Transboundary Prespa Park

TThe transboundary Prespa lakes basin is a globally unique place, due to its geomorphology, ecological richness and biodiversity. To be effectively protected this single watershed needs a common management policy from all three states sharing it. Following a proposal and lobbying by the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) and World Wide Fund for Nature – Greece (WWF Greece), the transboundary Prespa Park was duly founded in 2000, with the Declaration of the three Prime Ministers of the countries that share the Prespa basin, offering the basis for such co-operation between Greece, Albania and North Macedonia. According to the Declaration, the Prespa Park co-operation aims to preserve the natural and cultural values of the area with the participation of local communities, promote the economic and social well-being of the inhabitants and strengthen peace, friendship and co-operation between them.

In order to better organise and promote actions for the protection and sustainable development of the area, a tripartite Prespa Park Co-ordinating Committee (PPCC) was established, with the SPP having a crucial role in the Prespa Park’s transboundary co-operation, actively participating and supporting the achievement of substantial results as a member of the PPCC. The SPP also hosted the Park Secretariat at its offices in Agios Germanos and financially supported its operation until 2010, when the Prime Ministers of the three countries opened a new era for the cross-border Prespa Park by signing an international agreement between the three states and the EU in order to strengthen its institutional functioning, although the agreement only ultimately entered into force in 2019.

After many years of persistent and patient lobbying from the SPP and many other transboundary partners, the international agreement finally began to be implemented in practice in 2022, with the proper operation of its Prespa Park Management Committee (PPMC), together with its associated Working Group on Water Management (WGWM), which focusses on the critical issue of integrated water management. Again the SPP has been instrumental in achieving these ends, both with its participation in the PPMC and its critical contribution to the Secretariat for the PPMC and WGWM.

Reports

2000 Declaration on the creation of the Prespa Park and the environmental protection and sustainable development of the Prespa lakes and their surroundings

2001 – First regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2001 – Second regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2001 – First Extraordinary Meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2002 – Third regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2002 – Second Extraordinary Meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2003 – Fourth regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2003 – Fifth regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2004 – Sixth regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2005 – Seventh regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2005 – Eighth regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2006 – Ninth regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

2007 – Tenth regular meeting of the Prespa Park Co-ordination Committee (PPCC)

Preliminary report on cross-border fire-fighting and contingency co-operation in the Prespa Park area