Strasbourg, 16 February 2005 PE-S-DE (2005) 9

[diplome/docs/2005/de09e_05] English only

Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe

in the field of biological and landscape diversity

(CO-DBP)

Group of specialists – European Diploma for Protected Areas

28 February – 1 March 2005

Room 11, Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg

The Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area

(Czech Republic)

RENEWAL

Expert report by

Dr. Peter Skoberne

(Slovenia)

Document established by

the Directorate of Culture and
Cultural and Natural Heritage

The European Diploma for protected areas was awarded to the Bílé Karpaty protected landscape area (Czech Republic) for the first time in 2000.

The Secretariat did not accompany the expert on his visit to the area.

Appendix III reproduces Resolution (2000) 13 concerning the award of the European Diploma. In Appendix IV the Secretariat presents a draft resolution for possible renewal.

* * * * *

Introduction

In accordance with the art. 9 of the Resolution (98) 29 on the Regulations for the European diploma of protected areas concerning extension of the period of validity of the Diploma an on-the-spot appraisal was carried out in Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic) from 19^th to 21^th August 2004.

My visit was arranged by Administration of the Protected Landscape Area (PLA) Bílé Karpaty, supported by Information centre Bílé Karpaty. The logistic of the visit was led, co-ordinated and very competently explained by Ivana Jongepierová and Jan W. Jongepier. The team of the information centre is very enthusiastic and working as a good group. Despite limited time available we were able to visit some key areas of the PLA and address main challenges. The area is rather large and there are different landscape patterns. The park staff was very co-operative, highly professional and committed to their work and mission.

A lot of meetings with representatives of local communities were organised in order to experience on spot opportunities and problems.

The European Diploma was awarded to Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area in 2000 (Resolution Dip (2000) 13) and in 2005 a decision on renewal has to be taken on the basis of the review of the current state of the protected area.

The main aim of the report is to give a proposal to the Group of Specialist to extend the period of the validity of the Diploma, recommend conditions for the extension or not recommend the extension.

The report is based on the on-the-spot appraisal, Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area and following documents:

· Resolution Dip (2000) 13 on the award of the European Diploma to the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area (Czech Republic), adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 21^st June 2000 at the 715^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies.

· Annual reports for 2001, 2002, (Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic, Nature Conservation Department and Administration of the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area).

· The Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area, application, expert appraisal by Charles Zimmer (Luxembourg), Council of Europe, doc. PE-S-DE (2000) 70

· Bílé Karpaty/White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area, application form, Ministry of the Environment, Praha, Council of Europe, doc. PE-S-DE (99) 58 rev.

· Home page of the PLA: http://www.bilekarpaty.cz/index2.php

The report is based on the report of Mr. Charles Zimmer (2000) and focused on differences and changes that were observed during the on-the-spot appraisal, some data and facts were used from the information, available at the web site of the PLA.

1. European interest

The European interest of the area can be just re-confirmed and is underpinned by several proposed pSCI sites according to the Habitats Directive:

Site Code	Name of the Site	Area (ha)	Nearest town
CZ0723402	Březová - Studený vrch	0,136	Březová u Uherského Brodu
CZ0722198	Hodňovská dolina	7,290	Brumov-Bylnice
CZ0722205	Tratihušť	47,781	Brumov-Bylnice
CZ0722199	Hrušová dolina	98,300	Nedašov
CZ0624072	Čertoryje	4728,159	Hrubá Vrbka
CZ0724090	Bílé Karpaty	14915,199	obce Horňácka
CZ0724088	Březová - Kalábová	1,210	Březová u Uherského Brodu
CZ0723434	Vlára	9,200	Brumov-Bylnice
CZ0723435	Vlára - polesí	1136,220	Brumov-Bylnice
CZ0723757	Slavičín - zámek	0,105	Slavičín
CZ0723753	Luhačovice - zámek	0,191	Luhačovice
CZ0623711	Lipov - kostel	0,061	Lipov
CZ0723756	Slavičín - kostel	0,104	Slavičín
CZ0723751	Komňa - kostel	0,079	Komňa

Source: http://www.bilekarpaty.cz/pages/natura.htm

PLA Administration is managing another more then 20 pSCI sites that are outside the PLA area.

The largest pSCI site is Bílé Karpaty (CZ0724090) - 14.915,20 ha.

Source: http://stanoviste.natura2000.cz/files/prilohy_narizeni_vlady/CZ0724090.html

Reasoning for proposing the site emphasises the European importance of the area:

Habitat types (Annex I of the Habitat Directive)		Area
3140	Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp.	0,0178 ha
6210	Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco Brometalia) (*important orchid sites)	1184,033 ha
6410	Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae)	4,4225 ha
6430	Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels	5,3629 ha
6510	Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)	335,02 ha
7220	Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion)	0,8576 ha
9110	Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests	38,3877 ha
9130	Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests	3334,5991 ha
9170	Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests	714,4623 ha
9180	Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines	111,0495 ha
91E0	Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)	27,6759 ha
91G0	Pannonic woods with Quercus petrae and Carpinus betulus	38,0224 ha
91I0	Euro-Siberian steppe woods with Quercus spp.	62,5542 ha
Animal species (Annex II of the Habitat Directive)
1074	Eriogaster catax
1061	Maculinea nausithous
1059	Maculinea teleius
1060	Lycaena dispar
1078	Callimorpha quadripunctaria
4014	Carabus variolosus
1016	Vertigo moulinsiana
1014	Vertigo angustior
4030	Colias myrmidone
Plant species (Annex II of the Habitat Directive)
4087	Serratula lycopifolia
1902	Cypripedium calceolus

Source and more information: http://stanoviste.natura2000.cz/index.php?page=lokalita_detail&LokalitaID=321

One of the important factors contributing to the high biodiversity of the Bílé Karpaty is its geographical position, which enables Carpathian mountain species to be enriched with thermophilous species from the Pannonian region and the Balkan as well as with Western European species.

Species richness is proved on extensive grasslands, where up to 103 species were counted on 24 m², so White Carpathian grassland communities belong to the most species-rich parts of Central Europe. About 1300 ha of species rich grasslands are included in reserves (with buffer zones) and over 2700 ha in the zone I (highest protection) of the Protected Landscape Area.

The area is included in the Emerald network as well and is since 1966 a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO programme Man and the Biosphere (MAB) ~~Area~~.

Beside recognised qualities that can be confirmed through the Habitats Directive and other international instruments, the area is important from the cultural aspects, as well. The region can be divided into two main ethnographical regions (Slovácko, Valašsko) differing in dialect, foods, costumes, crafts, music, and architecture. Due to natural and historical circumstances the area is heterogeneous and very picturesque with rich and diverse cultural heritage (about 200 officially designated historical monuments), still relatively unspoiled. It is one of the rare areas in the Czech Republic where traditional celebrations are happening on a regular basis. In several communities well-attended yearly folklore festivals are organised, featuring regional music, dance and costumes. However, this aspect is often minimized, regarded as given and not fully taken into account.

All this is reflected in landscape characteristics were forest and agricultural land are mixed in special patterns. Lowland areas were changed in the past to huge intensive agricultural fields. After economic changes some areas are included in extensification programmes. The high quality extensive grasslands (hay meadows as a result of traditional agriculture) are due to the same reason threatened by natural succession.

Needless to say that Czech part of the Bílé Karpaty is forming together with the Slovakian part the whole mountain system and should be regarded as such.

2. Administration and management of the area

There are no big changes in this field. The area is administered by local office of the Agency for Protective Landscape Areas within the Ministry of Environment. Local office has 3 area offices. With this approach their presence in the large area is more efficient. There are 14 regular staff members. However, their activities are very supported by people working on Natura 2000 and NGO’s, one of them running a visitor centre and quite a proportion of nature conservation activities.

Information center in Veseli nad Moravou is playing and important role for making PLA visible as well for education of different target groups. It is working on information, education and publishing. It was founded by 3 partners, one of them is PLA administration and one of them NGO Bílé Karpaty.

But in general, administration is undernourished in regard to staff and resources.

Contrary to national parks, PLA administration has limited competences. They are managing specially designated areas, that means about 1.75 % of the protected area. The rest is managed in accordance to other stakeholders and not always nature conservation interests are of priority (e. g. forestry, hunting...).

Another fact that limits actual managing of the area is small parcelation For instance, NNR Čertoryje (700 ha) has about 1700 owners!

3. Zoning

There are two zonations. One is regarding UNESCO MAB requirements. It is as follows:

Core Areas: 93.00 km²
Buffer Zones: 367.56 km²
Transition Areas: 254.44 km²

The area also has a zonation for Protected Landscape Areas following the Czech Act on Nature and Landscape Conservation (1992). All PLA has been classified into one of four zones – except for woodland, where three zones were distinguished. Zone 1 includes the best the PLA has to offer and places several extra restrictions on land use, whereas zone 4 represents the least interesting areas without additional restrictions.

Total area:	746,6 km² (according to GIS measuring)
Percentage of woodland::	45%
Non-forest area zone 1 zone 2 zone 3 zone 4	4.028,5 ha 5.594,5 ha 7.467,0 ha 22.696,9 ha	5,63% 7,83% 10,44% 31,74%
Woodland area zone 1 zone 2 zone 3	7.233,47 ha 11.511,90 ha 12.968,00 ha	10,12% 16,10% 18,14%
Nature reserves national nature reserves nature reserves national nature monument nature monuments	52 5 15 1 31	1.309,91 ha 698,11 ha 367,43 ha 18,81 ha 225,56 ha

Source : http ://www.bilekarpaty.cz/pages/eng-zon.htm

4. Ownership

There is an mixed ownership: 70 % private, 5 % local government and 25 % state-owned. For the region small lands parcels of private owners are characteristic. On one hand this is very positive as it is a guarantee for multicultural use and maintaining the mosaic structure which is reflecting in high diversity and interesting landscape patterns. But in case that land use is abandoned an extremely challenge to preserve semi-natural ecosystems as species rich meadows. As mentioned before, great number of owners and small land parcels makes landscape diverse but on the other hand influence on management is much more complicated to manage.

5. Public access

Area is very good accessible, there is a network of roads and foot paths. Communications are mostly following river streams, so there are not so many transversal communications. In some cases local communities are encouraging visits through special infrastructure (e. g. wine roads, nature trails...) but no co-ordinated approach to enhance visiting area is present. On the other hand, crossing Czech-Slovak is not possible as free as before May 1^st.

There are good conditions for hiking and cycling but the over-night capacities of the region are scarce. They are some private tourist objects but rather scarce. This makes region less attractive for visiting. Here is great potential for PLA in future but the development has to be extremely cautious. Another reason for being cautious is the fact that this is against the mentality of people. They are very open to guests and they are willing to host them, but not to sell hospitality! It is a big question whether is it ethic to change the mentality of local people through forcing tourist development? It should be developed according to the needs and feelings of local population.

6. Scientific work and management of grasslands

Scientific work is very well developed and conducted. There is certain focus on some groups and of course key ecosystems in the area. During the visit most information was available on restoration and management of grasslands – that is certainly key issue in the PLA.

Restoration of former abandoned large scale intensive fields. Due to economic, social and political changes some large scaled fields (collective farms) are not in function any more. In some cases it is possible to split them (back!) in to smaller plots and/or restore to grasslands. Best ways of restoration with different autochthonous (regional) seed mixtures were studied on different plots and are regularly monitored.

For restoration needs a seed bank of 100 hand-gathered meadow plants has been set up since 1993. The seeds have then been cultivated in monocultures. By 1998, the overall amount of seed produced reached 250 kilograms, and local seed mixtures were composed. Ever since, over 0.5 km2 of arable land per year has been turned into grassland. Parallel to this, several "regrassing" methods are being tried out and monitored to lower the costs of seeding large areas.

Influence of pasture is monitored, as well. Since the end of the 1980s the impact of meadow management on vegetation and species richness has been monitored in a growing number of permanent quadrants. In one nature reserve the impact of introduced roe deer on species composition was studied.

Restoration of abandoned grasslands. A lot of meadows were abandoned in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of them are found on steep hillsides, in rugged or faraway places, practically inaccessible to agricultural machinery. Restoration of these sites includes cutting scrub or thick layers of grass and their subsequent burning on the spot, completed by regular mowing in the years to follow. This work has proved to bring encouraging results.

Most research was done Certoryje National Nature Reserve. Several monitoring programmes have been developed to find out how vegetation changes and plants move under the influence of mowing (with different intensity), fertilising and abandoning using various starting situations. Results have shown that by resuming mowing on abandoned sites, a meadow can be restored within a few years on dry sites. But it takes two or three decades on sites dominated by Purple Moor-grass (Molinia arundinacea).

Management of grasslands. Maintaining traditional use of grasslands in existing socio-economic circumstances is one of the biggest challenges not only of the BKPLA but in whole Europe as such. Large plots are usually mown by share-holding agricultural businesses, private farmers and NGOs, equipped with machinery. In case of easy terrain, they use tractors and balers, turning to portable bush mowers where it gets rugged. The consequence of using different technology are changes in grassland structure. Volunteers and a portion of private owners, who mostly have smaller plots to work on, are still using scythes, rakes and pitchforks as their main tools. The management plans for nature reserves encourage additional grazing in the autumn months, and in some cases allow extensive pasturing as the principal form of land use. To secure and encourage traditional like use of meadows requires incentives to farmers and this is done through the instruments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Environment.

Gene Bank of local varieties. Since the beginning of the 1990s, local varieties of the region have been identified and preserved. So far, more than 600 trees of local or rare old cultivars of apple, pear, cherry, plum and service tree (Sorbus domestica) have been documented.

In 1991 a three-hectare large genebank orchard was founded at the village of Velká nad Veličkou, to which grafts of the identified fruit-trees were introduced with the aim of preserving disappearing cultivars. This orchard is the first phase in an effort to return local cultivars to the countryside. Some of them have already been reproduced further and found their way to orchards, the surroundings of villages, road verges and bio-corridors. Some plots of arable field are dedicated to be habitat and gene bank for weeds. They can serve for education purposes, also.

7. International co-operation

International co-operation with neighbouring Slovak National Park Biele Karpaty is weak, mostly on technical and friendship level. There is a bilateral magazine Bílé – Biele Karpaty that is published since 1996 four times a year and available on internet (http://www.bilekarpaty.cz/pages/casopis.htm).

Since May 1^st, there are restrictions to cross the Czech-Slovak border, making a new barrier in the Carpathians. More initiative is needed especially from the Slovakian side where it seems that developing capacity of the National Park and international co-operation with the Czech part is not one of the political priorities.

8. Relationship between the body responsible for the area and other stakeholders

PLA administration has good contacts and relations to most of municipalities (about 80!). However, even with the help of area offices and NGO support it is hard to manage all of them. During visit a round table discussion was organised to meet mayors of the Horňácko microregion. All mayors came and strong attitude to co-operate was very obvious. They are working on common presentation as Euroregion Bílé Karpaty, having better visibility and success in marketing the area. The challenge is to streamline this positive energy and basic sympathy for protected area into further action, so that municipalities can see their future in a nature conservation long term perspective. Similar positive attitude was experienced during meetings with some other mayors.

An important stakeholder in the area is Ministry of agriculture, mostly through the SAPARD Agency. As this is a key to trigger money for grassland management and regulate the social structure of rural areas, work on that programme is of the extreme importance. There is good co-operation and with help of PLA staff members assistance to farmers on the ground. In this area raising of support capacity in form of more engaged people would be very reasonable, as practise and methods of communication are already well developed and proved in the field.

Political and socio-economic changes are reflected in the landscape, as well. Some collective farms are transformed to modern agricultural enterprises. There are cases of abandoning agricultural land, as well. Areas that were dedicated to public recreation in the past are transforming whether in areas with leisure houses (e. g. Lucina) or different private turistic facilities. There is hardly a legal influence on these policies, PLA administration is working on educating and persuading owners to take into account typical architecture elements and fact that they are on a PLA.

9. European Diploma resolution (2000) recommendations follow-up

While in 2000 European Diploma was awarded following recommendations were attached to the Resolution Dip (2004) 13 and follow-up was checked during the on-the-spot-appraisal:

1. Reassess and ensure the requisite human and financial resources to meet the needs resulting from adoption of the new development plan.

No real progress in this recommendation. The PLA Administration is doing their best to implement the development plan mostly through the support of other institutions and NGO’s. The solution of the problem is beyond the scope of the PLA administration as it is linked to legal and budgetary issues regulated on state level.

2. Guarantee a concerted type of agricultural management promoting the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area through close co-operation among the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, the departments active in situ (agricultural, forestry and BKPLA departments), as well as the other bodies involved.

Management of most valuable grassland areas (about 2000 ha in nature reserves and zones I and II) are conducted through PLA administration and financed by the Ministry of Environment (Programme for Landscape Management). Management of other grasslands depends on subsidies of the Ministry of Agriculture (mostly agri-environmental measures).

3. Continue the current forestry policy of conversion to hardwood stands and encourage the natural regeneration of existing hardwood forests.

It is taking place in accordance to Forest Management Plans but depends on subsidies and ownership of the forest. So in some areas there is improvement in the light of this recommendation.

4. Increase the percentage of forests earmarked for strict protection as forest reserves representative of the phytosociological groupings of the Bílé Karpaty woodlands and install suitable buffer zones around them.

National Nature Reserve Javorina is being extended from 90 ha to 165 ha. Legal update has to be done. Near Lopenik (95 ha) and Stražnice (32 ha) proposals to leave woodland to natural development are consulted to owners.

Quite a big proportion of Natura 2000 habitat types are forests, thus it is to be expected that this fact will guarantee such management that will ensure favourable conservation status. However, management system depends on ownership and size of the forest (management plan is obligatory for forests over 50 ha only).

5. Consultation between the BKPLA office and the forestry department: use this consultation to decrease big game numbers to a level where ungulate populations are compatible with the surrounding natural habitat. Hunting should be prohibited or restricted in the nature reserves and their buffer zones.

Hunting problems are very delicate issue and tackling local interests and emotions. The conflict between hunters and forest owners is still taking place. As PLA administration has no competence for hunting beside some attempts to find solution with hunting authorities nothing happened.

6. Eliminate non-indigenous species, namely mouflon and fallow deer, from the nature reserves and the other strictly protected areas.

The same situation as under previous recommendation. However, there are some successful results in eradicating Reynoutria shrubs that escaped from gardens.

7. Limit tourism outside village and towns to a light infrastructure of nature or discovery trails, forest paths, shelters and other similar accommodation integrated into the surrounding landscape.

A new nature trail was built around Hrozenkov, through PHARE a project concerning cycling and wine routes was done. The routes are marked and a good map was issued. PLA Administration is involved in the creation of tourist and recreation concepts of both regions within the PLA.

8. Lay down urban planning and architectural standards capable of conserving the integrity of the regional traditional built heritage, which is a part of the Bílé Karpaty landscape.

PLA Administration prepared very good guidelines for architectural standards that are reflecting regional traditional built heritage. According to the Building Act PLA administration role is limited to advisory function and their opinion is not compulsory. They have still more competences at the land planning level.

9. Give concrete expression to the existing co-operation between the offices of the two Protected Landscape Areas, the Czech Bílé Karpaty and the Slovak Biely Karpaty, through a co-operation agreement on the environmental objectives and fields of activity common to both sites.

There is week co-operation mostly on technical side and regarding information, exchange, education and partly tourism. After May 1^st 2004 the crossing of the border in the region is limited outside the official check points. There are differences in legislation, competences of authorities and language.

10. Final conclusion and recommendations

PLA Bílé Karpaty meets the European Diploma criteria concerning European importance and good management therefore extension of the Diploma for the next period is proposed with following recommendations:

As goes the management of the area beyond the competencies of the PLA administration, which did a very good work in given circumstances, we repeat some of the previous recommendation in order to encourage other sectors to manage resources and plan development in line of the recommendations and PLA management plan.

1. Reassess and ensure the requisite human and financial resources to secure implementation of the management plan.

3. Continue the current forestry policy of conversion to hardwood stands and encourage the natural regeneration of existing hardwood forests.

4. Further develop consultation between the BKPLA office and the forestry department: use this consultation to decrease big game numbers to a level where ungulate populations are compatible with the surrounding natural habitat. Hunting should be prohibited or restricted in the nature reserves and their buffer zones.

5. Eliminate non-indigenous species, namely mouflon and fallow deer, from the nature reserves and the other strictly protected areas.

6. Limit tourism outside village and towns to a light infrastructure of nature or discovery trails, forest paths, shelters and other similar accommodation integrated into the surrounding landscape.

7. Lay down urban planning and architectural standards capable of conserving the integrity of the regional traditional built heritage, which is a part of the Bílé Karpaty landscape.

8. Encourage co-operation between Czech and Slovak authorities in order to co-ordinate transboundary activities in light of a bilateral protected area.

9. European Diploma award should be more visible presented in the image of the Bílé Karpaty PLA (information centre, publications, web site…)

APPENDIX I

Programme of the visit

Thursday, 19^th August

10.00 : Administration of PLA Bile Karpaty Veseli nad Moravou

Welcoming, introduction

lunch

13.00: Meeting with the staff of the Administration, a representative of the Slovak

PLA Biele Karpaty Administration and a representative of the Czech Environment

Ministry.

16.30: excursion to National Nature Reserve Certoryje (management, ownership

problems), possibly also recreation area Lucina (problems of tourism) and lookout

tower with exhibition

19.00: dinner

Friday, 20^th August

morning: Suchovske Mlyny - management of grasslands, grazing, ecological farming

Horni Nemci - meeting with representatives of NGO Jalovec and mayor of Horni

Nemci

lunch

afternoon: meeting with mayors at Lopenik and Sucha Loz (nature trails, collaboration)

16.00: meeting with mayors of Hornacko villages at Velka nad Velickou

evening: meeting with NGO Bile Karpaty

Saturday, 21^st August

morning: National Nature Reserve Jahorina (forestry)

National Nature Reserve Zahrady pod Hajem (conservation of local fruit tree

cultivars

National Nature Reserve Porazky (Natura 2000, forestry)

afternoon: restoration areas of intensive fields, research plots for restoration

APPENDIX II

Persons contacted

Name and surname	Position
Jiřina Gataková	Vice Director, PLA Administration
Lukáš Baotušek
Bohumil Jagoš	forestry
Šárka Kozubiková	habitat management
Šárka Slováková	agriculture, pasture
Ivana Jongepierová	botany, restoration of fields
Drahomir Stano	Bieli Karpaty – Slovakian side
Jan W. Jongepier	botany, data base management
Olga Zapletalová	architecture
Radka Nekardová	director of educ./information centre
Petr Kvapil	community forest consultant
family Kavka	farmer with tourism

Meeting mayors of: Horní Nĕmčí, Lopenik, Sucha Loz and Horňácko microregion (communities of Velká nad Veličkou, Lipov, Louka, Nová Lhota, Javornik, Hrubá Vrbka, Suchov, Kuželov, Mala Vrbka, Tasov), representatives of NGO Jalovec.

APPENDIX III

COUNCIL OF EUROPE
COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Resolution Dip (2000) 13

on the award of the European Diploma

to the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area

(Czech Republic)

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 21 June 2000

at the 715^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.a of the Statute of the Council of Europe,

Having regard to Resolution (65) 6 instituting the European Diploma, as amended by Resolution (98) 29 on the regulations for the European Diploma for protected areas;

Taking into consideration the expert’s report as presented at the meeting of the Group of Specialists for the European Diploma on 21 and 22 February 2000;

Having regard to the proposals of the Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of biological and landscape diversity (CO-DBP);

Having noted the agreement of the Czech Government;

After deliberation,

Solemnly awards the European Diploma to the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area in accordance with the Regulations for the European Diploma as an example of a habitat considered as a transboundary protected area of the White Carpathians located at the intersection of several European phytogeographical regions whose integrity in terms of the natural environment, landscape, architecture and folk traditions, which are so representative of this central European region, must be preserved.

Places the aforesaid reserve under the patronage of the Council of Europe until 20 June 2005;

Attaches the following recommendations to the award:

1. Reassess and ensure the requisite human and financial resources to meet the needs resulting from adoption of the new development plan.

2. Guarantee a concerted type of agricultural management promoting the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area through close co-operation among the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, the departments active in situ (agricultural, forestry and BKPLA departments), as well as the other bodies involved.

3. Continue the current forestry policy of conversion to hardwood stands and encourage the natural regeneration of existing hardwood forests.

6. Eliminate non-indigenous species, namely moufflon and fallow deer, from the nature reserves and the other strictly protected areas.

7. Limit tourism outside village and towns to a light infrastructure of nature or discovery trails, forest paths, shelters and other similar accommodation integrated into the surrounding landscape.

8. Lay down urban planning and architectural standards capable of conserving the integrity of the regional traditional built heritage, which is a part of the Bílé Karpaty landscape.

APPENDIX IV

Draft resolution

on the renewal of the European Diploma of Protected Areas

to the Bílé Karpaty protected landscape area

(Czech Republic)

The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Article 15.a of the Statute of the Council of Europe,

Having regard to Resolution (65) 6 instituting the European Diploma as amended by Resolution (98) 29 on the regulations for the European Diploma of Protected Areas;

Having regard to Resolution (2000) 13 on the award of the European Diploma to the Bílé Karpaty protected landscape area;

Taking into consideration the expert’s report as presented at the meeting of the Group of Specialists for the European Diploma of Protected Areas on 28 February and 1 March 2005;

Having regard to the proposals of the Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of biological and landscape diversity (CO-DBP);

Renews until 20 June 2010 the European Diploma of Protected Areas awarded to the Bílé Karpaty protected landscape area;

Attaches the following recommendations to the renewal:

1. Reassess and ensure the requisite human and financial resources to secure implementation of the management plan;

2. Guarantee a concerted type of agricultural management promoting the Bílé Karpaty protected landscape area through close co-operation among the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, the departments active in situ (agricultural, forestry and BKPLA departments), as well as the other bodies involved;

3. Continue the current forestry policy of conversion to hardwood stands and encourage the natural regeneration of existing hardwood forests;

4. Further develop consultation between the BKPLA office and the forestry department to decrease big game numbers to a level where ungulate populations are compatible with the surrounding natural habitat. Hunting should be prohibited or restricted in the nature reserves and their buffer zones;

5. Eliminate non-indigenous species, namely mouflon and fallow deer, from the nature reserves and the other strictly protected areas;

6. Limit tourism outside village and towns to a light infrastructure of nature or discovery trails, forest paths, shelters and other similar accommodation integrated into the surrounding landscape;

7. Lay down urban planning and architectural standards capable of conserving the integrity of the regional traditional built heritage, which is a part of the Bílé Karpaty landscape;

8. Encourage co-operation between Czech and Slovak authorities in order to co-ordinate transboundary activities in light of a bilateral protected area;

9. European Diploma award should be more visible presented in the image of the Bílé Karpaty PLA (information centre, publications, web site…).