‘On the Road to Kyiv’ Implementation of international commitments in Central and Eastern European countries CEEWEB May 2003 Contributors Bulgaria Green Balkans Croatia Jagoda Munic, Green Action Irma Popovic Tomislav Tomasevic Czech Republic Mojmir Vlasin, Ecological Institute Veronica of Czech Union for Nature Conservation Hungary Eszter Bokodi CEEWEB Klára Hajdu CEEWEB Anna Iványi CEEWEB András Krolopp CEEWEB Latvia Latvian Fund for Nature Lithuania Rūta Vaičiūnaitė, Lithuanian Fund for Nature Poland Andrzej Kepel, The Polish Society for Nature Protection "Salamandra" Przemysław Wylegała, The Polish Society for Nature Protection "Salamandra" Romania Márton Kelemen, Milvus Group Tamás Papp, Milvus Group Slovakia Dr. Jaromír Šíbl, BROZ (Regional Association for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development) Slovenia Anamarija Slabe, Institute for Sustainable Development Ariana Lucija Tratar Supan, Institute for Sustainable Development Katja Poboljsaj, Herpetological Society Nejc Jogan, Biological Society The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the policies or opinions of the REC. The REC assumes no liability, expressed or implied, arising out of the activities of any of its grantees. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................... 6 BULGARIA.................................................................................................................................................. 13 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Physical-geographical description ........................................................................................................ 13 Short historical data .............................................................................................................................. 13 State of nature........................................................................................................................................... 14 Natural characteristics of the country.................................................................................................... 14 Priority areas in terms of nature conservation....................................................................................... 15 Threats and human impact .................................................................................................................... 16 Decision-making system in conservation policy and nature resource management................................. 16 State sector............................................................................................................................................ 16 NGO participation in the decision making system................................................................................ 17 International commitments ....................................................................................................................... 17 Short historical overview ...................................................................................................................... 17 International agreements and conventions and their ratification........................................................... 18 Evaluation of the conventions............................................................................................................... 19 Conclusion and recommendations ........................................................................................................ 24 CROATIA..................................................................................................................................................... 26 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Situation of environmental NGOs in Croatia........................................................................................ 26 State of nature........................................................................................................................................... 27 The natural features of the country ....................................................................................................... 27 International Commitments....................................................................................................................... 30 Evaluation of the conventions............................................................................................................... 31 Conclusions........................................................................................................................................... 35 THE CZECH REPUBLIC............................................................................................................................. 36 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 36 State of Nature .......................................................................................................................................... 36 Fauna and flora ..................................................................................................................................... 37 Decision-making system............................................................................................................................ 38 Structure of nature conservation ........................................................................................................... 38 NGO participation in decision making process..................................................................................... 38 International Commitments....................................................................................................................... 39 Evaluation of the conventions............................................................................................................... 39 Conclusions and recommendations........................................................................................................... 45 ESTONIA ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 46 State of Nature .......................................................................................................................................... 46 Biological Diversity .............................................................................................................................. 46 Decision making system in Nature Conservation ..................................................................................... 49 NGO participation in decision making system .....................................................................................50 International Commitments....................................................................................................................... 50 State of the conventions ........................................................................................................................ 50 Evaluation of the conventions............................................................................................................... 52 Conclusions and recommendations....................................................................................................... 59 HUNGARY .................................................................................................................................................. 61 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 61 State of nature........................................................................................................................................... 61 Biological diversity............................................................................................................................... 62 Decision making system............................................................................................................................ 64 International Commitments....................................................................................................................... 65 Evaluation of the conventions............................................................................................................... 65 Conclusions........................................................................................................................................... 75 3 LATVIA........................................................................................................................................................77 Introduction...............................................................................................................................................77 State of nature ...........................................................................................................................................77