Emerald Network of Ukraine

The Emerald Network of Ukraine is the Ukrainian part of the Emerald Network of Europe, which has been under development since 2009.

The Emerald Network comprises Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCI). The Emerald Network is being planned in the states that are parties to the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, which are a total of 50 states, plus the European Union (EU). In EU Member States, the Natura 2000 network is being established in accordance with the Berne Convention; it is designed on similar principles to the Emerald Network, but utilises the legal and financial instruments of the EU.

The lead organisation responsible for developing the Emerald Network in Ukraine is the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources. The first phase of the Network (2009–2016) was developed by the charitable organisation ‘Interecocentre’. During this period, descriptions were prepared for 271 sites. Between 2017 and 2019, the non-governmental organisation has been responsible for the design of the Emerald Network. In 2017–2018, justifications for the creation of a further 106 Network sites were developed and submitted for consideration by the Berne Convention. During the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on 4–6 December 2019, 106 new sites were added to the network (No. 272–377).