealing

UBA: German Federal Environment Agency

Villages (Partners: Ciconia Foundation, European Stork

with wolves) (Partners: EuroNatur is a member of the ‘Arbeitskreis

ZGF: Frankfurt Zoological Society

Villages; Funding: Pancivis Foundation, Aage V. Jensen Charity

Wolf’ working group as part of the ‘AG Lynx Baden Wuerttemberg’

Foundation, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors)

working group, Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors), Mediterranean monk seals - Cap Blanc (Partner: CBD Habitat; Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors).

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Priorities for support

Photo: Carsten Burggraf - Rhodopes

European Green Belt

From death-strip to lifeline Outstanding European natural heritage was preserved in the shadow of the Iron Curtain. Habitats that have become hard to ﬁnd elsewhere in Europe such as oldgrowth woodlands, marshes, species-rich cultural landscapes as well as wild mountain and river landscapes are strung here like precious pearls on a necklace. Almost undisturbed by human impacts for decades, a unique ecosystem network developed in this European Green Belt and has provided precious refugia for numerous endangered species of ﬂora and fauna such as brown bears or lynx.

Pressure is mounting The “closed season” for nature ended with the historical turning point, the beginning of the post-Cold War period, in the early 1990s. The fall of the Iron Curtain meant that in particular the biodiverse forests in the former border regions were now threatened by fragmentation due to road construction, near-natural river landscapes became vulnerable to channelization, and almost untouched mountain regions came under pressure from timber extraction and ski tourism.

Transboundary cooperation Our aim is to maintain the valuable natural and cultural landscapes along the Iron Curtain as ‘green lifelines’. EuroNatur is the regional coordinator of conservation activities in the Balkan Green Belt. We are developing pilot projects for successful, transboundary cooperation which can also serve as templates for other European regions. We are still a long way away from an ecological network spanning the continent, comprised of one protected area after another. To this end we aim to establish more ﬁrmly within society the idea of the Green Belt and improve linkages between the various projects along the Green Belt. Annual Report 2014

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Selected EuroNatur projects in 2014

European Green Belt Initiative strengthened further Geographical location in Europe Ecosystem network with an extraordinarily high level of biodiversity, forming a 12,500 km long corridor along the route of the former Iron Curtain from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea (Map p. 8). The Green Belt connects eight biogeographical regions and 24 nations.

Status Conservation activities carried out by the numerous actors involved are coordinated by four regional coordinators – one for each of the Green Belt’s four sections. EuroNatur is in charge of the Balkan Green Belt. There had not been an overall European-level coordination unit since the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) laid down this mandate in 2010. Since 2011, EuroNatur and BUND, as part of an international steering group, have been coordinating the initiative.

Objectives Our aim is to structurally advance, bring substantive progress and give renewed impetus to the European Green Belt initiative. The establishment of an association now provides a binding organizational structure and lays the foundations for networking the growing number of actors

Annual Report 2014

along the European Green Belt, for strengthening national and international cooperation, and for ensuring sufﬁcient long-term funding for this large-scale project.

In addition to the regional coordinators, National Focal Points as well as NGOs have been integrated into the initiative’s management. National Focal Points have now been designated for 17 of the 24 countries along the European Green Belt.

Selected activities in 2014 In September 2014, more than 100 attendees from 23 countries adjacent to the Iron Curtain as well as from Canada and the US came together in Slavonice (Czech Republic) for the 8th Pan-European European Green Belt Conference. As part of the conference, 23 governmental and nongovernmental organizations from fourteen countries established the “European Green Belt Association”.

Outlook The establishment of the association is a significant milestone and gives the European Green Belt Initiative more clout. The task now is to strengthen existing structures, foster active exchange between stakeholders, bring substantive progress, and put the initiative on a firm financial footing.

Selected achievements in 2014 The newly established association now, for the ﬁrst time, provides a legal organizational structure which represents the European Green Belt Initiative, ensures information ﬂow within its community, and assumes the initiative’s coordination. EuroNatur and BUND were appointed as chair and deputy chair respectively. Twenty countries have now signed a joint Declaration of Intent on the protection and sustainable development of the European Green Belt.

Partners: BUND and all stakeholders in the European Green Belt Funding: BfN with funds provided by BMUB, EuroNatur’s donors

European Green Belt

Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Sweet chestnut forests

Transboundary protection for the Belasitsa mountains Geographical location in Europe

Objectives

Important achievements in 2014

The Belasitsa mountains (Map p. 5, No. 18) are located in the tri-border area of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece. They form one of the cornerstones of the Balkan Green Belt. The project area also includes Lake Kerkini National Park in Greece which is located only a few kilometres south of Belasitsa Mountain.

Our aim is to foster transboundary cooperation and to create an awareness in the local population of Belasitsa as a jointly shared natural landscape unit. The focus here is on environmental education and the establishment of sustainable nature-based tourism. The overall objective is the conservation for posterity of the Belasitsa region’s natural treasures.

Status

Selected activities in 2014

The Belasitsa mountains with their centuries-old Sweet chestnut and beech forests are an important refuge for rare species of ﬂora and fauna. Lake Kerkini with its extensive alluvial forests offers signiﬁcant breeding and wintering areas for endangered bird species including the Dalmatian pelican. It is a big plus that the fall of the Iron Curtain made it possible for this transboundary natural treasure to be experienced by all; its transboundary protection however is a major challenge. Since 2013, EuroNatur in cooperation with its international partners has worked towards creating the preconditions for the regions’ protection. The project is primarily being coordinated by EuroNatur’s Bulgarian partner organization BBF.

In July 2014 an international youth work camp was held in the Lake Kerkini National Park. The fourteen participants from Greece, Macedonia and Bulgaria were familiarized with Belasitsa’s natural assets. Together the participants developed ideas for sustainable development in the region. An international photography competition to capture Belasitsa’s beauty was held. A travelling exhibition showcased the 45 best photos and put forward the region as an ideal destination for nature travellers. Several workshops ensured transboundary exchanges between tourism providers in the Belasitsa’s Bulgarian, Macedonian and Greek parts respectively.

The photo exhibition entitled “The Incredible Belasitsa” was displayed, amongst other places, in the art salon of south-western Bulgaria’s most important radio station. Even just there it was viewed by several hundred visitors. As a result of the workshops, regional tourism providers increasingly see Belasitsa as one physiographic region uniting three countries and recognize this as an asset. They are learning from each other and increasingly engage in transboundary cooperations. For example, the Sweet Chestnut Festival in Bulgaria was for the ﬁrst time also attended by tourism providers from Greece and Macedonia.

Outlook Belasitsa’s popularity as a promising region for sustainable nature-based tourism, environmental education and international cooperation has signiﬁcantly increased as a result of the project. Now we must continue to build on this progress.

Partners: BBF Belasitsa, Belasitsa Nature Park (Bulgaria), Lake Kerkini National Park (Greece), Environmental Association Planetum-Strumica (Macedonia) Funding: DBU, EuroNatur’s donors

European Green Belt

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Photo: Pavel Bečka - Šumava National Park

Czech Green Belt initiative receives EuroNatur award Geographical location in Europe Bohemian Forest National Park (in Czech: Šumava National Park). Together with the Bavarian Forest National Park, it forms one of the largest stretches of wilderness in Central Europe and is an essential part of the European Green Belt in its central European section (Map p. 5, No. 6).

Status With its mosaic of ancient Norway spruce forests, peatlands and species-rich wildﬂower meadows it offers habitats for endangered species such as lynx, elk, and Western capercaillie. But even though the region was formally designated a National Park in 1991 Šumava’s natural treasures are under threat. The core zone has gradually been fragmented and reduced in size. Moreover, in contrast to the Bavarian National Park, Šumava National Park is lacking binding zoning. In 2014, a group of senators together with land speculators presented the parliament with a bill which corrupted the national park idea to the point of absurdity. It was to permanently permit timber extraction and hunting in most of the National Park and also open it up to building development.

Annual Report 2014

EuroNatur Award 2014 for protecting the Šumava National Park For more than two decades, the Czech conservation organization Hnutí Duha has been working to protect the Šumava National Park. The organization’s contribution to protecting the Green Belt’s natural assets as well as its international understanding of civil engagement have been exemplary. In October 2014 Hnutí Duha was presented the prestigious EuroNatur Award. The aim was to provide international support for Hnutí Duha’s activities and highlight the Šumava National Park’s great signiﬁcance for nature conservation in Europe.

EuroNatur award is having an impact At the end of October 2014, the parliament voted down the scandalous Senate bill. Hnutì Duha’s tenacious resistance signiﬁcantly contributed to this decision. The presentation of the EuroNatur Award directed valuable international attention to the region and thus also contributed to this positive development.

Outlook In 2015, the Czech government will table new conservation legislation. There is hope that this will further improve the outlook for Šumava.

Selected activities carried out by Hnutí Duha in 2014 When it comes to civic engagement, Hnutí Duha pulls out all the stops in order to save the Šumava National Park. They continued to mobilize the public in 2014. Amongst other achievements, the organization managed to demonstrate the signiﬁcance for the national and international communities of Šumava’s natural assets. More than 44,000 people signed a petition calling for nature conservation in Šumava to be given the highest priority.

European Green Belt

Photo: Goran Safarek - Krupa river

Europe’s rivers

More than just water … With their banks, islands, ﬂoodplains, kolks and fords, natural rivers are amongst the most varied and biodiverse ecosystems at our latitudes. Rhythms of rising and falling waters in these river landscapes create a paradise not only for resting and breeding birds, ﬁsh, mussels and snails but also fertile land for humans, space for recreation, and a rich food base.

Monotony or diversity?

Our mission

But our continent’s last pristine rivers are firmly on the hydropower lobby’s radar and face the uncontrolled expansion of hydropower and development for inland navigation. A hydropower plant fundamentally destroys a river’s diversity as well as its natural dynamic; it blocks and alters the river’s discharge. However, it is not easy to recognize the full extent of hydropower impact since much of the damage is hidden under water. “It’s still water”, is a commonly held notion. But a natural river has as little in common with an impounded reservoir as a primeval forest has with a spruce plantation – both consist of trees but the ecosystems are fundamentally different. The same is true for rivers and reservoirs – one is diverse, the other monotonous. Hydropower is not renewable, nor is it a “green” form of energy generation. It has massive adverse and long-standing impacts on rivers, floodplains and biodiversity, if it does not destroy them outright, and for good. Channelization for shipping purposes destroys a river’s natural dynamic, cuts it off from its floodplain and stops the pattern of flooding and drying out to which riparian ecosystems have adapted; at the same time the risk of downstream flooding increases.

Together with our partner organizations we aim at protecting the last remaining intact ecological arteries on our continent and strive for their sustainable utilization. Shipping must adapt to rivers – not the other way ‘round. Hydropower projects must give due consideration to aspects of nature conservation and species protection, rather than destroy species and habitats under the guise of ‘green’ energy generation.

The focus in 2014 The Balkan rivers are absolutely unique in Europe. On our continent they are now unrivalled. They are amongst the major European biodiversity hotspots. But these valuable river landscapes are at risk of being hit by a “dam tsunami”. The protection of the “Blue Heart of Europe” from destruction continued to be a special focus of EuroNatur’s work in 2014.

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Photo: Goran Safarek - Sava river

Selected EuroNatur projects in 2014

Broad-based support for the Sava river Geographical location in Europe:

Objectives

The Sava river along its entire course from its source in the Julian Alps to its conﬂuence with the Danube at Belgrad. Along its length of 950 km, the Sava river connects four countries: Slovenia, Croatia (Map p. 5, No. 8), BosniaHerzegovina and Serbia.

The objective is to create a powerful SavaParks Network, rendering the protected areas’s work more effective beyond their borders as well as providing them with transboundary support.

Important achievements in 2014 There was a great response to the invitation to the June 2014 meeting. Goran Gugic in particular, the then director of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, had done valuable groundwork and greatly contributed to convincing all stakeholders of our initiative’s objectives.

Selected activities in 2014

Status Massive pressure is being exerted on the Sava river by the hydropower lobby (please refer to p. 14 - 15). Short-sighted planning threatens to destroy one of Europe’s most important river landscapes, weaken the region’s sustainable development, and further heighten ﬂood risks. There are already several protected areas along the Sava river which signiﬁcantly contribute to biodiversity protection and ecological regional development. However, to date too few measures have been implemented and a transboundary concept has been lacking. The protected area administrations and conservation organizations active in the area have largely been working in isolation. There has been little or no exchange or mutual support.

The SavaParks Network was established in late June 2014. Ten representatives of protected areas and conservation organizations met in the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park (Croatia) where they signed a declaration to take joint action to preserve the Sava river’s ecological values. An agreement as to the speciﬁc nature of measures to be taken for the protection and sustainable use of the Sava river landscape will be crucial to the network’s efﬁcacy. Fundamental guidelines were drawn up which can give orientation to decision-makers, protected area administrations, planning consultancies, and conservation organizations.

Outlook The SavaParks Network was successfully established. With a view to bridging the gap between theory and practice, technical and ﬁnancial support is to be provided for pilot projects in all four countries bordering the Sava river, amongst other measures. The pilot projects will address nature conservation, ecological regional development, and river restoration.

Partners: Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, HDZPP Funding: Aage V. Jensen Foundation, Michael Otto Foundation, Wetlands International, European Commission, EuroNatur’s donors

Annual Report 2014

Europe’s rivers

“Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign Geographical location in Europe

Mavrovo National Park:

Vjosa:

Streams and rivers in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosovo. Key areas of the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign are the Mavrovo National Park (Map p. 5, No. 13) in Macedonia, the Vjosa river (Map p. 5, No. 17) in Albania and the Sava river in Croatia (Map p. 5, No. 8) and Slovenia.

Not even protected areas are save from the hydropower lobby. Mavrovo is one of Europe’s oldest national parks and a precious pearl on the European Green Belt. Inside the protected area, there are plans to build two major dam facilities (“Boskov Most” and “Lukovo Pole”) with funding from the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). These projects threaten to destroy biodiversity which has developed here over thousands of years. Species at particular risk include the critically endangered Balkan lynx (please refer to p. 26).

The Vjosa is one of our continents’ last pristine wild river systems, but it is threatened with total destruction. A total of 33 hydropower plants are projected along the Vjosa and its tributaries. Practically every single one of the tributaries are to be dammed and diverted.

Status Wild and pristine river landscapes can still be found in the Balkan Peninsula. This is where the “blue Heart of Europe” is beating. However, under the disguise of green energy generation plans are afoot for the construction of more than 630 medium or large-scale hydropower plants in Slovenia and Albania, most of them with the support of international banks and companies. One of Europe’s most important natural treasures is at stake.

Europe’s rivers

Sava: Extensive alluvial forests, gentle meanders and agricultural land shaped by its interaction with the river characterize the Sava as one of Europe’s most interesting river landscapes. Its extensive natural ﬂoodplain is a prime example of natural ﬂood protection. But the Sava river is coming under attack not only from a multitude of dam projects but also from planned developments for inland navigation.

Objectives Aided by the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign, which commenced in 2013, our objective is to stop the hydropower and river engineering projects in the three focal areas described above. At the same time we aim to draw the international public’s attention to the Balkan rivers’ beauty and to the risks they face. It is not our aim to completely block hydropower in the Balkan Peninsula. However, plans for hydropower expansion must urgently take into consideration aspects of nature conservation and species protection. Therefore we strive for a comprehensive concept which sets out rivers and river sections which must under no circumstances be subjected to engineering measures.

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Photo: Adrian Guri - Vjosa river

Selected activities in 2014 Mavrovo National Park: As part of the Mavrovo Conference in April 2014 the ﬁrst public discussion was held on the future of the Mavrovo National Park. The conference was attended by representatives of the Macedonian Environment Ministry, local communities and the national press, amongst others. Simultaneously, we published an international petition opposing the planned hydropower plants. At the European level we informed the Secretariat of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats of the hydropower projects in the Mavrovo National Park. In June 2014 we hosted a press trip for international journalists to inform them of the threat of Mavrovo National Park’s destruction.

Vjosa: At the occasion of the “GEO Day Of Biodiversity” we organized a three-day research camp at the Vjosa river. Eleven research teams examined the as yet very much understudied ﬂora and fauna of this wild river and its ﬂoodplains. Journalists working for the GEO magazine accompanied the research camp. We hosted several events to discuss the planned hydropower projects with the inhabitants of local communities along the Vjosa river and to promote the idea of a Vjosa National Park.

Sava: In December 2014, ﬁfteen non-governmental organizations published an open letter in protest against the planned publication by the International Sava River Basin Commission (ISRBC) of a management plan for the Sava river basin which is based on completely false assessments. Almost the entire river including its main tributaries is to be assigned the lowest status category for the purposes of the EU Water Framework Directive. This would leave the door wide open to the rivers’ further destruction.

protection with widespread impact. More than 400 species were recorded and these records corroborate the Vjosa’s great ecological value. The GEO magazine published a double-page spread on the Vjosa in its September issue. In December 2014, the mayors and many inhabitants of the southern Albanian communities of Carshova and Permet issued a joint declaration against the hydropower projects and for a Vjosa National Park.

Important achievements in 2014

Outlook

The World Bank and the EBRD as funding agencies as well as We have been successful in drawing public attention, at the Macedonian Prime Minister were met with a wave of inboth national and international levels, to the Balkan rivers’ ternational protest. Almost 100,000 people signed the petition outstanding ecological value, and also in building pressure. We will continue to conduct the “Blue Heart of Europe“ against the hydropower plants in the Mavrovo National Park. campaign with great intensity. This involves public awareThe Secretariat of the Bern Convention has started proceedings against Macedonia for the planned construction of ness raising and mobilization of civil society in the affected countries, media relations and plugging existing knowhydropower plants in the Mavrovo National Park. Until such time as the situation has been clariﬁed the projects are halted. ledge gaps regarding the as yet largely understudied Balkan Critical reports in national and distinguished international rivers. We must amass further sound arguments against the media generated publicity for the threats faced by the blue hydropower plants and strengthen our EU level lobbying. Heart of Europe. The weekly “Der Spiegel” also reported on the matter. Partners: RiverWatch, MES, Ekosvest, Front 21/42, PPNEA, HDZPP, Neza Posnjak With the GEO Day of Biodiversity we focused European Funding: Mava Foundation, Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature biodiversity research on the Vjosa river and promoted its Conservation and Environmental Protection, EuroNatur‘s donors Internet: www.balkanrivers.net

Annual Report 2014

Europe’s rivers

Photo: Willi Rolfes - A ﬂock of starlings

Nomads of the sky

Protecting migratory birds If you ever attempted a 1,500 km car journey without refuelling or taking a rest on the way, then you’ll know that it’s an impossible feat to pull off. But this is the scenario faced by many migratory birds on their journey between their breeding and wintering grounds in Europe.

Under ﬁre from all sides

20th birthday of our ﬂagship project

On their long journey between their summer and wintering grounds, intact resting places allowing migratory birds to feed and recover their strength are becoming ever more rare. Habitat destruction and bird hunting are rampant. And the situation in the breeding areas is no different, with habitats for eagles, vultures, white storks, cranes, pelicans and other species becoming increasingly scarce.

The “European Stork Villages” are a prime example of the spirit of networking. In 2014, the initiative celebrated its 20th anniversary. It has been creating a growing alliance for the protection of this magniﬁcent species and establishes a counterpoint to the increasing loss of white stork habitats in Europe.

Our mission Our efforts are targeted at curbing poaching and ‘weaving a tighter web’ of safe and intact resting, wintering and breeding grounds, one site at a time. In 2014, a special geographical focus of our work continued to be on bird habitats on the Balkan Peninsula.

Since 1994 EuroNatur has honoured villages or municipalities as “European Stork Villages” which host a high number of white storks and are exemplary in their efforts to give the species a future. By awarding the title, EuroNatur aims to strengthen positive approaches in stork conservation and promote the title-bearers. In 2014, the representatives of the European Stork Villages came together in the Spanish stork village of Malpartida de Cáceres, where the participants agreed to work together even more closely and passed a ﬁrst draft of a partnership agreement.

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Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Dalmatian pelicans

Selected EuroNatur projects in 2014

Shy giants in peril: Dalmatian pelicans at Lake Skadar Geographical location in Europe

Objectives

Important achievements in 2014

Lake Skadar (Map p. 5, No. 11) on the border of Montenegro and Albania. Lake Skadar is the Balkan Peninsula’s largest lake and one of the most important habitats along the Adriatic Flyway (please refer to p. 18 -19). The area is also one of the pearls of the Balkan Green Belt.

Our aim is to protect Lake Skadar as an important habitat for breeding and migratory birds along the Adriatic Flyway and as an essential part of the Balkan Green Belt. This also includes the protection of keystone species such as the Dalmatian pelican, aiming at the colony’s long-term stabilization. It has been crucial for the project’s success to get the local ﬁshermen on board.

The local ﬁshery associations have been supporting the conservation efforts for the pelicans’ protection since the workshop was conducted. The nesting rafts built in 2013 were well received by the pelicans in the 2014 breeding season. Human disturbance has been much reduced due to improved ranger patrols. Forty-eight pelicans ﬂedged in 2014, the highest number in more than 30 years.

Status Lake Skadar’s inundation zones and shallow water areas provide vital resting and wintering sites for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds. Moreover, Lake Skadar is a breeding area of outstanding importance: One of Europe’s last colonies of the rare Dalmatian pelican is situated at the lake’s northern end. But this colony is at risk, too. Despite the fact that it is situated at the centre of the national park’s core zone protecting the Montenegrine part of Lake Skadar, the area is subject to illegal hunting and ﬁshing. For a long time now the Dalmatian pelican population at Lake Skadar has stagnated at a low level, primarily due to human disturbance. In recent years only a few dozen pelicans were recorded; the numbers are not sufﬁcient to maintain a stable population.

Selected activities in 2014 Buoys were deployed to create a clearly visible protection zone around the pelican’s breeding site. The national park rangers were provided with better equipment for stopping any disturbance inside the protection zone. Local ﬁshermen were involved in the protection efforts at a workshop in August 2014. This workshop gave ﬁshermen and conservationists opportunities for exchange.

Outlook The successful 2014 breeding season has shown that we are on the right track with improved ranger patrols, local educational work and the provision of nesting rafts. Cooperation with ﬁshermen and the local population must be strengthened in order to ensure the project’s long-term success. Another essential component of the conservation efforts is the establishment of a second ranger station near the pelican colony.

Partners: Noé Conservation, Lake Skadar National Park administration, Tour du Valat, APAWA, CZIP, Natural History Museum of Montenegro Funding: CEPF, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Annual Report 2014

Nomads of the sky

Photo: Borut Stumberger- Flamingos in Ulcinj salt ﬂats

Adriatic Flyway – a risky route along the eastern Adriatic coast Geographical location in Europe

Objectives

Selected activities in 2014

Bird habitats along the Adriatic Flyway in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. The Adriatic Flyway stretches from north-eastern Europe through the Balkans down to Africa.

Our objective is to establish a functioning network of birdwatchers who regularly patrol important resting grounds to gather data on both bird populations and illegal hunting activities. The aim is to curb bird hunting on the Balkans. Sustained improvements for migratory birds on the eastern Adriatic coast can only be achieved, if we can get governmental and non-governmental organizations to work together closely at both national and international levels. This is also true for the protection from destruction of the most important wetlands along the Adriatic Flyway.

As part of the Second International Adriatic Flyway Conference in October 2014 in Albania, 70 experts from 20 countries addressed in detail the issues of protecting migratory birds and their habitats along the Adriatic Flyway. Attendees included scientists, and high-ranking representatives of the European Commission, international conventions and international conservation organizations. In the areas suffering most from bird hunting (Hutovo Blato Nature Park and Ulcinj salt ﬂats) we ensured regular patrols during the core hunting periods, with rangers, volunteers and staff of our partner organizations checking the areas for illegal hunting activities. The Naše ptice bird conservancy in cooperation with local partners in conservation organized a workshop and a study trip with a view to strengthening both the function and role of rangers in the Hutovo Blato Nature Park. Park rangers and nature park staff were equipped with the necessary species identiﬁcation skills and knowledge on the nature park’s special ecological features. They were also trained in all the census methods necessary for reliable bird counts to be conducted during the breeding, wintering and migration periods. Moreover, they deepened their knowledge during the international mid-winter waterbird count as part of the International Waterbird Census (IWC).

Status Bird hunting and habitat destruction on the Balkan Peninsula mean that every year migratory birds have to run a gauntlet. In the small coastal strip along the eastern Adriatic alone, three quarters of the wetlands have been destroyed over the past sixty years. The few remaining wetlands are crowded with bird hunters. Every year well over two million birds come to their deaths there. While the legal framework along the Adriatic Flyway has seen some improvements, not least due to our dogged persistence, its implementation still leaves much to be desired. Amongst the most important resting, breeding and wintering ground on the eastern Adriatic coast are the Hutovo Blato Nature Park in the Neretva Delta (Map p. 5, No. 10) in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Ulcinj salt ﬂats in the Bojana-Buna Delta (Map p. 5, No. 11) in Montenegro. In both these areas birds are under particularly high threat from illegal hunting.

Nomads of the sky

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Photo: Anton Vorauer - Deransko jezero Hutovo blato

Important achievements in 2014 The Second International Adriatic Flyway Conference showed the great potential for improving the situation for migratory birds along the Adriatic Flyway. Efforts on this front are already being made by numerous conservation organizations. The conference participants agreed that their efforts must be coordinated more strongly in order to increase their effectiveness. We were able to establish a network against illegal hunting in the Hutovo Blato Nature Park. In addition to the park rangers, representatives of the local hunting club also participated in the workshops and the IWC. Moreover, cooperation with the local police has also improved. Illegal hunting in the Hutovo Blato Nature Park has signiﬁcantly decreased since the project commence in mid-2013. As part of the international mid-winter waterbird count in January 2014, almost 17,000 birds were recorded on the Svitava lake which is located in the nature park – more than ten times as many as prior to the ranger patrols.

Outlook In March 2014, the Albanian government declared a twoyear hunting moratorium for the entire country. This welloverdue step was taken on foot of persistent pressure exerted by both national and international conservation organizations including EuroNatur. The article entitled ‘Last Song for Migrating Birds” by US American bestselling author Jonathan Franzen published in the July 2013 edition of National Geographic also contributed to this positive development.

Special focus in 2014 At the Ulcinj salt flats, the positive impacts of hunting patrols were eclipsed by a larger problem: Eurofond, the salt flats’ owner, is engaging in their surreptitious destruction. The ecologically valuable wetland is to be developed for mass tourism. EuroNatur and CZIP have informed German as well as international institutions of the volatile situation, leading to support for the Ulcinj salt flats being expressed by ambassadors of EU Member States such as Germany, Poland and France.

We have made signiﬁcant strides in recent years in terms of protecting migratory birds in the countries along the eastern Adriatic. However, the current status is still far from being acceptable. Regular patrols have proved to be an effective measure to curb bird hunting. We will continue to support and if necessary increase these patrols in important resting areas, where possible. In future, EuroNatur and its partner organizations will work closely together with AEWA, the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement, with a view to safeguarding the Adriatic Flyway for bird species such as cranes, grey herons, garganeys and many others. All the countries along the Adriatic Flyway, except for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, are signatories to the agreement. Saving the Ulcinj salt ﬂats is proving to be a particular challenge.

Partners: HDZPP, Baobab, BIOM, DOPPS, BPSSS, CZIP, Naše ptice, Naša bastina, Hutovo Blato Nature Park, Lijepa naša, APAWA, MES Funding: Mava Foundation, CEPF, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Annual Report 2014

Nomads of the sky

Photo: Willi Rolfes - Lynxes

Photo: Willi Rolfes - Brown bears

Europe’s large mammals

Large mammal protection in Europe Brown bears, lynx and wolves are the epitome of European wilderness. Their protection and the protection of their habitats are amongst EuroNatur’s key initiatives. In the marine sphere the organization focuses on the last remaining Mediterranean monk seals.

Brown bear

Lynx

Brown bears have vanished from most of their former European range. In addition to the fragmentation of their habitats, primarily as a result of transport routes and wind farm developments, the most signiﬁcant threat to bears comes from illegal hunting. This is true also in the Cantabrian Mountains (Map p. 5, No. 1) in northern Spain, one of the focal areas of EuroNatur’s brown bear protection programme in 2014. Other focal areas included the Romanian eastern Carpathians and Albania. Bears migrating into Albania from the Pindos mountain range in the south or from the northern Dinarides (Map p. 5, No. 22) often vanish into thin air, putting at risk the long-term survival of western Balkan brown bear population.

The Eurasian lynx’s range originally covered most of Europe. However, sizeable natural lynx populations today only remain in the continent’s northern and eastern parts. While the lynx is ﬂexible when it comes to its habitat requirements, it does depend for its survival on unfragmented landscapes and sufﬁcient prey, both of which have become rather rare in Europe. Poaching is also a massive problem for the Balkan lynx whose eleventh hour has come. This shy subspecies of the Eurasian lynx is critically endangered. The south-western Balkan forests now probably host less than 50 Balkan lynx. Their survival and the protection of their last remaining habitats continued to be one of the focal areas of EuroNatur’s activities in 2014.

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Mediterranean monk seal

The wolves’ great capacity for adaptation allows them to settle in a range of different habitats. Over the centuries however, they were strongly marginalized and in many countries they were hunted down mercilessly or exterminated altogether. Despite the fact that nowadays the species is given the highest protection in most EU Member States, incidences of wolves being shot keep happening. EuroNatur, together with its partners, works hard to ensure that the once widespread ‘gray hunters’ can again gain a greater foothold in Europe by protecting their habitats, combating poaching and ﬁghting against the fragmentation of coherent landscapes. In 2014 our activities in this respect focused on Poland and on the western Carpathians in the border region connecting the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.

Mediterranean monk seals used to roam the entire Mediterranean Sea and adjacent marine regions. Ecosystem destruction, marine pollution and overﬁshing have brought them to the brink of extinction, which is why as early as 1985 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the Mediterranean monk seal as one of the twelve most highly endangered species on the planet. One of the species’ last refuges is on the Mauritanian Atlantic coast at Cap Blanc. Together with our partners we ensure that the resident colony is being patrolled and monitored with a view to gaining greater insight into this mysterious marine mammal’s ecology. Moreover, we work on combating illegal ﬁshing and on ensuring optimum conditions for pup rearing.

Annual Report 2014

Photo: CBD-Habitat - Luc Hoffmann surveillance camera for monitoring monk seals

Photo: Wolf Steiger - Wolves

Wolf

Europe’s large mammals

Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Road sign in brown bear habitat

Selected EuroNatur projects in 2014

Spain’s bears under ﬁre Geographical location in Europe

Objectives

Important achievements in 2014

The Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain (Map p. 5, No. 1) are home to two largely isolated brown bear populations: one population lives in the west, the other in the east of the Cantabrian Mountains. Fapas’ activities focus on the western population.

Our aims are to prevent the extinction of brown bears in the Cantabrian Mountains and to allow them to once again expand their range.

The number of females with cubs is steadily increasing in Fapas’ working region. In 2014, Fapas recorded 15 females with a total of 27 current year’s cubs. Therefore, in only three years the number of females with offspring has almost doubled. Fapas was able to record bears in areas where they had not been observed for years. This may be taken as an indication of the bears expanding their range in the western Cantabrian Mountains. Camera traps caught eight images of poachers in the western Cantabrian Mountains. The Civil Guard commenced investigations.

Selected activities in 2014 Status In the Cantabrian Mountains, the primary impacts that have driven brown bears to the brink of extinction are illegal hunting, scarcity of food, and loss of habitat. As a result of persistent protection measures we have been able to keep illegal hunting in the west of the moutain range to a minimum. We also managed to improve the bears’ food supply. There are now more than twice the number of bears than there were ten years ago. However, as a result of the economic crisis, illegal hunting has once again become a burning issue since 2013 and an increasing number of bears has been falling victim to it.

In 2014, Fapas activities focused on combating illegal hunting: More than 90 camera traps were active and allowed for surveillance even in very remote areas. Fapas staff regularly patrolled the area. Working in cooperation with the environmental arm of the Spanish Civil Guard, their aim was not only to catch poachers … … but also to gather information on the bears’ distribution, population density and behaviour. To this end, Fapas staff travelled more than 3,400 kilometres on foot and collected more than 1,000 samples of evidence of the presence of bears. All observation data collected were transcribed to the “Ursus” database. “Ursus” is an indispensable tool when it comes to reliably tracking the bears’ population development.

Outlook Combating illegal hunting will continue to be a focus in 2015. Only if we can halt this practice will the bear population in the Cantabrian Mountains have the chance to develop a stable population in the long term and to once again expand its range.

Partner: FAPAS Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Europe’s large mammals

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Photo: Aleksander Trajce / PPNEA - Neli Resort

No bears in Albanian bars! Geographical location

Objectives

Important achievements in 2014

Albania. The brown bears of Albania are part of the Dinarides-Pindos population which ranges from Slovenia in the north to Greece in the south.

In order to signiﬁcantly contribute to brown bear protection in the Western Balkans, we endeavour to halt the illegal capture of brown bears in Albania and aim to erode societal acceptance of bears being displayed in bars and restaurants.

The documentary was aired by a number of relevant TV stations in Albania. It was also shown at the Albanian environmental ﬁlm festival and got almost a thousand views on YouTube. The campaign is beginning to have a positive impact, with a number of restaurants and bars in Tirana now refraining from displaying brown bears at their premises.

Status In Albania, as in other countries, brown bears are on the Red List of Threatened Species and are a protected species under international conventions. Nonetheless it has been estimated that at least 40 bears in Albania are kept in captivity, a sizeable proportion of the overall Albanian brown bear population. Female bears are being shot in order to take cubs into captivity – with disastrous consequences. Albania plays a critical role for the long-term survival of the brown bears of the Western Balkans. Bears migrating into Albania from the Pindos mountain range in the south or from the northern Dinarides often vanish into thin air. This does not only threaten the very existence of the Albanian population but also slowly erodes the entire Dinarides-Pindos population. The main reasons for why the sinister trade in the lives of bears can continue include a lack of awareness, lack of controls and a failure to impose sanctions.

Selected activities in 2014 We conducted a public awareness campaign in Albania with a view to mobilizing civil society. We produced a thirty minute long documentary on “Bears in Captivity” as well as information leaﬂets.

Outlook Important steps have been taken but the public awareness campaign must urgently be continued. It is similarly important to plug the major knowledge gaps as to the current status of the Albanian brown bear population. While good information is at hand on the populations of the Northern Dinarides and the Pindos mountain range, the Southern Dinarides population remains largely unexplored.

Partners: PPNEA, Alertis Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Annual Report 2014

Europe’s large mammals

Photo: Bruno Dittrich - Grey wolf

Making way for Poland’s wolves Status Thanks to intensive protection measures, Poland’s wolf populations have shown steady growth in recent years. From their ranges in eastern Poland the wolves are also increasingly recolonizing Poland’s western regions. However, the population in the west of the country remains delicate. Here the threat from illegal hunting is particularly high. Moreover, the wolves suffer from the fragmentation of their habitats and migration routes. The westward expansion of their range is being hampered by settlements, transport routes and intensive land use, especially in central and southern Poland.

In a number of cases of illegal hunting, Wilk lent technical support to the investigating authorities, helping them to uncover the offences and more efficiently pursue the perpetrators. In order to prevent conflicts between livestock owners and wolves, we supported herd/flock protection measures in western Poland. For example, one of the biggest livestock producers in Lower Silesia was supplied with fladry (flagged fencing). A map of all the important wildlife corridors in Pomerania was produced together with the marshal‘s office of the Pomeranian Province. The results are to be incorporated into the new regional development strategy for the province.

Objectives Our aims are to protect the existing wolf population in Poland and to accomplish an expansion of the wolves’ range within Poland.

Selected activities in 2014 As in previous years, a nationwide wolf census was carried out with a view to monitoring and assessing the species’ population development and distribution in Poland.

Owing to Wilk’s expertise it was possible to prove that a young wolf had not died a natural death, as was initially determined by the police, but that he died as the result of having been shot, which then prompted the authorities to launch an ofﬁcial investigation. An important section of the so-called Carpathian corridor, one of the wolves’ principal migration routes, is located in the Milowka district of southern Poland. Changes were made to the regional spatial plan, ensuring that all relevant areas are now protected from further destruction due to infrastructure projects.

Outlook Important achievements in 2014 Compared to the previous year, there has been a further increase in the number of wolf packs in western Poland and in the regions close to the German border. In 2014, these areas were home to 31 packs or pairs. Two new packs were recorded in the Koszalin Forest, 80 kilometres east of Szczecin, and in the Rzepin Forest, 35 kilometres east of Eisenhüttenstadt, respectively.

The ongoing growth of Poland’s wolf population is encouraging and shows that our long-standing efforts are bearing fruit. In order to achieve lasting stabilization we must curb illegal hunting and prevent further fragmentation of wolf habitats in Poland. Partners: MRI, Wilk, “Workshop for all Beings” conservation organization Funding: Lappat Fund, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors, Elisabeth Seifert-Becker’s endowment fund for the protection of wolves in memory of Viktoria Neumann, Emilie and Franz Seifert

Europe’s large mammals

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Photo: WILK - Wolf monitoring

Wolf protection in the tri-border area Geographical location in Europe

Selected activities in 2014

Outlook

Western Beskids (part of the Western Carpathians) in the tri-border area along the junction of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Camera traps were installed, and their results evaluated, on both sides of the Polish-Czech and Polish-Slovakian borders respectively. The aim was to get a better indication of the wolf populations resident in these areas. Genetic material such as faeces and hair samples were collected in Poland and Slovakia in order to shed light on the degree of genetic relationship between the wolves in those two countries. The analyses of these samples as well as the results obtained from camera trap monitoring will help with the assessment of hunting impacts in Slovakia on the Polish and Czech wolf populations.

Polish and Czech representatives have long advocated improved cross-border cooperation with Slovakia with regard to the management of their shared wolf populations. However, the conservationists had been lacking the necessary baseline data to corroborate the wolves’ need for protection. As part of the project we aim to further plug knowledge gaps in this respect and use the information obtained to substantiate arguments for halting the shooting of wolves in all three countries in the future.

Status Statutory requirements with regard to wolf protection differ widely between the three countries. Wolves enjoy strict protection only in Poland and the Czech Republic while they may be hunted in Slovakia. Most wolves are shot in the immediate vicinity of the Polish border. Hunting in Slovakia thus also affects wolves resident in Poland whose territories extend into Slovakia. There are as yet few records of wolves in the Czech Republic, which is similarly due to wolves being shot in Slovakia. Moreover, wolves in the Beskids are under threat from numerous infrastructure projects.

Objectives Our aims are to expand the knowledge base on wolves in the tri-border area along the junction of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and to strengthen cross-border cooperation between our partners in conservation so as to afford the Western Beskids’ wolf population more effective protection than it has been enjoying to date.

Annual Report 2014

Important achievements in 2014 Aided by the camera traps and genetic studies, Hnuti Duha and Wilk were able to provide evidence of multiple instances of transboundary wolf territories on the border between Slovakia and Poland. Thanks to the submission by Hnuti Duha of critical statements, a road construction project was shelved which would have cut through a Natura 2000 site and potential wolf habitat. The establishment of a sheep farm in a migratory corridor used by wolves, bears and lynxes has similarly been halted.

Partners: Hnutí Duha, Wilk Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Europe’s large mammals

Photo: MES - Camera-trap picture of Balkan lynx

Network for the Balkan lynx Geographical situation in Europe

Objectives

Important achievements in 2014

Mountainous border regions as part of the Balkan Green Belt between Albania and Macedonia as well as between Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo.

In order to afford the lynx effective protection we must sustainably safeguard their last remaining habitats. The long-term objective is a coherent network of protected areas on the Balkan Peninsula which is managed with a view to the needs of the Balkan lynx and its prey. To this end, we must further develop and strengthen our local partner organizations, plug the knowledge gaps as to the Balkan lynx’s distribution, and raise greater awareness in the political sphere and amongst the general population as to the species’ need for protection.

In 2014, the project area was successfully extended to include Montenegro and Kosovo; it now includes the Balkan lynx entire potential range. For the second year running, camera trapping conducted by PPNEA conﬁrmed the presence of four lynx individuals in the northern Albanian Munella Mountains. Our Macedonian and Albanian conservation partners are now in a position to play an active role in the future designation of Natura 2000 sites in the interest of Balkan lynx.

Status The Balkan lynx, a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx, has been brought to the brink of extinction as a result of habitat destruction, direct persecution, and reduction of its prey base due to hunting. According to recent estimates, the Balkan lynx population has been reduced to fewer than 50 individuals. Aside from the Mavrovo National Park, the Munella Mountains in northern Albania (Map p. 5, No. 13) are amongst the species’ last documented refuges. And it is in these mountains, out of all places, that the last remaining forests are being cut down and burned down at breathtaking speed, whilst the Mavrovo National Park is under acute threat from a number of hydropower dam projects (please refer to pp. 14 - 15). Moreover, there are still major knowledge gaps as to the Balkan lynx’s current distribution in Montenegro and Kosovo.

Selected activities in 2014 In order to corroborate the high value of the Munella Mountains as an area of special conservation interest, PPNEA compiled the results of their previous two years of camera trap monitoring and submitted these to the Albanian Ministry of the Environment. Since the summer of 2014, the conservation partners in Kosovo and Montenegro have been conducting systematic camera trap monitoring in potential lynx habitats in both countries. PPNEA and MES staff were trained in Natura 2000 site mapping methods.

Outlook In 2015 Albanian hunting legislation will be revised. EuroNatur and its partners are working on a contribution to be submitted into the legislative process with a view to more sustainable hunting in Albania in the future. We are also establishing a basis for initialising the designation of additional protected areas, including the Munella Mountains in Albania and the Šar Mountains in Macedonia (Map p. 5, No. 16).

Partners: MES, PPNEA, CZIP, Finch, ERA, Kora Funding: Mava Foundation, BfN with funds provided by BMUB, EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Europe’s large mammals

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Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Mauritanian ﬁshermen

Safe refuges for Mediterranean monk seals Geographical location in Europe

Selected activities in 2014

Outlook

Mauritanian Atlantic coast, Cap Blanc peninsula. The six kilometres long “Costa de las Focas” seal reserve is located approximately ten kilometres north-west of Mauritania’s second-largest city Nouadhibo.

CBD Habitat rangers regularly patrolled Cap Blanc, as in previous years, both from the landward and seaward sides in order to minimize disturbances resulting from the presence of fishermen and shell collectors. In order to gain greater insight into the species’ ecology, CBD Habitat used fixed surveillance cameras to study the monk seals’ behaviour in the caves used by the colony to rear their young, Video surveillance of the caves used by the monk seals as well as daily monitoring of the cliffs contribute to monitoring population development as well as to spotting and saving pups that may have gotten into difficulty.

The continuous growth of the Cap Blanc population shows that measures taken to protect the Mediterranean monk seals are being effective. Our long-term aim is for the seals to return to open beaches for breeding purposes. On the beaches it is much easier for the adults to protect their pups from high surfs and swells than in the caves. To this end we must keep disturbances at a very low level at all times.

Status Cap Blanc hosts the world’s largest Mediterranean monk seal colony. As a result of many years of intensive protection measures the population is on a steady path of recovery following a mass die-off in 1997 and presently numbers approximately 250 individuals. The situation of the Mediterranean monk seal does however remain precarious.

Objectives Our aim is to continuously improve the natural resource base on which the Mediterranean monk seals depend and limit risks to the colony as far as possible, so as to ensure the further growth and long-term survival of the Cap Blanc colony.

Important achievements in 2014 The Cap Blanc Mediterranean monk seal population has further increased. Sixty-nine pups were born in 2014, an additional six compared to 2013. This is the highest birth rate recorded since surveillance began. Thanks to regular ranger patrols, levels of disturbances resulting from the presence of fishermen and shell collectors were very low in the sensitive zone in which the caves used by the colony to rear their pups are located. Partners: CBD Habitat Funding: EuroNatur’s donors and sponsors

Annual Report 2014

Europe’s large mammals

Photo: Willi Rolfes - Flowering fruit tree in a rape ﬁeld

Agricultural & energy policy

European agricultural policy: Back to square one! Our continent’s ecological crises are ‘home-made’ and remain largely unsolved! Be it climate change or biodiversity decline, the problems have one common root, and that is the unbridled overexploitation of our resources. EuroNatur advocates policy turnarounds in the agriculture and energy sectors with a view to the well-being of both humans AND nature.

The reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was agreed in the autumn of 2013. In 2014, the ‘ﬁnishing touches’ were applied to the policy in Germany as in the other EU Member States. From the start of the reform process, EuroNatur, as part of a broad alliance of associations, engaged in intensive lobbying aimed at putting a much greener stamp on the EU agricultural policy for 2014-2020. The associations lobbied for an agricultural sector which shapes ecologically valuable cultural landscapes, generates employment, and takes animal welfare and consumer issues as serious as it does issues of global development and climate protection. In principle, the reform offered the chance for a coursecorrection, as the European Commission’s reform proposal had paved the way for an ecologically sound orientation of the new CAP. EU Agricultural Commissioner Ciolos wanted to provide direct payments only to farms that follow certain rules on crop rotations, maintain permanent grassland, and protect seven percent of their acreage as ecological focus areas. But over the course of the three years

of negotiations, the European Council and the European Parliament had very much weakened and watered down the Commission’s ambitious reform proposals. As part of the national ﬁne-tuning efforts in 2014, EuroNatur continued its steady dialogue with the decision-makers with a view to achieving improvements for nature conservation. However, the agricultural policy reform as it was ultimately agreed fell far short of the associations’ expectations. Last but not least it was German members of the European Parliament and the Bundestag (German Federal Assembly) who crushed good ideas. A new chance for a true CAP paradigm change will not now come up for a number of years, until such time as discussions commence on the reform of the agricultural policy post-2020. In the meantime, however, it is important to already forge new alliances and mobilize forces at both the national level and throughout Europe with a view to materially affecting the outcome of the next reform process in terms of a more environmentally and socially responsible agricultural policy.

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Poland: Transboundary aid for a turnaround in the energy sector Based on many years of existing cooperation, EuroNatur has been advising the province of Podlasia (Map p. 5, No. 4) as well as a number of municipalities since 2013 on the issue of how to achieve more efﬁcient and considerate utilization of resources in the region. Our aim is to initiate concrete pilot projects in the region with the active participation of the local people and municipalities, while at the same time contributing to the generation of the necessary political and economic environment for a bottom-up turnaround in energy policy. At present this district on the eastern fringe of the European Union is very strongly dependent on energy imports. Our project focuses on the establishment of decentralized economic and supply structures based on renewable energy sources.

Partners: BUND, BUND/ Bavarian section, AbL, Agricultural platform and other associations engaged in farming and conservation. For more information see:

Initial foundations had already been laid in 2013. In 2014, the project in Podlasia significantly gained momentum. Representatives of the Marshal‘s Office, the Politechnika Bialystok as well as mayors of a number of municipalities, amongst others, expressed their wish to exchange experiences with German municipalities. Amongst these is the mayor of Lapy (population: 22,000). Supported by EuroNatur, this municipality in eastern Poland aims at becoming independent of external energy supplies over the coming years. A study conducted by the non-profit association “Energievision Frankenwald” and the Politechnika Bialystok as part of our project has shown that the town does indeed have the capabilities to achieve this goal.

We facilitated intensive exchanges between decisionmakers from Lapy and the Upper Franconian town of Wunsiedel in the course of several field trips. For several years now, Wunsiedel has consistently pursued a path towards regional, climate-smart energy solutions. Lapy is to benefit from its expertise. In June 2014, the two municipalities’ mayors signed an agreement initiated by EuroNatur establishing the first German-Polish energy town twinning. The agreement officially signals the two towns’ desire to cooperate on renewable energies and climate protection. Furthermore, EuroNatur publicized sustainable energy generation in Poland as part of several events, including a conference in Bialystok attended by roughly 1,000 participants. Two concrete projects were being implemented in 2014: One is a small biogas plant on an organic farm which uses only residues to generate power and heat, the other a small decentralized oil press for producing plant oil for direct on-farm use in a converted tractor. The aim is to make the farm more independent of fossil fuel.

Partners: Bialystok Marshal‘s Ofﬁce, Politechnika Bialystok, Podlasie Regional Development Association, DBFZ Leipzig,

http://www.euronatur.org/Agriculture.landwirtschaft0.0.html

Energievision Frankenwald e.V., the town of Wunsiedel

Funding: BfN with funds provided by BMUB,

and the Wunsiedel Department of Public Works

Ludwig Raue Memorial Fund

Funding: UBA with funds provided by BMUB

Annual Report 2014

Agricultural & energy policy

Photo: Franz Hasse - Senne

Projects in Germany

Brandenburg: Saving natural heritage Lush beech and hornbeam forests, inaccessible peatlands and sparkling lakes: all these oases of diversity can be found in eastern Brandenburg, embedded in a landscape that is in parts intensively used. The area is home to numerous endangered species, such as otters and white-tailed eagles. Its inclusion in the National Natural Heritage Programme aims at giving it long-term protection from destruction. In 2000 the German federal government established the statutory basis for the area’s protection by allowing ownership of such sites to be

transferred to conservation organizations, amongst others. Back then EuroNatur agreed to take on approximately 1,000 hectares. As of June 2015, EuroNatur has taken ownership of approximately 860 hectares. Some of the sites are situated in Brandenburg (Map p. 5, No. 3) and include ecologically valuable orchid-rich grasslands hosting endangered species such as the pyramidal orchid. Approximately three quarters of the acreage transferred to EuroNatur is under forest cover, and roughly half of this forested acreage is dominated, as yet, by species-poor pine monocultures which are not siteappropriate and as a result are of low conservation value. EuroNatur is working on progressively transforming these

stands into species-rich and site-appropriate mixed deciduous woodland. In 2014, this type of silvicultural conversion was carried out on approximately 45 hectares. In total, silvicultural conversion measures have been undertaken in 195 hectares of woodland sites to date. Partners: Nature Park administrations at Dahme-Heideseen, Märkische Schweiz, and Schlaubetal; German Federation for Nature Conservation (NABU) - Märkische Schweiz regional association; local conservation groups and farmers; landscape management association Landschaftspﬂegeverband Mittlere Oder e.V.; BUND - Frankfurt/Oder district group Funding: EuroNatur Trust for Eastern Germany (thanks to generous ﬁnancial endowments this trust now holds approximately EUR 270,000), EuroNatur’s donors and sponsor

Senne: Four-legged landscape managers A colourful patchwork of heathlands, deciduous and coniferous forests, meadows and pastures can be found at the foot of the Teutoburg Forest. EuroNatur has been supporting the “Senne - Paderborn Biological Station” for many years been in their work to protect this valuable and species-rich little gem. Given that the majority of plant and animal species found in the Senne landscape (Map p. 5, No. 2) are dependent on open habitats, a

number of different grazing projects have a special role to play here. Amongst other grazers, a ﬂock of Heidschnucken (northern German moorland sheep) keep shrubs and scrub from encroaching onto the species-rich heathlands. At the biological research centre’s annual ‘Heideblütenfest’ – celebrating the heather in bloom – several thousand visitors were acquainted with the shepherding of Heidschnucken. Environmental education is a core aspect of the research centre’s work. Its “Senne horses” project, in particular, resonates with the public. For more than ten years now,

this robust breed has been grazing the dry grasslands of the ‘Moosheide’ nature reserve, thus creating valuable microhabitats for numerous species of insects and plants as well as for sand lizards who lay their eggs in open patches of sand. In 2014, as in previous years, visitors to the nature reserve showed great interest in the four-legged landscape managers. Partners: Senne - Paderborn Biological Station Funding: Gelsenwasser, Stadtwerke Bielefeld GmbH (public utility), EuroNatur’s donors

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Photo: Bruno Dittrich

EuroNatur in the media and beyond

Public relations

Drawing attention to the Blue Heart of Europe The primary objective of the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign (please refer to pp. 14 -15) is to draw public attention to both the Balkan rivers’ beauty and the threats they face. With press tours, press conferences, the “GEO Day of Biodiversity” at the Vjosa river, the online petition “The lynx does not want a dam - Hands off Mavrovo National Park!” and other activities, we were successful in drawing international attention to the issue. Prestigious newspapers and journals reported on the matter, some in a highly critical manner. These included the weekly “Der Spiegel”, the German daily “taz”, Focus online, Berliner Zeitung, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, GEO magazine, and the monthly ‘natur’. During a press tour in Mavrovo National Park, which is under threat from a number of hydropower projects, even just the simple presence of foreign journalists clearly unsettled the authorities in charge.

Croatia’s wild river landscapes on ARTE TV A harmonious assembly of river, ﬂoodplain and cultural landscape has become a rare feature in today’s world, but it can still be found in the primeval river landscape formed by the Sava river. In September 2014, the ARTE TV channel broadcast the documentary entitled “Kroatiens wilde Flusslandschaft” (Croatia’s wild river

Annual Report 2014

landscape). Using impressive imagery the ﬁlm explored this alluvial landscape which is unique in Europe and the protection of which EuroNatur has advocated for more than 25 years.

US radio station reports on illegal bird hunting in Albania The issue of bird hunting on the Balkans was another topic to be repeatedly addressed by the media in 2014. International public attention is paramount to this issue. In February 2014 for example, the German daily newspaper ‘taz’ reported on the successes in combating illegal bird hunting in the Hutovo Blato Nature Park in Bosnia-Herzegovina (please refer to pp. 18-19). In early 2014, the US-American journalist Phil McKenna travelled to Albania to take a closer look at the plight of migratory birds there. EuroNatur supported his investigation. At that time the implementation of the two-year hunting moratorium agreed in 2014 (please refer to pp. 18-19) still left much to be desired. McKenna reported on the disastrous consequences of poaching in Albania, and on possible ways of combating it, in an interview with US-American broadcaster Public Radio International and in a report entitled “Killing ﬁeld for Migrating Birds” in Yale University’s online publication “Yale Environment 360”.

International award honours commitment for nature conservation In November 2014, the Binding Award for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection was awarded for the 29th

time in Vaduz/Liechtenstein. It is one of the most significant European environmental awards and is awarded to persons who have made outstanding tangible contributions to nature conservation and environmental protection in their sphere of influence, municipality or region. One of the three Binding Award recipients to be honoured in 2014 was Christel Schroeder in recognition of her long-standing commitment to conservation efforts in large-scale protected areas, for her work on environmental education facilities in North-Rhine/Westphalia, specifically at Senne, and for her exemplary work as President of EuroNatur Foundation. The 2014 Grand Binding Award went to Ulrich Eichelmann, the Viennese environmental activist and Managing Director of Riverwatch, who was honoured for his international engagement for the protection of rivers. As part of the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign, Ulrich Eichelmann works together with EuroNatur and local partners to stop the destruction of Balkan rivers for the sake of hydropower projects.

A fresh welcome at euronatur.org At www.euronatur.org, EuroNatur has been featuring its new homepage since November 2014. Visitors to the website can now view EuroNatur’s news items, background information and activities even more quickly and clearly. Large-format photographs make projects more tangible. In the run-up to Christmas 2014, the EuroNatur advent calendar revealed behind its 24 little doors trivia questions, movie recommendations and recipe ideas from EuroNatur project regions and thus allowed visitors to gain insights, including some more unusual insights, into EuroNatur’s conservation efforts.

Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Chamomille

Economic situation

Economic situation in the 2014 financial year A firm financial footing thanks to the donors

Income and expenditure headings based on DZI speciﬁcations

In 2014, EuroNatur Foundation’s regular donors, sponsors and legacy donors continued to provide the financial footing for our tangible conservation efforts in Europe as well as for political lobbying and environmental education. Once again, EuroNatur also attracted substantial financial support for project implementation from private foundations and associations as well as public sector funding, most notably from the Mava Foundation, the Dr. Manfred and Gudrun Keim Fund, German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU), Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND), the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUB), the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). Moreover, EuroNatur’s work was financially supported by certain commercial enterprises in 2014. These included i.a. the utilities company Gelsenwasser and the Bielefeld public utilities.

The income and expenditure headings used for the purposes of this activity report correspond to the prescribed speciﬁcations as part of the guidelines for the DZI (German Central Institute for Social Issues) Seal of Approval. The headings therefore diverge somewhat from the customary breakdown set out in the Handelsgesetzbuch (German Commercial Code), especially in the proﬁt and loss account. Amongst the criteria assessed by DZI are two important threshold values, i.e. the share of expenditure on advertising and administration in total relevant expenditure, and the ratio of expenditure on advertising to total income from donations. Not all expenditure is included for the purpose of calculating the share of administrative expenditure: Expenditure on portfolio management is only taken into consideration if its total is a negative amount. Commercial activities are not considered at all.

DZI Seal of Approval In June 2014, EuroNatur Foundation was again awarded the DZI (German Central Institute for Social Issues) Seal of Approval. EuroNatur had applied for the seal in August 2013 based on its 2012 annual accounts. Due to changes in the assessment date on the part of DZI, our subsequent application has not yet been processed. According to DZI our application will not be assessed until the autumn of 2015. The latest result of the DZI assessment of EuroNatur Foundation was a positive one: Its advertising and presentation of information are truthful, unambiguous, and factual. Funding acquisition and the use of funds as well as the ﬁnancial situation are clearly documented. The foundation and its gremia have suitable controls in place.

Annual Report 2014

20 32

Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Cormorants

Appropriate proportion of administrative expenses Compared to the previous year, EuroNatur Foundation saw its income decrease somewhat by € 175k to a total of € 2,615k. Total income from donations and fines in 2014 was € 1,180k, an increase of €205k. Relevant total expenditure for calculating the proportion of administrative expenses in 2014 stood at € 2,345k, up by € 112k compared to the previous year. Our projections for 2014 show that EuroNatur Foundation spent approximately 20.6 % of relevant total expenditure on advertising and administration. DZI will assess our results at a later point in time. The institute considers appropriate a proportion of administrative expenses of up to 20 %, while 20-30 % are considered acceptable. The previous year’s figure was 19.8 %. In 2014, the proportion of advertising expenditure in total income from donations was 20.5 % according to our own calculations. For 2013, DZI had calculated a figure of 22.7 %. The proportion of all expenditure on advertising, which according to DZI definitions also includes general PR work, must not exceed 30 % of total income from donations.

Annual Report 2014

Individual sources of revenue There was a slight increase in revenue from donations in 2014 (+€ 199k) compared to the previous year which was due to high donations from bequests (+€ 120k). Approximately 45 % of the 2014 income came from donations. Third-party grants for concrete project implementation also increased in 2014 (+€ 68k). This increase was solely due to financial support received from private foundations and associations. EuroNatur Foundation’s non-profit tax-exempt and taxable commercial activities saw a significant decrease in turnover (-€ 247k) compared to 2013. Interest and capital gains had been exceptionally high in 2013 due to major nonrecurring items; in 2014 they dropped significantly compared to the previous year (-€ 180k).

Expenditure Compared to 2013, EuroNatur Foundation increased its total expenditure on projects, campaigns and education by € 71k. Close to 80 % of total expenditure therefore went directly into work on projects, campaigns and education. There was a slight nominal increase in expenditure on

advertising, general PR work and administration in 2014 compared to 2013 (+€ 41k). The share of expenditure under these headings in total relevant expenditure now stands at just over 20 % which according to DZI is an acceptable proportion of expenditure for general PR work, advertising and administration. Pure administrative expenditure actually accounted for ony 10.3 % of total relevant expenditure, with advertising and public relations expenditure accounting for approximately 5 % each in 2014.

Successful conclusion to the 2014 financial year EuroNatur Foundation concluded the 2014 financial year with a positive operating result of € 270k. € 18k were withdrawn from project-specific reserves for site protection in Brandenburg. Revenue from bequests and endowments was added to the revenue reserves almost in full. A further € 5k was added to EuroNatur Foundation’s capital stock. These additions thus further strengthend the capital stock and significantly added to the revenue reserves.

Economic situation

Photo: Pavel Bečka

Notes on the 2014 Statement of Financial Position Compared to the previous year, 2014 saw an increase of € 201k in EuroNatur Foundation’s total assets which now stand at € 4,784k. At the end of the ﬁnancial year, noncurrent assets (ﬁxed assets) stood at € 2,513k, whereas current assets stood at € 2,271k. Fixed assets increased by € 97k compared to 2013, while current assets, i.e. primarily liquid funds and securities, increased by € 105k. EuroNatur was able to further reduce accounts receivable to a level of € 156k. These are all considered recoverable and are due within the next twelve months.

Economic situation

A solid foundation – Developments in recent years At the end of the 2014 ﬁnancial year, the foundation’s capital stood at € 2,507k. Compared to the previous year equity increased by € 283k to a total of € 3,860k. Revenue reserves increased considerably compared to 2013 and stood at € 1,353k (+€ 264k) at year’s end.

EuroNatur Foundation’s statement of its financial position clearly shows that recent years have not only brought successes in the organization’s conservation endeavours but that its work has also been successful in economic terms. Over the past five years, i.e. since 2009, total assets increased by € 2,285k and thus nearly doubled. Over the past ten years, i.e. since 2004, total assets even increased by € 3,401k and thus almost quadrupled. The increase in equity, i.e. the foundation’s core capital including endowments and revenue reserves has been even more positive: Over the past five years, equity increased by € 1,756k and thus almost doubled, while over the past ten years it increased almost fivefold. These developments demonstrate that EuroNatur is on a secure financial footing and has been able to significantly improve its financial position in recent years.

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Photo: João Petronilho - Tree lichens

Wills and testaments for European nature

Dependent foundations and named funds

Working together for Europe’s nature

A further strengthening of EuroNatur’s asset base is of great importance for the foundation’s independence and performance as a successful advocate for nature in Europe. The increase in the foundation’s capital creates planning certainty and independence. Endowments and bequests therefore provide immensely valuable support to us and are a great sign of confidence, confidence that we endeavour to honour with our commitment. In 2014, we once again transferred all endowments and yields from bequests to the foundation’s capital stock and revenue reserves. This has further strengthened EuroNatur Foundation’s financial position. We expect that revenues from portfolio management will continue to increase in coming years.

In 2014, EuroNatur managed three dependent foundations and two earmarked named funds. The named funds’ capital totals approximately € 235k. The total capital stock of the dependent foundations comes to approximately € 2.269k. In agreement with its donor, responsibility for the Wetland Foundation for Froggy & Friends was transferred to the association ‘Verein Ebertseifen Lebensräume e. V.’. None- theless, the dependent foundations’ total capital stock held in trust by EuroNatur Foundation increased by € 104k. In the reporting year, yields from dependent foundations continued to primarily beneﬁt EuroNatur projects.

EuroNatur’s successes in nature conservation in Europe in 2014 were made possible by the regular donors, sponsors and legacy donors as well as by the providers of grants and by our commercial sponsors, all of whom helped us in so many ways. We are most grateful for your support!

Bequests and legacies in 2014 Walter Dempﬂe, Friedrichshafen Wolfgang Kalteier, Berlin Juliane Kolesnikow, Wendelstein Irene Petzold, Friedrichshafen Christa Anni Speyerer, Wachenheim

Annual Report 2014

Dr. Manfred and Gudrun Keim Fund Ludwig Raue Memorial Fund Lappat Fund EuroNatur Fund for Eastern Germany Elisabeth Seifert-Becker’s endowment fund for the protection of wolves in memory of Viktoria Neumann, Emilie and Franz Seibert

Economic situation

Statement of Financial Position as at 31.12.2014 ASSETS A. Fixed assets

2014

2013

‘‘ 000 €

2,513

2,416

I. Intangible assets + tangible assets II. Financial assets B. Current assets

2,457

2,366 2,166

2,270 I. Stocks II. Accounts receivable and other assets III. Liquid funds, short-term securities

Economic situation

C. Deferred items

TOTALS

LIABILITIES A. Equity

156

177

2,097

1,979

4,784

4,583

2014

2013

‘‘ 000 €

3,860

3,577

I. Foundation‘s capital Core capital

Endowments

2,430

2,412

1,353

1,088

II. Revenue reserves

B. Provisions

110

104

C. Liabilities

814

902

4,784

4,583

D. Deferrals

TOTALS

Annual Report 2014

20 36

Proﬁt and Loss Statement for 2014 Revenue according to DZI

Cash donations Donations in kind Bequests Fines

2014

2013

Expenditure according to DZI

‘‘ 000 €

868

33.19

793

28.42

0,80

0,11

Staff-related expenditure

285

10.90

165

5.91

Administrative and other expenditure

0.23

0.50

1,180

975

2013

‘‘ 000 €

Expenditure on project aid 452

19.27

453

18.42

1,050

44.76

1,003

40.79

193

8.23

182

7.40

0.98

0.89

Expenditure on project monitoring and assistance Staff-related expenditure

Subtotal (total income from donations)

2014 ‘‘ 000 €

Administrative and other expenditure Expenditure on campaigns, education, public awareness

Government grants

319

12.20

476

17.06

Staff-related expenditure

3.84

3.42

Grants from other organizations

999

38.20

774

27.74

Administrative and other expenditure

2.26

1.87

Nonprofit tax-exempt and taxable commercial activity

0.65

264

9.46

Interest and capital gains

2.91

256

9.18

Staff-related expenditure

4.13

3.66

Other revenue

0.92

1.61

Administrative and other expenditure

145

6.18

131

5.33

Total revenue

2,615

100

2,790

100

175

7.46

168

6.83

2.86

2.20

Portfolio management

0.04

0.73

Commercial activity

0.00

208

8.46

2,346

100.00

2,459

100.00

Expenditure on advertising and general PR work

Expenditure on administration

Withdrawals from revenue reserves

18 2,633

1 2,791

Staff-related expenditure Administrative and other expenditure Expenditure on portfolio management & commercial activities

Total expenditure Transfers to the Fund‘s capital stock Transfers to revenue reserves

165

282

125

2,633

2,791

Transfers to „Umschichtungsrücklage“ (special reserve for gains from transactions to cover potential losses of future transactions)

Annual Report 2014

Economic situation

Photo: Sarah Böhm - Hedychrum nobile

Dealing with potential risks For a non-proﬁt foundation, the EuroNatur Foundation capital stock is relatively slim. Therefore, the organization is urgently dependent on donations and third-party grants in so as to be able to discharge its mandate as an advocate of nature in Europe. We are aware of the fact that with this funding comes great responsibility and day in, day out we work towards using the funds as efﬁciently as possible. The manner in which these grants and donations are passed on to partner organizations in the east and south of Europe is also a sensitive issue, one that is predicated on a very good network of longterm contacts. Moreover, a multi-level control system is essential for the correct assessment of and effective response to risks. Risk mitigation measures must also be adopted for capital investments.

Risks

Potential risks and the measures we take to avert them Financial and economic crises The global ﬁnancial and economic crisis which began in 2008, and the impacts of which are still being felt, has shown once again that our lives’ economic circumstances can change

swiftly and dramatically. The fact that there are no truly secure forms of investment which also guarantee yields has definitely become apparent since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. There is no interest without risk. In this light it is becoming increasingly difficult to find some middle ground between security and financial returns. Charting our course in this respect we abide by the following principles: The EuroNatur Foundation invests its equity capital in lowrisk funds, taking into account ethical and environmental criteria (please refer to the chapter on “Transparency”). Moreover, reserves are built up in order to be able to even out fluctuations in revenues. The special reserve set up in 2013 for gains from transactions which can in turn be used to cover potential losses of future transactions (“Umschichtungsrücklage”) is a safeguard against potentially required depreciation of fixed assets.

Lack of competent and trustworthy partner organizations The EuroNatur Foundation has not opted for a Europewide network of ofﬁces with full-time employees, thus eliminating the considerable administrative expenditure such a network would incur. We are primarily concerned with cooperating with existing conservation organizations that are well connected in their local areas and are successful in their endeavours. In many countries of southern and eastern Europe, powerful non-proﬁt and independent conservation organizations are few and far between. The

lack of competent and trustworthy partners limits our options. It is for this reason, that EuroNatur also invests in the systematic development and strengthening of civil society in southern and eastern Europe. EuroNatur’s project work is always predicated on cooperation with a local partner organization. If there is no such partner organization in a particular region, it is reason enough for EuroNatur not to engage.

Misappropriation of funds We have self-imposed strict rules on budgetary control. All outward payments are checked for mathematical and factual correctness. Payment orders are always subject to the “Twoman rule”. Target-performance comparisons are carried out on a monthly basis, allowing for swift detection of potential irregularities. Our 2014 annual accounts were audited by the independent auditing and tax accounting firm WISTA AG and endorsed with an unqualified audit certificate.

Inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in project work We regularly scrutinize our internal processes which allows us to continuously increase our efficiency. We also analyse the work of our partner organizations and work with them to find solutions to increase their efficiency. Our partners’ statements of expenditure are checked by the project liaison person for factual accuracy and by the accounting department for financial accuracy. All statements of expenditure are submitted to the managing directors prior to funds being paid out. Annual Report 2014

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Photo: R. Jakubowski -Gomero wall gecko

Transparency and sustainability are amongst EuroNatur’s important tenets EuroNatur was again awarded the DZI Seal of Approval In 2014, EuroNatur Foundation was again awarded the DZI (German Central Institute for Social Issues) Seal of Approval which certiﬁes that EuroNatur uses funds prudently, is reputable in its solicitation of donations, and keeps the proportion of funds spent on administration at acceptable levels.

Transparency

Initiative for transparency in civil society EuroNatur has been a signatory to Transparency International Germany’s “Initiative Transparente Zivilgesellschaft” (Initiative for transparency in civil society) since 2010. Signatories to the initiative voluntarily commit to publishing ten particular items of information about their organization on their homepage. These include i.a. their statutes, the names of essential decision-makers, and information on how they are funded, how they use their funding, and their personnel structure.

Annual Report 2014

Auditing In 2014, EuroNatur once again voluntarily submitted to an audit of its annual accounts by an auditor. The auditing and tax accounting firm WISTA AG audited EuroNatur Foundation’s 2014 annual accounts in accordance with Par. 317 of the German Commercial Code (HGB) and in accordance with the accepted standards for the review of financial statements (IDW PS 201) as set out by the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany (IDW) and endorsed the accounts with an unqualified audit certificate. An extract from the audit certificate states the following: “We have audited the annual financial statements, consisting of the balance sheet, statement of income, and notes, and including the accounting and the management report of EuroNatur – Stiftung Europäisches Naturerbe, Radolfzell, for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2014. […] Our audit did not lead to any objections.” 1 June 2015, WISTA AG, Mannheim

Capital investment based on environmental and ethical criteria EuroNatur Foundation’s foundation capital now amounts to more than € 2.5 million. Moreover, EuroNatur Foundation holds trust property of more than € 2.2 million in trust for the beneﬁt of the non-autonomous foundations. In keeping with the organization’s philosophy, investment decisions are based on environmental and ethical criteria. Both inclusion and exclusion criteria are applied to these decisions. As a minimum, investment products are not considered if they invest in companies involved in nuclear power, agrochemicals, weapons, genetic engineering, pornography, alcohol, tobacco, the motor industry, airline companies, or if they are invested in government bonds in nations practicing capital punishment, actively driving forward nuclear energy, or which are considered corrupt. Our main ﬁnancial service providers for asset management purposes are the Umweltbank AG, the Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG, and the GLS Bank.

Photo: David Köster - Fjallabak

System of remuneration EuroNatur’s employees are assigned at ﬁve different functional levels, in addition to the management team. These five levels are Administration I and II, Divisional management, and Project management I and II. Remuneration bands have been set for each of the levels, extending 10 % either side of the mid-point. The mid-points for the Administration I and Project Management II remuneration bands are € 33k and € 50k per annum respectively. The three highest annual remuneration packages are received by the Executive Director, the Director for Nature Conservation Policy and the Head of Finance and Accounting. Extrapolated to full-time posts these three positions receive a total of approximately € 224k. Without exception all members of the Presiding Committee and the Board of Trustees act in a voluntary capacity and only receive reimbursements for cost incurred, but no expense allowances.

Advertising and donor information Six times a year EuroNatur Foundation sends out information to its donors to keep them in touch with ongoing projects and request support for concrete endeavours. Similarly, support for individual projects is solicited, and information provided, through the organization’s website

Transparency

at www.euronatur.org. In addition, regular supporters receive the EuroNatur magazine as well as topical project reports containing comprehensive information and reports on current developments in the projects. In 2014, EuroNatur Foundation conducted its own donor information and fundraising. With the exception of printers, no aspect of these tasks was outsourced to any agency or external service provider.

Impact monitoring and impact analysis One of the most important tenets of EuroNatur’s work is the efficient deployment of funds entrusted to us by our donors and by the organizations (both governmental and non-governmental) that support our work. Systematic planning and comprehensive impact monitoring are preconditions to the efficient use of funds. EuroNatur Foundation takes both a supportive and an operative role. For projects undertaken by EuroNatur in cooperation with its partner organizations, and which in most instances are in receipt of third-party financial support (from both governmental and non-governmental sources), EuroNatur reports back in detail to the financial backers. Impact monitoring already begins at the stages of project

development and project application. EuroNatur develops projects based on comprehensive situational analysis and needs assessments. Together with our partners we formulate the overall objectives and prepare project applications based thereon. These can only attract funding, if the objectives are clearly set out and if activities are proposed that serve to meet these objectives. Evidence of the use of funds must include comprehensive evaluations of the achievement of set objectives as well as rationales for potential changes in or adjustments to activities or even objectives. In order to receive grants from EuroNatur, applicants must present cohesive project designs in keeping with the principles set out above. The partner organization’s reports are subject to comprehensive evaluation by EuroNatur and our project managers regularly visit the project areas to discuss the projects’ progress. Both positive developments and difﬁculties arising are assessed in order to allow for procedural adjustments to be made and to learn lessons for the future. Progress reports document project development up to the point of the projects’ completion.

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Photo: Mirko Sarac - Duvanjsko Polje

Sensible giving

Capital for nature conservation in Europe Capital is an important guarantor of continuity and reach for a charitable trust such as EuroNatur. The trust’s assets are invested in interest-bearing securities the yields of which are used to achieve the trust’s objectives. This allows EuroNatur to sustainably and independently pursue its activities. The inviolability of both the trust capital and the donor‘s will enjoys special legal protection: Dedicated federal state-run bodies, the supervisory authorities (Stiftungsaufsichtsbehörden) – in our case this is the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg – supervise trusts to ensure that the trust capital value is preserved and the trust terms and purpose as specified in the donor‘s wills are observed in perpetuity. Those who wish to exert long-term sustainable influence on developments can best do so through a trust. We offer a range of options for charitable giving, allowing you to fulfil your wishes under the aegis of the EuroNatur Foundation. A financial endowment to the EuroNatur Foundation is a particularly sustainable form of support for the protection of Europe’s natural treasures. In contrast to a donation, an endowment is not directly used in the short term but is a gift that adds

Annual Report 2014

to EuroNatur’s capital stock in perpetuity. Endowments are invested and continue to work for Europe’s nature, as increases in the trust capital generate higher long-term returns for EuroNatur, allowing the organization to effectively pursue its objectives. Year after year endowments provide a reliable and effective basis for EuroNatur’s work on protecting bears, wolves, lynxes, migratory birds and their habitats. EuroNatur was established in 1987 with DM 150,000 in start-up capital. Endowments have allowed this capital stock to grow to well over two million Euros in the meantime. For donors who primarily like to see their gift have sustained impact, endowments can be a good way of gifting moneys. Those who desire to put their assets to good use in the long term and in their own name may consider establishing a dependent foundation under the aegis of EuroNatur. Externally these are not all that different from “normal” foundations. However, they differ from independent foundations in that they do not need to have their own formal structures. Under certain conditions EuroNatur may assume the responsibilities involved in preparing the establishment of a dependent foundation as well as its ongoing administration. A dependent foundation’s capital is administered separately and, if so desired, in accordance with speciﬁed criteria.

The establishment of an endowment fund is an option, if the aspiration is to support EuroNatur’s work in a certain country or region or on a speciﬁc species protection project. We would request that such a gift has not too small a value, given that it is crucial that capital gains be obtained which are then used to fulﬁl the objectives of the fund. We can agree with the founder that the fund carries his or her name, or indeed the name of another person whose memory the founder wishes to honour (named funds).

Are you considering to support EuroNatur with an endowment, a dependent foundation or a named fund, thus contributing in a lasting manner to the protection of Europe’s natural heritage? For an informal consultation please contact:

Sabine Günther, Tel: + 49/77732-9272 17 Email: sabine.guenther@euronatur.org (for endowments and endowment funds)

Markus Dressnandt, Tel: + 49/7732-9272 14 Email: markus.dressnandt@euronatur.org (for dependent foundations)

Photo: Kerstin Sauer - Great white pelicans and great cormorants at Lake Kerkini

Imprint

EuroNatur OfďŹ ces Radolfzell

Bonn

Konstanzer Str. 22 D - 78315 Radolfzell Fon + 49 (0)7732/92 72 0 Fax + 49 (0)7732/92 72 22 info@euronatur.org www.euronatur.org

Euskirchener Weg 39 D - 53359 Rheinbach / Bonn Fon + 49 (0)2226/20 45 Fax + 49 (0)2226/171 00 bonn@euronatur.org www.euronatur.org

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Presiding Committee: President: Christel Schroeder Vice president: Prof. Dr. Sven Olaf Hoffmann Members of the Presiding Committee: Lorenz Graf, Dr. Thomas Griese, Jörg Nitsch, Prof. Dr. Hubert Weiger, Dr. Thomas Potthast (non-voting) Executive Director: Gabriel Schwaderer, Radolfzell Director of Conservation Policy: Lutz Ribbe, Rheinbach Imprint: EuroNatur EuroNatur Foundation

Writers: Katharina Grund, Angie Rother, Gabriel Schwaderer Translation: Ute Bohnsack, Email: agroeco@eircom.net Photo credit: Cover: Ariane Müller - Gewöhnliche Akelei Graphik design: Kerstin Sauer; EuroNatur Service GmbH ISSN 0945-148X Printing: Fischer Druck GmbH & Co. KG, printed on 100% recycling paper

Konstanzer Str. 22, D - 78315 Radolfzell Fon + 49 (0)7732/92 72 0 Fax + 49 (0)7732/92 72 22 Internet: www.euronatur.org E-Mail: info@euronatur.org

The DZI (German Central Institute for Social

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wisely and effectively.

Annual Report 2014

Issues) seal of approval certifies that EuroNatur is serious, transparent and uses donations

Conservation needs action – and money! Our successful work is built on targeted strategies, efficient methods, sound knowledge, rich practical experience and respectable partner organisations in the project regions. But existing opportunities translate into concrete measures only with the help of our donors. Donations to registered charities such as EuroNatur are tax-deductible. Please help us help Europe’s nature and wildlife.

Donations:

Bank für Sozialwirtschaft Köln IBAN DE42 3702 0500 0008 1820 05 SWIFT/BIC BFSWDE33XXX

Please spread the word and help us find new supporters for EuroNatur! www.euronatur.org