Western Balkans ministers endorse two regional nature frameworks

The frameworks were endorsed at the Third Ministerial Meeting on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, held in Žabljak, Montenegro, on 18 September 2026. Together, the two frameworks establish a regional pathway for advancing biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration across the Western Balkans. The Biodiversity Strategic Plan 2030 sets five goals covering effective area-based conservation, ecosystem restoration, threatened species, biodiversity integration across sectors, and the governance, knowledge and finance needed for implementation. The Forest Landscape Restoration Plan complements it by promoting integrated, landscape-scale restoration that connects biodiversity protection with forests, climate resilience, water, soils and disaster-risk reduction. 

“Nature does not stop at borders, and neither can our response to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. By endorsing the Biodiversity Strategic Plan 2030 and Forest Landscape Restoration Plan, the Western Balkans demonstrates a shared commitment to coordinated action for nature. IUCN looks forward to working with governments, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and partners to turn these regional commitments into practical conservation and restoration on the ground,” said Oliver Avramoski, Director of the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

The two frameworks are core elements of Pillar 5: Protection of Nature and Biodiversity of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, which translates global and European nature commitments into regional action. The Green Agenda is coordinated by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), while IUCN coordinates Pillar 5 and serves as Secretariat of the Biodiversity Task Force for the Western Balkans, the regional platform bringing together authorities, experts and partners to advance cooperation on nature.  

The Biodiversity Strategic Plan 2030 connects the region more directly with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity, and with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. It adapts these international and European ambitions to the Western Balkans context while supporting closer alignment with the EU environmental acquis. 

For biodiversity, the regional ambitions are substantial. The Biodiversity Strategic Plan aims for at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water, marine and coastal areas to be effectively conserved by 2030, including at least 10% under strict protection, while initiating effective restoration across at least 20% of degraded ecosystems. It also seeks to prevent extinctions of known threatened species, improve the status and trends of species at risk, strengthen biodiversity monitoring and data systems, and integrate biodiversity into sectors such as agriculture, forestry, energy, water management and infrastructure.  

The Forest Landscape Restoration Plan brings a complementary landscape perspective. Rather than treating restoration as a forestry issue alone, it connects biodiversity and ecosystem restoration with sustainable forest management, climate adaptation, soil and drought resilience, water and flood management, and disaster-risk reduction. It will support the region’s wider ambition to bring at least 20% of degraded ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030, as set out in the Biodiversity Strategic Plan. Its implementation will be informed by the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Report, which will identify priority forest landscapes where restoration can strengthen ecological integrity, connectivity and resilience. 

This regional approach also connects the Western Balkans with the wider European and global restoration agenda. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation requires restoration measures covering at least 20% of EU land and sea areas by 2030 and, ultimately, all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. At the global level, the Plan reflects the landscape approach championed through the Bonn Challenge, launched by IUCN and Germany, which aims to bring 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested land under restoration by 2030.  

“Regional cooperation has been essential in developing these frameworks, and it will be even more important in implementing them. The Biodiversity Task Force gives the Western Balkans a space to continue aligning priorities, sharing experience and evidence, and identifying where joint approaches can add value. The next step is to turn the political endorsement into measurable progress for biodiversity and ecosystem restoration across the region,” said Kornelija Radovanović, Governance & Policy Programme Officer, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

RCC/Danilo Papic

The endorsement of these frameworks is an important step towards translating regional ambitions into action for nature. Delivering meaningful results will require sustained cooperation among governments, regional institutions, civil society, scientists and international partners, alongside stronger investment in conservation and restoration. Together, the frameworks provide a common foundation for action while recognising the diverse ecological and governance realities across the Western Balkans. 

Through the Biodiversity Task Force for the Western Balkans and its Thematic Groups on Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration, IUCN will continue working with the authorities, RCC, civil society, experts and partners across the region to support the next phase: translating shared priorities into measurable conservation and restoration action.  

Frameworks in infographics:

• Western Balkans Six Biodiversity Strategic Plan 2023

• Western Balkans Six Forest Landscape Restoration Plan 

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