The certificate recognises the excellent cooperation between the two parks in managing neighbouring protected areas and their efforts to go beyond political and administrative boundaries for the benefit of nature. The award is also a recognition of the successful integration of common themes such as environmental protection, peace and sustainable development.

In 2014, the certificate was renewed and in the same year, the Alpine Convention declared the entire area of both parks as a cross-border pilot region for ecological connectivity.

Presentation publication Cross-border Ecoregion Julian Alps

At the end of 2016, the Julian Alps Ecoregion was awarded the Sustainable Development of Tourism in a Protected Area Award. The Charter is an important recognition of the work done and a model for the management of protected areas as sustainable tourism destinations.

In 2020, the Sustainable Development Charter and the cross-border cooperation certificate were successfully extended until 2024.

Objectives of the Julian Alps Ecoregion:

• strengthen cooperation with local tourism organisations and providers;
• to set up a network of information points in the ecoregion to inform visitors in a suitable way about the characteristics of the area;
• to protect and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area through tourism and for tourism purposes, and to protect it from overdevelopment by tourists;
• to promote forms of sport and recreation in the natural environment which do not have a negative impact on nature and cultural heritage.

To achieve these objectives, the Julian Alps Ecoregion has adopted a vision and approved an action plan.

Nature knows no boundaries!

The NAT2CARE project has produced a short documentary film on nature conservation, presenting the cross-border area of the Julian Alps Ecoregion. Like the main themes of the project, which were the integration of activities for the protection and conservation of species of European importance in the area of the two neighbouring countries, the film is also about the fact that nature knows no formal borders.  The visually sophisticated footage, accompanied by local original and folk music, shows the characteristics of the entire Julian Alps, from the geology, waters, animals and plants, NATURA 2000 sites and species, to the traditional human activities that give the area its character. The main message of the film is to respect nature in all its diversity, to protect and preserve it for future generations.

The designation of a transboundary biosphere reserve crossing national administrative boundaries allows for the merger of the two existing biosphere reserves, which together cover 277,000 ha.