EuroNatur project areas in North Macedonia are to be given protected status

Good news: the Shar Mountains in North Macedonia could soon become a national park, a successful conclusion to the long campaign waged by EuroNatur and its partners. The Osogovo Mountains are also to be declared a protected area.

Raw charm: the Shar Mountains are one of the most unspoilt mountain landscapes in Europe.

© Ljubomir Stefanov

The Shar Mountains, located in the area where North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo meet, possess a grandeur found almost nowhere else in Europe. EuroNatur has long campaigned with its North Macedonian partner organisation MES to preserve this pearl of the European Green Belt. While successive governments in Skopje persisted in their delaying tactics, we concentrated on promoting conservation initiatives originating in the local communities. The campaign group, Friends of the Shar Mountains, launched a pro-national park initiative.

The activities of the local population in the Shar Mountains have motivated the authorities in Skopje to rethink. On 5th May 2020, the Ministry for the Environment and Regional Planning adopted the initiative to designate the Shar Mountains as a national park. Although there are still a few hurdles to be overcome and it will take some time until the setting up of a national park authority and the drawing up of a management plan, but the signal from Skopje is positive. With our partners we will be monitoring the situation very closely.

Further to this, the Ministry has also announced that the Osogovo Mountains on the Bulgarian-North Macedonian border should be declared as a landscape protection area.

How you can help

Donation

Future needs nature. EuroNatur cares for it. Please use your possibilities to help. With your donation you will make an effective contribution to a more livable environment.

Sustaining membership

EuroNatur focuses on long-term nature conservation projects instead of quick fixes. With your regular donations, you give us the planning security we need.

News

Urgent call to halt implementation of Odra Revitalisation Act

Construction will have devastating consequences on the Odra and surrounding areas. 51 projects aim to engineer the rivers, create artificial…

Skavica mega dam: Albanian court to scrutinise special law for U.S. contractor Bechtel

++ Constitutional complaint filed by NGOs accepted for trial ++ First milestone in fight against one of Europe’s largest reservoirs ++ Thousands of…

Growing opposition to Albanian airport

++ Bern Convention calls on Albania to stop airport construction near Narta Lagoon ++ Project in Vjosa Delta endangers thousands of migratory birds ++…

EU Commission targets the wolf

Ursula von der Leyen warns of allegedly "dangerous wolves" - nature conservation organisations criticise misleading statements and dubious data…

Romanian forests: EuroNatur calls for a logging moratorium

+++ Open letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius calls for a logging moratorium in protected areas to end destruction of Romanian forests +++ Fourth…

Controversial airport construction in Albanian protected area casts shadow as far as Munich

++ Operating company Munich Airport International (MAI) is linked to illegal Vlora airport ++ Construction to take place in protected area of special…

Swimming for the monk seal

The Croatian free water swimmer Dina Levačić has been swimming in potential monk seal territories. Her campaign is aimed at drawing attention to the…

Wolf Offspring confirmed in the Black Forest

++ Photo trap image from the community of Schluchsee provides evidence of offspring ++ First wolf pack in over 150 years in Baden-Württemberg ++

Stork Village meeting in Tykocin, Poland

It was an anniversary celebrated in style: For the 20th annual meeting, representatives of the European Stork Villages met for the first time in the…