Cooperation between the Republic of Croatia and the autonomous Spanish province of Castilla-La Mancha

Cooperation between the Republic of Croatia and the autonomous Spanish province of Castilla-La Mancha
Both countries have committed to transforming towards sustainable economic development, with emphasis on promoting biodiversity, combatting the spread of invasive alien species, and conserving tufa barriers

A delegation of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, the directors of the Krka and Plitvice Lakes National Parks, and representatives of Croatian Forests visited the Spanish province of Castilla-La Mancha. Part of the meeting was held in the regional Ministry of Sustainable Development, where the Croatian delegation, headed by Igor Kreitmeyer, director of the Nature Conservation Directorate of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, was received by the Ministry of Sustainable Development José Luis Escudero.

Experts from both delegations discussed the need for conservation of biodiversity, the risks from invasive alien species, and the threats to tufa barriers and opportunities to restore them in cooperation with scientists. The Public Institute of Krka National Park shared its wealth of experience in conserving and protecting tufa barriers and its effort to combat the spread of the tree of heaven, highlighting the importance of conserving the exceptional biodiversity found within the Park area as a condition for the survival of nature as a whole. Croatia is one of the top countries in Europe in terms of conservated nature: and protected nature is one of the nation’s top priorities.

At the Lagunas de Ruidera Nature Park, the Croatian delegation was received by the director for environment and biodiversity of the regional Ministry of Sustainable Development Félix Romero and the representative of the Board of Communities in Ciudad Real Carmen Teresa Olmedo. Keeping in mind the similarities between our Parks, which earlier signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, and based on the premise of cooperation defined by the need to preserve natural values and adapt to climate change, both sides expressed their interest to continue this cooperation, particularly in the context of highly visited protected areas. When referring to climate change adaptations and the risks that need to be reduced, the cooperation is focused on controlling forest wildfires and ensuring sustainable forest management, with a particular emphasis on FCS forest certification (performed by the non-profit organisation Forest Stewardship Council).

This institutional visit was held as part of the ongoing cooperation between the two countries, which started in Croatia in June of this year. The institutions of the European Union promote cooperation between bodies of Member States, and this type of activity has a strategic edge in the sense of securing financing. As part of the final event of the meeting, the Croatian delegation participated in the First International Form on Ecosystem Services, set up as a platform for dialogue for public-private cooperation between decision-makers, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.