In the process of joining the EU and, regarding Chapter 27, Montenegro has committed to increasing the percentage of protected areas to at least 20%. Currently, Montenegro’s national network of protected areas consists of 80 protected areas, covering 13.22% of its land and 1.87% of its marine territory.

Past practices and the current situation have shown that protected areas are not managed adequately and are subject to significant pressures from unsustainable practice and illegal resource use. It is necessary to initiate a dialogue among all stakeholders to find systemic solutions and improve the current management model of protected areas. Therefore, through this project, we will focus on the need to enhance the functioning and management of protected areas by transferring best practices from the EU and raising public awareness about the importance of conserving and enhancing the network of protected areas in Montenegro.

Key activities envisioned in the project include:

• Organizing the conference “Montenegrin Protected Areas in the Context of EU Accession”
• Holding an exhibition and permanent display on Protected Areas in Montenegro
• Preparing the publication “Guide through the Protected Areas in Montenegro”
• Hosting Open Days in protected areas
• Social media awareness campaign on protected areas

This project is supported through the program “CSOs in Montenegro – from Basic Services to Policy Shaping – M’BASE” implemented by CCE (CGO), in partnership with the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), the NGO Center for the Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro (CZIP), and the NGO Politikon Network, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and the Ministry of European Affairs of the Government of Montenegro. The project is funded by the European Union, co-financed by the Ministry of Public Administration.  

For more information, please contact us at  jelena.marojevic@parksdinarides.org