Association
The European Green Belt Association
The European Green Belt Association e.V. has been responsible for the governance of the European Green Belt Initiative since its official registration in 2015. Since then, it is the legal body mandated and legitimised to coordinate transnational activities along the European Green Belt. It was founded during the 8th Pan-European Green Belt Conference in September 2014 by 23 organisations, GOs and NGOs, from 14 countries. The structure of an association was identified as the most appropriate organisational model for the European Green Belt Initiative, as it reflects that it is a member-driven initiative and follows the principle of democratic participation and cooperation.
Today, the European Green Belt Association has 35 members from 17 countries. It facilitates learning and exchange and ensures continuous communication of common achievements, e.g. to different EU bodies, countries, potential donors and in regional and global networks.
According to its Statutes, the European Green Belt Association contributes to the implementation of the vision of the European Green Belt Initiative to conserve and restore the European Green Belt as our common natural heritage and as an ecological network linking high quality natural and cultural landscapes across Europe. The mission of the Association is therefore to ensure that the European Green Belt is effectively protected and that its sustainable development is promoted by facilitating continuous, co-ordinated transboundary co-operation at all levels and across all sectors of society.
Programme of Work
The Work Programme defines the priorities of the European Green Belt Association for a period of two years. It is adopted by the members during the bi-annual General Assembly.
The activities of the European Green Belt Association target the pan-European level to improve cooperation across institutional and national boundaries across the whole European Green Belt, e.g. by developing conceptual and methodological approaches. One aim is to develop the European Green Belt into a recognised implementation mechanism for national commitments of countries along the European Green Belt, especially in relation to the implementation of a Natura 2000 network and Green Infrastructure. The expertise and support of governmental and non-governmental organisations ikey to successfully develop related concepts and to implementing them.
Board of the European Green Belt Association
The Board consists of up to 13 organisations. Its role is to coordinate the implementation of activities, events and projects defined in the current Programme of Work.
List of the current Board members (representing a total of 8 organizations)
- EuroNatur (Regional Coordinator Balkan Green Belt), Chair
- Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF) (Balkan Green Belt), Deputy chair
- BUND Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (state branch of FoE Germany) (Regional Coordinator Baltic Green Belt)
- Latvian Green Movement (Baltic Green Belt)
- BUND, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Germany (Regional Coordinator Central European Green Belt)
- Environment Agency Austria (Central European Green Belt)
- Rete Italiana European Green Belt (Central European Green Belt)
- IUCN (Advisor)