Project Description: Natura 2000 Management Planning for Malta and Gozo delivers management plans & legislative frameworks for all 34 terrestrial Natura 2000 sites for the Maltese Islands. The preparation of management plans emanates from legal requirements to prepare conservation measures for protected sites under the Environment and Development Planning Act, as transposed from the EU?s Habitat?s Directive, Council Directive 92/43/EEC. The involvement of stakeholders (ranging from conservation experts to landowners, residents, businesses, local councils, community and environmental groups, etc.) in the management planning process is necessary to ensure that the management plans are appropriate to each site and can be successfully implemented. It is considered a key element in the gathering of data about each of the Natura 2000 sites. Another important element is to inform and educate the public and all stakeholders, about the Maltese Natura 2000 sites. The Malta Natura 2000 network recognises the importance of nature conservation in a living and changing landscape. Human husbandry is needed to maintain habitats, and sustainable activities such as farming, tourism, fishing, forestry, sustainable hunting, leisure pursuits and infrastructure are encouraged but must be sensitively managed to ensure that sites are protected from damaging changes.

Title: Natura 2000 Management Planning for Malta and Gozo
Contracting Authority: European Commission, MEPA (Malta Environment & Planning Authority)
Contract Number: CT 3101/2011
Call: Operational Programme I - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 - Investing in competitiveness for a better quality of life -European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007-2013
Start Date: 01/10/2012
End Date: 09/07/2014
EPSILON Role: Production of 34 Natura 2000 Management Plans and of 8 Legislative Natura 2000 Plans via site visits and filed work including sampling, mapping of all 34 sites on GIS system, legal analyses, physical environment analyses, ecosystems analyses, methodologies development on Malta-wide basis, conservation status analyses, conservation objectives analyses, management plan requirements analyses and management plan procedures Malta-wide, stakeholders meetings, public hearing meetings, compilation of National NATURA 2000 database, public & stakeholders education, workshops, conference, meetings and organization of 50+ multiple News & Events (like Natura 2000 team takes Natura 2000 exhibitions, e,g. Dingli; Natura 2000 Green Intranet event; Natura 2000 network worth ?300bn a year; Do Natura 2000 sites protect the most vulnerable species?; Launch of natura2000malta.com, publishing of newsletters, conference organization, linkage to EU Member States & Agencies, day-to-day coordination with the MEPA
Total Budget: 1.505.916 ?

Project Qualification