Meeting of the Sustainable Development Group

Meeting of the Sustainable Development Group with emphasis on the Natura 2000 areas management programme

In the meeting room of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, on Thursday, 19 March 2015, the regular annual meeting of the signatories of the

Agreement on cooperation in the field of sustainable development and joint efforts to protect and

preserve biodiversity took place, which was concluded in November 2011 between the Alpine, Fishing, Hunting,

Tourist, Beekeeping and Cynological Associations of Slovenia. Members of the sustainable development group prepared a joint

position on the Draft Programme for the management of Natura 2000 areas for the period 2015–2020 and also addressed

other topics.

Members of the sustainable development group, all of which carry out activities in nature, committed themselves with the signing of the agreement in November

2011 to coordinated protection of nature and strengthening the principles of sustainable development, as they are aware that with

concerted operation and exchange of successful practices they can achieve better results in the operation of individual members.

Content of the meeting:

• report of the previous meeting,

• formation of a joint position on the Draft Programme for the management of Natura 2000 areas for the period 2015–2020,

• proposal of joint activities for implementing the Agreement on cooperation in the field of sustainable development and in

joint efforts to protect and preserve biodiversity,

• briefing on the Action Plan for intervention activities due to floods,

• joining the Network of NGOs for recreation in nature – all in nature.

At the regular annual meeting were present the president of the Alpine Association of Slovenia Bojan Rotovnik, general

secretary of the Alpine Association of Slovenia Matej Planko, president of the Fishing Association of Slovenia dr. Miroslav Žaberl,

general secretary of the Fishing Association of Slovenia Igor Miličić, president of the Hunting Association of Slovenia mag. Srečko Felix

Krope, director of professional services of the Hunting Association of Slovenia Srečko Žerjav, president of the Tourist Association of Slovenia

Peter Misja, president of the Cynological Association of Slovenia Egon Dolenc and secretary of the Cynological Association of Slovenia Lidija

Okleščen; representatives of the Beekeeping Association of Slovenia were excused.

The sustainable development group supports the adoption of the Programme for the management of Natura 2000 areas for the period 2015–

2020, provided that there is a clear definition and realistic implementation of the proposed restrictive measures. Special

attention must be devoted to training and education of individuals and to promoting Natura 2000 to

the public. Specific professional comments from their field of activity will be sent independently by each member

to the ministry, while all expect even greater involvement of non-governmental organisations in the process of preparing such

documents and their implementing acts. It is also necessary to properly regulate nature conservation supervision, which is

already defined in the Nature Conservation Act, but is only partially implemented in practice.

Leading representatives of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, Hunting Association of Slovenia, Tourist Association of Slovenia and Cynological

Association of Slovenia were informed of the position of the Fishing Association of Slovenia regarding the issue of implementing the Action Plan

for intervention activities due to floods. The mentioned organisations do not oppose measures to increase flood

safety, but are concerned because non-governmental organisations were not invited to prepare the action plan, and

expect that, despite the urgency of the intervention measures, Slovenian and European

nature conservation legislation will be respected in implementation.

The remaining members joined the Network of non-governmental organisations for recreation in nature – all in nature, whose goals are

coordinated development of recreation from the perspective of nature conservation, cooperation in health-preventive sports

activities, networking in the field of including special target groups in sports and better connectivity in

managing sports infrastructure in nature.

The next meeting of the signatories of the Agreement on cooperation in the field of sustainable development and joint

efforts to protect and preserve biodiversity, presumably at the beginning of May, will be devoted to

preparing implementation activities for establishing the function of the guardian of the rights of nature in Slovenia.