European Commission consultation

Representatives of the European Commission's Nature Conservation Directorate have arrived in Hungary for a bilateral meeting on the Natura 2000 network. The meeting, which took place on 14-15 February 2024, provided the opportunity to discuss specific nature conservation issues and to present the results of the Grassland-HU LIFE integrated project.

Andrea Vettori head of Nature Conservation Unit  (DG Environment), and Greta Borg,  Hungarian affairs desk officer, visited Hungary to review the tasks related to nature protection, including the Natura 2000 network, and to hold bilateral discussions with the relevant sectors, both governmental and non-governmental.

The highlight of the two-day meeting was a tour of the Strázsa-hegy in Esztergom, which was attended by the Commission delegation, Bertalan Balczó, Deputy State Secretary in charge of nature conservation, and staff of the Department of Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Agriculture. The site is a special protected area of exceptional species diversity and is one of the project areas of the Grassland-HU LIFE integrated project. The valuable grassland areas of Strázsa-hegy are mainly managed with native sheep (cikta, cigája), but invasive species are also removed by experts when necessary.

The main values of the area were presented by the colleagues of the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate, and it was also possible to see the specific, practical nature conservation interventions carried out in the project, as the shrub clearing works were just happening at the time of the tour.

Following the field programme, the project management gave a comprehensive presentation to the participants on the project's achievements so far and future challenges.

Source: Herman Ottó Institute Nonprofit Ltd.