The European Commission has allocated to Romania for biodiversity conservation EUR 350 million through Operational Programme for Large Infrastructure 2014-2020, by about EUR 130 million more than in 2007-2013, World Wide Fund of Nature (WWF) Romania announced on its website.
“The program now has a dedicated priority axis for financing projects for nature, but considers the protection of biodiversity in other investments too, such as transport infrastructure or the management of flood risks,” WWF Romania notes.
It was also approved to prioritize the implementation of management plans, sets of conservation measures and action plans for protected areas as well as the creation and preservation of ecological corridors and migration corridors for species and ecological restoration of ecosystems on the protected surface areas, including Natura 2000 sites.
In addition, NGOs and custodians of protected natural areas are eligible and may apply for European funds earmarked for biodiversity, while small hydropower are not eligible for funding under this programme and are not considered a priority investment not even in the in the Partnership Agreement.