Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Danube

Date of latest update: 2025-12-17

Description

Description (EN):

The HARMON 2 project proposal for the seed money facility is specifically addressing the EUSDR's Priority Area 4. - A better cooperation governance in the Danube Region with specific objective 4.1: Support for the governance of the EUSDR. The development of the Transport Sector is a legitimate priority in the Danube region for socio-economic and strategic reasons, but the requirement of mitigating its biodiversity impact is often seen by different categories of stakeholders and by the general public as either an unnecessarily costly barrier to rapid development or as a formal procedure without meaningful tangible results for safeguarding biodiversity. Linear infrastructure development is recognized as one of the biggest threats to biodiversity and the challenge in the Danube Region is how to develop it fast AND sustainable, while preserving the high biodiversity level and valuable landscape particular for our region. The project will address one of the key gaps/needs identified by DTP SMF HARMON – lack of capacity and integrated expertise of key actors for mainstreaming biodiversity into Transport sector in the Danube Region and will build on the progress / results achieved by HARMON-supported projects (DTP SaveGREEN, Horizon 2020 BISON). The project is based on four main pillars: 1) identification of state of play concerning the knowledge and capacity related to mainstreaming biodiversity into the transport sector. This first analysis is a prerequisite for identifying the main challenges, needs and gaps hindering this mainstreaming process. Key target groups and stakeholders will also be identified in this stage. 2) development of the main project’s work plan. First, an Action Plan will be developed to tackle the most stringent issues identified during the analysis from the state of play phase. This will be a strategic document that will be agreed and shared with key stakeholders and professional networks. Secondly, a detailed Work Plan for the future project(s) will be developed based on the Action Plan, where key actors will be invited to further contribute to detailing the critical steps and practical approaches and activities needed to materialise the mainstreaming. 3) identification of potential key funding opportunities to implement the agreed strategic directions and ideas in order to mainstream biodiversity into the transport sector. This will be performed together with the already identified target groups and stakeholders and will look especially into available EU public funding programmes, as well as private sources. 4) exploration of the possibility to develop a dedicated training curriculum in a joint venture with universities and practitioners. For this, a hub for integrated and transdisciplinary practical curriculum in the Danube region will be created, to make sure that competent and highly-skilled graduates will be able to address the complexities of mainstreaming biodiversity into the transport sector. The aim of the main project proposal/s will thus be to contribute to preservation of biodiversity, including ecological connectivity, while developing linear transportation infrastructures in the Danube Region by promoting efficient awareness and engagement, adapted policies, capacity-building and transdisciplinary training involving different target groups such as universities, research centres, NGOs, decision makers, authorities, companies, sectoral stakeholders, and general public. By creating synergies between these actors, the main project proposal will promote development of new or improved professional skills / knowledge tailored to the occupational needs demanded by the specifics of transport ecology. Therefore the main project’s would contribute to a multitude of actions of priority areas, whereas the overall contribution will be the support for the governance of the EUSDR for A better cooperation governance in the Danube Region (EUSDR's Priority Area 4. , specific objective 4.1.). The direct contributions of the main project/s will be to the Priority Area 6 – BIODIVERSITY AND LANDSCAPES, QUALITY OF AIR AND SOILS, (ACTION 1 / Target 1, ACTION 4 / Target 4, ACTION 5 / Target 5, ACTION 6 / Target 6.) and could contribute to the Priority Area 1B – RAIL-ROAD-AIR MOBILITY (ACTION 1 / Target 1 and ACTION 8), Priority Area 7 “KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY“ supports the development of the knowledge society in the Danube Region via education, research and ICT elements (ACTION 3 / Target 3, ACTION 4 / Target 4, ACTION 5 / Target 5) and to the Priority Area 10 – INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AND COOPERATION (ACTION 1 / Target 1.2., ACTION 6 / Target 6, ACTION 7 / Targets 7.1. and 7.2.). HARMON 2 partnership consists of highly reputable organisations in their fields of activity, with a long history of collaboration. In addition, not only the regular partners, but also the ASPs will mobilise several professional networks relevant for the proposed topic.

Expected Achievements (EN):

The HARMON 2 partnership consists of members with vast experience in collaboration with key stakeholders with a wide range of interests and relevant geographical distribution. Each partner will collect relevant information concerning the awareness, knowledge and capacity related to mainstreaming biodiversity into the transport sector and will engage with representatives of target groups, gather and compile information from the countries and regions where partners are based and/or are part of formal and informal networks. We will identify and describe the target groups and key players for the main project proposal and will summarise existing capacities, gaps and needs of relevant actors. The identified complementarities between existing capacities will be used to address gaps and needs and to motivate and engage stakeholders in participating in the main project/s. As a result, the Report on the state of play will be structured as a basis for developing the main project proposal/s. The activities will entail the direct engagement of key stakeholders to get their feedback on how awareness raising and capacity building could most effectively contribute to mainstreaming biodiversity into the transport sector, based on existing experiences and best practices at local/national, regional and European levels. An inclusive participatory approach will be used to involve key stakeholders in the development of a synthetic Strategic Action Plan, which will become a relevant reference-working document and will be promoted through IENE / GreenWEB and Carpathian Convention networks and will be further used by stakeholders collaboratively or independently. Based on the Strategic Action Plan, all HARMON 2 partners will work directly with target group representatives to develop the detailed Work Plan of the future project proposal/s – objectives, activities, indicative budgets and to work out potential project partnership based on each possible partner profile. Based on the objectives and actions agreed in the Action Plan and the main Project/s Work Plan, a crucial aspect will be to connect the target groups with the goal of the funding line and to select potential partners based on their expertise, interest and their availability to participate in the project development. We will facilitate and support the direct involvement of candidate partners and feedback from key stakeholders, while working on following three concrete activities: - Analysis of funding sources for the main project proposal/s - Definition of the next steps and the Road Map for “After Seed Money” period - The final working meeting of HARMON2 in Romania with the aim to complete a concrete framework for one or more project proposals. EU funding programmes will primarily be assessed to best match the identified needs and project ideas with the strategic objectives of the specific programmes. Private funding will also be explored. This output is an extra activity beyond the mandatory outputs required by the Seed Money Facility call. It aims to create the conditions for defining a roadmap for the establishment of a platform for cooperation between the universities and organisations involved in the practical assessment of the impacts of linear transport infrastructure on biodiversity. The lack of attention to this issue in formal education has been earlier identified in previous projects as one of the barriers to mainstreaming of the topic. This SO should set a path to overcome this barrier. It includes face-to-face consultations with selected organisations in practice to determine the competency requirements of new staff and a subsequent survey among universities will be conducted to find out how the current state of the curriculum meets these requirements. The activity will also promote the existing tools into mainstream education and training processes.

Thematic information

Innovation capacity and awareness-raising Governance, partnership Climate change and biodiversity

Priority: (VI-B_D_4) Priority 4 - A better cooperation governance in the Danube Region

Priority specific objective: ISO6.4. Enhance institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders to implement macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies, as well as other territorial strategies (all strands)

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO6 (ISO1) A better cooperation governance

Type of intervention: 171 Enhancing cooperation with partners both within and outside the Member State

Partners (5)

Lead Partner: Centrum dopravního výzkumu, v. v. i.

Partner’s ID if not PIC: CZ44994575

Department: Division of Sustainable Transport and Transport Structures Diagnostics

Address: Líšeňská, 63600 Brno, Czech Republic

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.cdv.cz/

Total budget: EUR 39 900.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 31 920.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 7 980.00

Asociatia WWF România

Name: Asociatia WWF România

Department: Wildlife and Landscape department

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 18742789

Address: Tudor Vladimirescu, 050881 Bucharest, Romania

Department address: Tudor Vladimirescu, 050881 Bucharest, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.wwf.ro

Total budget: EUR 19 600.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 15 680.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 920.00

Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre

Name: Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre

Department: Department of Ecology and Environmental Science

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 00157716

Address: Trieda A. Hlinku , 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.ukf.sk

Total budget: EUR 19 250.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 15 400.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 850.00

Сдружение "Черноморска мрежа на неправителствените организации"

Name: Сдружение "Черноморска мрежа на неправителствените организации"

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 130173429

Address: Dr. L. Zamenhof , 9000 Varna, Bulgaria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.bsnn.org

Total budget: EUR 17 640.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 14 112.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 528.00

Asociatia Zarand

Name: Asociatia Zarand

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 28253780

Address: Mihai Viteavul, 500187 Brașov, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.zarand.org

Total budget: EUR 19 880.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 15 904.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 3 976.00

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

WWF Romania Association

Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Partners and Projects info

Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra

Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Partners and Projects info

Black Sea NGO Network

Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Partners and Projects info

Zarand Association

Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Partners and Projects info

Transport Research Centre (CDV)

Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Project acronym: HARMON 2

Project ID: DRP0401471

Project start date: 2024-09-01

Project end date: 2025-08-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 116 270.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 93 016.00

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

REPORT ON KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY RELATED TO MAINSTREAMING BIODIVERSITY INTO TRANSPORT SECTOR
Draft Action Plan for Capacity-Building on Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector
Main project Work Plan (Report)
REPORT ON FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Roadmap for the hub to develop an integrated and transdisciplinary practical curricula in the DR.

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyDanubeRegion The aim of the main project proposal/s will be to contribute to preservation of biodiversity, including ecological connectivity, while developing linear transportation infrastructures in the Danube Region by promoting efficient awareness and engagement, adapted policies, capacity-building and transdisciplinary training involving different target groups such as universities, research centres, NGOs, decision makers, authorities, companies, sectoral stakeholders, and general public. By creating synergies between these actors, the main project proposal will promote development of new or improved professional skills / knowledge tailored to the occupational needs demanded by the specifics of transport ecology.
Therefore the main project’s would contribute to a multitude of actions of priority areas, whereas the overall contribution will be the support for the governance of the EUSDR for A better cooperation governance in the Danube Region (EUSDR's Priority Area 4. , specific objective 4.1.).
The direct contributions of the main project/s will be to the Priority Area 6 – BIODIVERSITY AND LANDSCAPES, QUALITY OF AIR AND SOILS, (ACTION 1 / Target 1, ACTION 4 / Target 4, ACTION 5 / Target 5, ACTION 6 / Target 6.) and could contribute to the Priority Area 1A – WATERWAYS MOBILITY (ACTION 5 /Target 5), Priority Area 1B – RAIL-ROAD-AIR MOBILITY (ACTION 1 / Target 1 and ACTION 8), Priority Area 7 “KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY“ supports the development of the knowledge society in the Danube Region via education, research and ICT elements (ACTION 3 / Target 3, ACTION 4 / Target 4, ACTION 5 / Target 5) and to the Priority Area 10 – INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AND COOPERATION (ACTION 1 / Target 1.2., ACTION 6 / Target 6, ACTION 7 / Targets 7.1. and 7.2.).
TerritorialAgenda2030 The main project that will support the EUSDR also considers major political frameworks such as the Territorial Agenda 2030. As the project addresses transnational, macro-regional and cross-border levels it directly contributes to the agenda that underlines the importance of and provides orientation for strategic spatial planning and calls for strengthening the territorial dimension of sector policies at all governance levels. It seeks to promote an inclusive and sustainable future for all places and help achieve Sustainable Development Goals in Europe. The Territorial Agenda contributes to key European objectives, a Just Europe that offers future perspectives for all places and people, and a Green Europe that protects common livelihoods and shapes societal transition.
EuropeanGreenDeal HARMON 2 combines the implementation of the EU Green Deal[1] with the development of the TEN-T (Trans-Europan Transport Network) which Regulation is currently being revised to make TEN-T greener, [2], the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030[3] and the development of a coherent Trans-European Nature Network (TEN-N)[4] in the South-eastern European region.
HARMON 2 will create knowledge, foster knowledge exchange and support capacity building for environmentally friendly infrastructure in the Danube-Carpathian region and beyond. Hereby, it will contribute to informed decision-making for wise transport infrastructure planning and construction with minimum impact on biodiversity.[5]
[1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/green-deal/
[2]https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/infrastructure-and-investment/trans-european-transport-network-ten-t_en
[3] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en
[4] https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/building-a-coherent-trans-european
[5] https://www.iene.info/news/iene-2022-final-declaration/
Other Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Concerning the CBD policy processes, Harmon 2 will contribute to the implementation of the CBD 2018 Decision to mainstream biodiversity in energy, mining, and infrastructure development[6] which has been a major goal in the framework of the CBD to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted by CBD in December 2022[7], in particular, targets 1, 3, 8, and 14.
[6] https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-14/cop-14-dec-03-en.pdf
[7]https://www.unep.org/resources/kunming-montreal-global-biodiversity-framework?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8J6wBhDXARIsAPo7QA_iYt4lEOTilAnJyH4AdYjIYcj6lZF-Nn107FBpYKJibctgxBcTX-4aAmC3EALw_wcB
Other Carpathian Convention Policies
The project will cooperate with the Carpathian Convention stakeholders based on the Carpathian Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP7 in autumn 2023, particularly for Strategic Objective 4 on environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure. Members of the Working Groups on Transport and Biodiversity and their observers will be engaged in the development of training materials, curricula and knowledge hubs and professional platforms as CCIBIS and GreenWEB.
Other IENE Declaration 2022
The project also reacts to the IENE Declaration of IENE (Infrastructure and Ecology Network Europe) 2022 concluded at the International Conference held (in Cluj-Napoca, Romania,) on avoiding habitat fragmentation and secure ecological connectivity due to transport infrastructure development in Eastern Europe and regions like the Balkans and the Black Sea area[5]. IENE is an Associated Strategic Partner and an advisor to the project.

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Danube

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-12-17

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

138 / 138 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

1 413 / 1 413 (100%)

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Addressing Capacity Building Needs for Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Transport Sector of the Danube Region

Description

Thematic information

Partners (5)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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