The Kick-off meeting of the project gathering representatives from the national authorities, NGOs and academia from all target countries took place in Kiev in April 2013.

The kick-off meeting was the launching event of the Joint EU/CoE Programme on the setting-up of the Emerald Network (Phase II) in seven target countries from Central and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine).

The meeting gathered representatives of national competent authorities, Emerald teams and NGOs active in the field of nature conservation from the seven target countries. Participants had the opportunity to discuss the project objectives, expected results and planning. The necessary consolidation of the scientific work completed in the period 2009-2012 was also debated, as well as the follow-up to give for the further identification of potential Emerald sites, in the frame of the new project.

The methodology of the Emerald biogeographical process was also presented and the exchange of views on the management and reporting on the Emerald sites was facilitated, with an emphasis on conservation standards for future Emerald sites, in particular the ones which straddle borders.

For more information, consult the Report of the regional Kick-off meeting

Working documents

• Draft agenda
• Project lifespan planning, including activities for 2013
• Detailed project description
• Role and tasks of national project leaders
• Emerald Network Reference Portal : consult for all reference documents (adopted at the level of the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention) and other support materials useful for the practical implementation of the Emerald Network
• Calendar for the implementation of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest 2011-2020 - T-PVS/PA(2010)08revE
• List of officially nominated candidate Emerald sites (last updated at the 32nd meeting of the Standing Committee, in December 2012)
• Criteria for the biogeographical assessment of candidate Emerald sites (adopted by the Bern Convention Standing Committee in November 2010) - T-PVS/PA(2010)12E
• Summary quality check reports on Emerald data [as delivered at the end of the 1st JP Emerald Network (2009-2011)]:
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Belarus
  • Georgia
  • Moldova
  • Russian Federation
  • Ukraine 
• Draft revised Emerald sites Standard Data Form - T-PVS/PA(2012)15E
• Draft Interpretation manual of the Emerald Network habitats, following the new version of Resolution 4 (1996) - T-PVS/PA(2011)08E
• Preliminary analysis of the species proposed by 7 Contracting Parties for addition to the Bern Convention lists of species for the Emerald Network + MSAccess database for the preliminary analysis sent by e-mail 
• Draft Guidelines on the management of Emerald sites, including climate change adaptation and mitigation - T-PVS/PA(2012)10E

Presentations

• Strategic development of the Emerald Network
• Project objectives, activities and expected results
• Results achieved through the Emerald Network project 2009-2011
• EU Regional Programmes Environment Neighbourhood East
• Armenia: state of play of work on the Emerald Network by 2012
• Azerbaijan: state of play of work on the Emerald Network by 2012
• Belarus: state of play of work on the Emerald Network by 2012
• Georgia: state of play of work on the Emerald Network by 2012
• Russian Federation: state of play of work on the Emerald Network by 2012
• Ukraine: state of play of work on the Emerald Network by 2012
• IBAs contribution to the setting-up of the Emerald Network
• Draft guidelines on the management of Emerald sites
• Institutional models and capacity assessment: preparing for the management of Emerald sites
• Case study: Bulgaria's experience with N2000 management
• Case study: Example of transborder cooperation in the frame of Natura 2000 between Bulgaria and Romania