Finally securing Mavrovo National Park

In a formal petition addressed to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, 19 organisations call for the swift adoption of the Law on the Re-Proclamation of Mavrovo National Park and its long-overdue Management Plan. The appeal highlights growing ecological threats, unregulated activities, and an increasing lack of governance in one of Europe’s oldest national parks. The background to this is a long-standing process of adapting the national park zones and management plans to EU legislation; North Macedonia is endeavouring to join the EU.

“This is not just about status. This is about ensuring real protection, especially for the rivers that flow through Mavrovo,” says Gjorgji Mitrevski, Water Programme Coordinator at Eko-svest, our partner organisation in North Macedonia.

Legal delays risk park integrity

Despite a legal obligation to re-proclaim the park dating back more than a decade, the government has not finalised the necessary law, nor adopted a Management Plan to guide conservation and sustainable development. In the meantime, violations continue, including unchecked logging, illegal activity, and habitat degradation.

The consequences are already visible. Rivers and forest ecosystems within the park, including habitats for protected species like the critically endangered Balkan lynx, are deteriorating. According to the petition, around 80% of the park’s revenue currently comes from logging, an unsustainable practice incompatible with the park’s conservation purpose.

“Without legal re-proclamation and a Management Plan, the rivers and watersheds of Mavrovo remain exposed to mismanagement and pressure from destructive activities, including future hydropower development,” says Dr Amelie Huber, Freshwater Project Manager at Euronatur. “This is a crucial moment to change course and we urge the North Macedonia government to respond to this call to action.”

A defining moment for North Macedonia’s oldest park

Re-proclaiming Mavrovo National Park is not merely an administrative step, it is a decision with far-reaching implications for the country’s rivers, biodiversity, local livelihoods, and international reputation.

Civil society is offering support, expertise, and public backing. Now, the government must act to protect one of North Macedonia’s most treasured landscapes and the rivers that give it life.