With the final phase, thanks to the European CROSS II project, Croatia will be completely mine-free by the end of the year. We visited the Otočac woods in Lika-Senj County, one of the front lines of the 1990s war where demining is still underway. Our report
Croatia began clearing 1,174 square kilometers of land in 1996, and since 1998 has done so with the support of several donors, including the European Union. With the "Croatian Safe Steps CROSS II" project, co-financed by the EU under the Competitiveness and Cohesion Programme, it will be able to declare itself mine-free by 2026. Text by Nicole Corritore, photos by Silvia Maraone
Croatia will be mine-free by the end of the year, thirty years after the end of the war. What will happen to the deminers who will not be able to retire after years of strenuous and dangerous work? We spoke to Mario Iveković, president of Novi Sindikat, a union that has been working to protect deminers since 2008
The webinar focused on EU cohesion policy and its link with enlargement towards the Western Balkans, looking in particular at the contribution of communities of practices, intended as groups of professionals dealing with concrete issues in the field, such as in the case of environmental protection.
At the end of 2024, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention adopted a proposal from the European Union to downgrade the wolf’s conservation status from “strictly protected” to “protected”. The decision came into force in March 2025. According to the European Commission, there are too many wolves in Europe today, but experts claim that the decision is “scientifically unfounded”. Attacks on pastures, as Croatian biologist Josip Kusak explains, are often the result of bad habits, such as letting livestock roam unsupervised. “We have to learn to coexist with wolves again”, the biologist continues, because “the role of this large carnivore in the ecosystem is irreplaceable”. Photo and text G. Vale
Until recently, it was under strict protection, but since 2024, partly at the request of the European Commission, the wolf’s protection status has been downgraded, so today this species is potentially huntable. According to some experts, “when society shifts to the right, the wolf pays the price”
In this double interview between Serbia and Croatia, we talk to two experts about the state of the wolf population, until recently a strictly protected species in the EU, now degraded and potentially huntable. However, in Serbia, where wolves have always been hunted, the situation does not seem to be getting worse
In the aftermath of World War II and the creation of socialist Yugoslavia, Brijuni became a kind of second Yugoslav capital. Tito used to spend a good part of the year on the islands, welcoming numerous international guests. And this is where the Non-Aligned Movement was born
The Brijuni Islands, a small national park in the northern Adriatic, have a very unique history. Once a malaria-ridden area with inhospitable terrain, they became an important tourist destination in the 19th century thanks to Austrian entrepreneur Paul Kupelwieser. In this two-part report, we explore their history and present-day reality.
Constance, Gdańsk, Klaipėda, Ejsberg. These are some of the European coastal cities that are undergoing major expansion of their port facilities, in the face of serious environmental damage
To protect the marine ecosystems of the Adriatic, concrete policies are needed, shared by all the countries bordering this sea. Often, these results are achieved thanks to bottom-up transnational cooperation initiatives. An interview
Behind the charred landscapes of Greece’s fiery summers lie untold human stories: of loss, resilience, and deep psychological and social scars for individuals and communities alike. Each year’s wildfires in Greece expose systemic failures
Six countries of the Adriatic-Ionian space have joined forces to protect the mountain ecosystem and regenerate biodiversity. The "Promont" cooperation project seeks to empower the local communities to promote positive change through regenerative actions in these areas.
Romania's 250 kilometers of Black Sea coastline are rapidly changing. Coastal erosion is rampant along much of the coastline: it is greatest in the north, where the effects of the scarcity of sediment retained by dams and rising sea levels compound natural processes. However, it is a major economic issue on the beaches of central and southern Romania, frequented by millions of tourists each year and home to industrial ports like Constanta. A colossal coastal defense project, funded by European Cohesion funds, is drastically transforming the coastal landscape, making it increasingly artificial.
To defend the coastline threatened by the advancing Black Sea, the governments in Bucharest and Brussels had promised solutions based on an approach that focused on protecting natural environments. In the end, unfortunately, the "concrete cure" prevailed
In June 2017, an unprecedented fire struck Pedrógão Grande, Portugal, killing 66 people. This event marked a watershed moment in the awareness of the need to rethink land management in Europe
Threatened by mass tourism, unsustainable environmental practices and climate change, mountains are subject of transnational cooperation between six countries in the frame of the PROMONT project. An interview
The Adriatic and Ionian Seas protect only 3.4% of their waters, compared to a European average of 10.8%. Experts call for coordinated action by the ten countries of the basin to combat overfishing and mass tourism
The mouth of Europe's great river is constantly changing and experiencing multiple environmental crises and social fragilities. European funds and new projects seek to combine environmental protection and local development
Ambitious European projects support the protection of the sturgeon. However, without the support of the local community and compensation for fishermen, the goal of saving the the Danube's iconic fish remains elusive
With its labyrinth of canals, inland lakes, lagoons, remote islands, and windswept coastlines, the Danube Delta seems unchanging. Its precious habitats - a haven for Europe's main migratory bird species and the most iconic of fish, the sturgeon - and its lands where populations of diverse ethnicities, languages, and religions have found refuge, are exposed to accelerated environmental and social changes. Climate change and the disruption of upstream waterways are leading to erosion and silting of canals, while poaching, pollution, and a warming climate are threatening biodiversity.
From the wild shores of the Danube delta to the gentle, urbanized beaches of the south, the Black Sea coastline is retreating under the pressure of climate change and man-made structures that trap sediment. New interventions aimed at protecting it risk repeating the mistakes of the past
Faced with the threat of rising sea levels and extreme weather events, Rimini is rethinking its waterfront: green infrastructure, new sewage strategies and nature-based solutions to protect the territory and community
Concerns are growing over agreements approved by the Montenegrin parliament to authorise investments in the country by the United Arab Emirates, in derogation transparency and environmental protection principles. The operation also raises concerns about the path to European integration
The project to rebuild the Port of Durrës is shrouded in controversy, and Albanian citizens could be the ones to pay the price. One of the most controversial proposals is financing part of the project by selling apartments before construction even begins
American journalist and activist Peter Lippman has a profound knowledge of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has been following the political and post-war situation in the country for years now. Recently, he has taken a particular interest in the environmental movements that are sweeping the whole region
Deforestation, urbanization, and the climate crisis are fragmenting the habitats of large carnivores in Romania and Southeastern Europe. A network of European initiatives is working to protect them, promoting peaceful coexistence as well as biodiversity
In just a few years, “General Weekend” has become the largest waste collection and environmental awareness campaign in North Macedonia. Its inspiration was an Austrian music producer in love with the country and a Macedonian woman
In the face of the threat of extreme fires, scientific knowledge and technical solutions are not enough: participatory policies and reasoned incentives are needed to respond to the economic and social needs of those who live in the territories
Decarbonization in Europe is progressing at different speeds. The challenge is to transform coal-based economies through investment and retraining. Asturias, in Spain, shows the way: existing infrastructure can be repurposed for new uses
