The Emerald Network: EU support to protect biodiversity in Armenia

How does the European framework protect species and habitats across the continent?

Over 40 years ago, the Council of Europe adopted the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979), or Bern Convention, the first international treaty to protect both species and habitats, and to promote coordinated action on nature conservation.

Today, the Convention brings together 49 countries, including all the European Union (EU) member states and Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries.

Under the Convention, biodiversity-rich areas are designated as Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) and integrated into the Emerald Network, which protects vulnerable species and habitats, and extends European nature conservation standards beyond the EU.

To fulfil its commitments, the EU adopted the Habitats Directive in 1992, and subsequently set up the Natura 2000 network of over 27,000 protected nature sites, covering nearly one-fifth of the continent’s land area. Natura 2000 sites encompass a range of habitat types, such as forests, grasslands and wetlands, as well as coastal and marine environments.

Within the EU, the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive provide the legal basis for the designation and management of Natura 2000 sites, which represent the EU’s implementation of the Bern Convention objectives and its formal contribution to the pan-European Emerald Network.

How does the EU support Eastern Partnership countries in expanding the Emerald Network?

The EU has supported EaP countries in expanding this network through a combination of financial, technical, and policy support, both historically and through ongoing programmes.

From 2009 to 2011, the EU partnered with the Council of Europe in a Joint Programme that laid the foundation for Emerald Network expansion in the EaP countries. The programme focused on assessing biodiversity, identifying species and habitats of conservation interest, and selecting potential areas for Emerald Network designation. A follow-up Phase II Joint Programme from 2012 to 2016 continued these efforts, helping countries move from site identification toward formal Emerald Network designation and implementation.

Building on the results of this work, the EU now supports the EaP countries, mainly through the EU4Environment programme, to safeguard biodiversity by helping them to manage existing Emerald Network sites and prepare proposals for new sites to join the network. Additional support is available to Moldova and Ukraine as EU candidate countries through the LIFE Programme. Additionally, the APENA project within the EU’s ‘Support to Ukraine in the approximation of the EU environmental acquis’ has developed one management plan for an Emerald Network site, the Pyriatynskyi National Nature Park. The EU also supports regional collaboration and the exchange of data with its member states.

Specifically, EU4Environment helps the countries through:

• Guidance and recommendations for official adoption of Emerald sites.
• Development of management plans for Emerald sites to ensure mutual benefits of nature and the local communities.
• Alignment of national policies with EU standards to ensure a smooth transition from the Emerald Network to Natura 2000, particularly in the EU candidate countries.
• Revision and optimisation of the Emerald database to update and correct data.
• Capacity building for the management of the Emerald Network and implementation of appropriate conservation measures.
• Improvement of scientific knowledge to collect and process data, assess conservation status, and inform conservation strategies.

Spotlight on Armenia

As part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, Armenia hosts an impressive variety of ecosystems, ranging from semi-deserts to forests, lakes, wetlands, and alpine meadows. This diversity has given rise to varied habitats and exceptionally rich biodiversity, characterised by many endemic species.

Armenia ratified the Bern Convention in 2008. Currently, the country has 23 candidate sites that have been officially nominated and are under evaluation by the Bern Convention Standing Committee, covering 36.4% of the country’s land area, and preserving 151 species of animals and plants and 64 habitat types.

Notable examples include Lake Sevan, the largest high-altitude lake in the Caucasus region, protected by the Lake Sevan National Park, a proposed Emerald site, and home to the critically endangered Sevan trout, an endemic fish species to the lake.

Another notable site is the Khosrov Forest State Reserve, one of the oldest protected areas in the world, which protects juniper and oak forests and the genetic fund of rare animals and plants, including the Caucasian leopard, the biggest cat species in Europe, which has returned to the reserve after a decade of extinction from the site.

EU4Environment is working to strengthen Armenia’s Emerald Network. This support includes enhancing the capacity of national authorities to improve the policy framework, revising and optimising the Emerald Network database, developing guidelines for management plans and pilot management plans, and raising public awareness of the value and benefits of biodiversity conservation.

EU4Environment reports on the Emerald Network in Armenia

Online course on the Emerald Network

Flyer on the Emerald Network in Armenia (English, Armenian)

Video on the Emerald Network