EMPEG working group

EUROSITE MANAGEMENT PLANNING EXPERT GROUP (EMPEG)

Since our establishment in 1989, Eurosite has been guiding its members, and the broader site managers’ community, on how to prepare high-quality management plans for their sites, considering all the relevant aspects and with the involvement of relevant stakeholders. As part of this work, Eurosite has prepared several versions of Guidance on Management Planning, with the latest one dating back to 2005.

At the beginning of 2018, Eurosite established this Expert Group to produce an updated version of the Eurosite Management Planning Guidance Toolkit, which provides information for site managers and others on several topics related to the elaboration of management plans. During the Annual General Meeting in Budapest, Hungary, in September 2018, the Members of Eurosite agreed to maintain this Expert Group as a permanent Working Group within Eurosite.

The main objectives of the Expert Group are:

• Maintain and update the Management Planning Toolkit with new information that becomes available and promote its use
• Increase the competencies and skills of site managers in elaborating effective, transparent and science-based management plans through training and workshops.
• At the request of site managers or management plan developers, EMPEG will make its expertise available in various topics relevant to site management, including expertise in the field of stakeholder involvement, climate change adaptation, evaluation and monitoring and assessment of ecosystem services.
• Keep track of the implementation of the Natura 2000 network and promote effective management of Natura 2000 sites.
• Identify funding opportunities to enhance protected areas management planning further.

Product: 

Eurosite Management Planning portal

Online workshop: Innovative Peatland Restoration Techniques