Twinning - Armenia - Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic
Twinning
Twinning is an institution building tool based on partnership cooperation between public administrations and accepted mandated bodies of Member States and of a Beneficiary with the purpose of achieving mandatory results/outputs jointly agreed with the Commission. These mandatory results/outputs are linked to policy objectives, such as the preparation of EU enlargement or enhanced cooperation in line with EU policies, as foreseen under the respective IPA and ENI regulations and agreements.
Strengthened protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in Armenia in line with the European standards
Armenia is one of the biodiversity hot spots in the world having a remarkable amount of endemism. Nature is protected in 3 state reserves, 4 national parks, and 259 state sanctuaries and natural monuments.
The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, together with Finland's SYKE Environmental Institute, started to implement the project "Strengthened protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in Armenia in line with the European standards" at the beginning of 2021. The project supported implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU (CEPA) in the field of biodiversity conservation. It was funded through Europe Aid - Twinning tool.
The goal of the project was to strengthen the capacity of the Armenian Ministry of Environment to comply with the commitments taken under CEPA and its Roadmap in the field of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
By signing CEPA, the Republic of Armenia agreed to undertake measures geared towards improved protection and sustainable use of biodiversity. Those, in particular, envisage review and alignment of the national legislation with the EU standards; preparing inventory of sites, designation of these sites and establishing priorities for their management; establishing measures required for the conservation of such sites; establishing a system to monitor conservation status of species; and establishing a mechanism to promote education and general information to the public.
Results:
Key Outputs and Recommendations
1. Legislative Alignment: The primary output was the drafting of specific proposals to amend Armenian legislation, bringing it into alignment with the European Birds and Habitats Directives regarding site and species protection.
2. Institutional Reform: The second key recommendation was a proposal to establish a specialised state institution dedicated to nature conservation. This was perceived as necessary but financially demanding.
3. Strategic Planning: Following a subsequent request from the Armenian Ministry, the project team also prepared a draft of the National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan.
Capacity Building and Study Visits
To showcase nature conservation practices in the Czech Republic and the EU in general, 6 study visits to Czechia and Finland were organised for a total of 23 participants, including staff from the Ministry and departmental organisations, as well as representatives from academia and NGOs.
These short-term study visits allowed participants to familiarise themselves with conservation procedures and visit several protected areas, including České středohoří (Central Bohemian Uplands), Český ráj (Bohemian Paradise), Jizerské hory (Jizera Mountains), Pálava, and Žďárské vrchy, and Czech National Parks - Podyjí, České Švýcarsko (Czech Switzerland), Krkonoše (Giant Mountains).
These study visits proved highly motivating for all participants, helping to build personal networks and contributing significantly to the successful implementation of the entire project.
Awareness Raising and Regional Engagement
· Parliamentary Seminar: A full-day seminar was held at the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to present Czech experiences with implementing European directives to MPs. The significance of the event was underscored by the attendance of two Czech Senators.
· Regional Meetings: Equally important were the meetings organised across all ten regions of Armenia, where the implementation team discussed the proposed legislative amendments with local government and regional representatives.
Closing Conference
The project concluded in March 2023 with a final conference attended by 90 participants, including the Armenian Minister of Environment, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic, and the Finnish Ambassador. The event focused on summarising and discussing all recommendations arising from the two-year mission.
