Federatia Coalitia Natura 2000 România

Established in 2004 as an informal union and in 2013 as a Federation, the organisation’s mission is to act as a technical think-tank and to serve as a crucial link between civil society and state institutions. Its vision describes an inclusive, efficient and just future for protected areas in Romania. The Coalition actively acts as a watchdog and participates in national-level environmental governance processes. Having 21 active NGO members, the organisation contributes to protected area governance, biodiversity monitoring, large carnivore management, ecological restoration, advocacy, environmental crime and justice monitoring, community outreach, sustainable development and protected area governance, professional formation.

The Natura 2000 Coalition was founded with the objective to support Romania in fulfilling its pre-EU commitments in nature conservation. It functioned as a technical consortium, drawing on expertise from more than 50 specialized Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Following its EU accession, the Coalition has played a proactive role as both a watchdog and advocate for participatory governance processes. In the past 10 years, the organization also focused on monitoring and improving all environmental legal initiatives and major projects with impact on biodiversity.

Contrary to the common practice of environmental activism, the Coalition’s approach focused on involving communities in the governance process and on assuring that environmental justice is indeed happening:

• we act as an interface between society’s needs and the state.
• we support an effective framework for consultative councils in protected area administrations.
• we fight for compensation rights for individuals affected by restrictions.
• we address major human-wildlife conflicts and constantly offer functional solutions.
• we function as a think tank for sustainable development solutions.
• we conduct surveillance and studies on environmental crime, actively participating in devising solutions to address its root causes and mitigate its impact.
• through its ongoing efforts, the Coalition is now widely acknowledged as a legitimate entity for various environmental democratic processes, receiving recognition from both state institutions and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).