EEA Financial Mechanism Programme

Programme Summary

 Due to the relatively small size of the allocation to Slovenia, a more flexible funding set-up has been agreed. As a result this programme covers three programme areas: “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”, “Environmental Monitoring and Integrated Planning and Control“, and “Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage”. Why is the programme needed? According to the UNEP Biodiversity index, Slovenia is one of the EU countries with the highest biodiversity in Europe. This is reflected in the country’s high proportion of the Natura 2000 network - an instrument of the EU for conservation of biodiversity. However, despite its diverse and relatively well preserved nature, challenges remain to improve the conservation status of habitat types and species, especially in forest, grassland and wetland areas. In Slovenia, natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity. In September 2010 heavy rains caused one of the worst floods and landslides in the country’s history. Adequate spatial information is a prerequisite for preventing floods and reducing their risks and impacts. In the area of conservation and revitalisation of cultural and natural heritage, the programme recognises that there are challenges facing Slovenia’s large number of diverse protected heritage units and its over 8000 declared cultural monuments and around 15,000 natural heritage sites with the status of valuable natural feature. The maintenance of cultural and natural heritage has the potential to contribute to economic growth as well as greater awareness about sustainable growth and environmental education. What will the programme achieve? The part of the programme focused on environmental protection and management will improve the implementation of Natura 2000 Site Management programme in Slovenia - including protection measures targeting grasslands, forests and wetlands, and monitoring of species and habitats. The programme will also modernise the infrastructure for spatial information in Slovenia, with the aim of supporting water management and to reduce risks and impacts of floods. In the area of cultural and natural heritage the programme will provide support for the restoration and safeguarding of cultural monuments, it will support the establishment of new visitor infrastructures at a number of the most important natural heritage sites and it will support measures to increase the annual number of visitors to revitalised cultural and natural heritage sites. How will it be achieved? In order to increase the capacity to manage and monitor the Natura 2000 sites effectively according to Natura 2000 Site Management Programme and improve biodiversity conservation of forest, grassland and wetland areas, the strategy is to enlarge the existing monitoring and surveys, also because the conservation status for about a third of Natura species is unknown due to insufficient data. Thus, strengthening of databases as well as information on web-portals and education activities are also important aspects of the programme. Within the pre-defined project, modern infrastructure for spatial information will be achieved by complying existing national data (topographic, hydrographical metadata, data sets and network services) with the EC INSPIRE directive requirements. Within Cultural and Natural Heritage, at least 3 cultural heritage monuments will receive support for renovation and revitalisation and 1-3 important natural heritage sites will receive support for better access of visitors. Support will be provided to help increase the number of visitors to cultural and natural heritage sites. How will bilateral relations be strengthened? Within biodiversity, a bilateral conference on Biodiversity and nature conservation with particular focus on site conservation (including Natura 2000) and environmentally friendly visiting is foreseen. In the pre-defined project, bilateral relations will be facilitated through networking and exchange of good practices, technology and experience among the project promoters Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia (SMA), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and the project partners; The Norwegian Mapping Authority and The National Land Survey of Iceland. Bilateral relations within the area of protection and conservation of cultural heritage will be strengthened by activities aimed at the exchange of experience and best practices, networking and mutual learning. To facilitate a professional work programme to a Donor State is foreseen and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport will organise a conference to stimulate networking and the sharing of knowledge. What are the partnership opportunities? The Biodiversity and Ecosystem services part of the programme will be implemented through a call for proposals focusing on measures that will improve the implementation of the Natura 2000 Site Management programme. A bilateral conference on Biodiversity and nature conservation with particular focus on site conservation (including Natura 2000) organised by relevant Slovenian and Donor Nature Conservation Authorities will take place end 2014 or 2015 with aim to exchange good practices and methods. The total budget for the open call is €2,030,508. The amount of grant applied for under the call shall not be less than €500,000 and not more than €700,000. Regarding cultural and natural heritage the partnership opportunities are related to knowledge-sharing and exchange of best practices in the care for cultural and natural heritage and the development of awareness of the wider public. The minimum amount of the project grant for the Cultural Heritage part will be 1,000,000 EUR, while the maximum will be 2,000,000 EUR. For the part on Natural Heritage the minimum amount of project grant will be 250,000 EUR, while the maximum will be 1,000,000 EUR, taking into account the relatively small total amount of the grants allocated. Who can apply for funding under the programme? Eligible applicants are private and public entities. Within cultural heritage, project applicants must be the owner or operator of a cultural monument. Within natural heritage, project applicants must be public or private authorities, managing state protected areas, authorised to manage valuable natural heritage sites in these areas. The primary target group for the biodiversity programme include private or public institutions, directly involved in nature conservation activities (research institutes and NGOs are also eligible applicants).