With open and solution-oriented discussions among complementary players in infrastructure development, the launch of TRANSGREEN represented a living example of participatory approach that the project aims to bring forth in the Danube-Carpathian Region. The launch event hosted by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, took place on February 28th 2017 in Vienna as part of a three-day kick-off event and gathered international representatives from the fields of transport infrastructure planning, construction, research, management and monitoring, spatial planning, and nature conservation.

The aim of the TRANSGREEN launch event went beyond introducing the project to the infrastructure planning community, as it created the context for cross-sectorial dialogue. The 55 participants from 9 EU countries were involved in lively exchanges focused on sharing experiences among countries and different activity fields related to the main topic and on raising awareness about the importance of an integrated approach that takes nature into account.

The day was opened by interventions from representatives of Austrian and Slovenian transport and infrastructure ministries, followed by the endorsement of the regional body of the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention and by the position of environmental NGOs from the international perspective of WWF.

Ms. Viktoria Reiss-Enz from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) emphasized the importance of cooperation for integrated transport infrastructure planning and mentioned that one question to always keep in mind is how to build new linear infrastructure in a safe and environmentally way in a still cost-efficient manner. Mr. Fedor Černe from the Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure highlighted the need of enabling conditions for cooperation between the various sectors involved, transport, nature conservation, science and NGOs. Mr. Harald Egerer representing the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention mentioned that the TRANSGREEN project would encourage the ratification of the Protocol on Sustainable Transport and would help prepare its implementation through the development of the Strategic Action Plan. The project consortium will cooperate with the Carpathian Convention Working Group on Sustainable Industry, Energy, Transport and Infrastructure, in order to commonly develop the Strategic Action Plan. Mr. Andreas Beckmann, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme greeted the policy-oriented approach of the project aiming at creating well-informed decision-making in the early phase of planning, before the bulldozers are on site.

The key-note speech by researcher and representative of Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Mr. Vaclav Hlaváč, highlighted the value of the Carpathian wildlife and detailed threats and possible solutions related to infrastructure and wildlife mobility. Mr. Hlaváč also introduced the audience to IENE – Infra Eco Network Europe, a network of scientists working on the promotion of safe and ecologically sustainable Pan-European transport infrastructure, which can support the project efforts.

Diving into TRANSGREEN, the project manager, Ms. Hildegard Meyer, touched upon the history of several years of collaboration among partners, and presented the project aim and concrete objectives: 

1. fostering dialogue and cooperation among relevant partners from the transport, spatial planning and environmental sector
2. improving scientific knowledge as base for sound decision-making, and
3. minimizing conflicts between transport planning and Green Infrastructure objectives.

There followed an introduction to the four project pilot sites by local experts: the Tîrgu Mureș-Iași motorway (Romania), the Arad-Deva railway (Romania), the Miskolc (Hungary) – Košice (Slovakia) – Uzhgorod (Ukraine) motorway, the Beskydy motorway (Czech Republic-Slovakia). Each pilot site is unique by its biodiversity value and the nature protected areas found there, but also by the location in a favorable area for the EU infrastructure development plans.

The day was concluded by a session of statements from guests inside and outside the project partnership. They discussed about challenges and opportunities that integrated infrastructure planning of this scale faces, starting from own experiences. Examples of challenges range from the long duration and the complexity of the process, to possible delays by opposition of various stakeholder groups and absence of laws to actually protect animals safeguarded by applying sustainable solutions, such as ecoducts and green passages. The opportunities mentioned are related to starting the consultations in early phases of the planning process, the existence of success stories in project and neighboring countries, such as Austria, Czech Republic etc. and the cross-sectorial approach which is already happening in TRANSGREEN and has been proved to be the key to success in integrated planning.

The participants expressed their support and cooperation for the upcoming project activities and felt inspired by the involvement of various fields working for a common goal.

For further information, please check the Gallery (photos and cartoons drawn at the event) and the Library (speakers presentations), or contact Ms. Hildegard Meyer, hmeyer@wwfdcp.org