26 August 2025
Within the framework of the cooperation project between the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency – Capacity Building for Nature Protection and the Use of Environmental Data, representatives from KEPA, MMPHI, and the University of Pristina held a meeting with the relevant authorities from Montenegro, which aimed at familiarizing themselves with Montenegrin experiences in identifying potential areas for Natura 2000.
Representatives from Kosovo, together with experts from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SwEPA), were received by the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of Montenegro and those of the 'Prokletije' National Park in Montenegro, where, besides sharing experiences, field visits were also conducted to closely observe the process of identifying potential areas for Natura 2000. During the meetings and visits, among other things, discussions took place on the challenges of this process, adapting the legal framework, sharing institutional responsibilities, collecting relevant data, mapping habitats and determining their boundaries, managing and financing the respective areas, the role of National Parks, and opportunities for cross-border cooperation.
As part of this activity, which aimed to familiarize with the process and to identify the most effective and successful Natura 2000 sites for Kosovo, the participants also visited the “Prokletije” National Park, where they became acquainted with some potential typical habitats according to the EU Habitats Directive. The cooperation project between the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency is supported by the Swedish Embassy in Kosovo through the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA).