INTERNATIONAL LEGAL PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE LIGHT OF THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION AND SOUTHEAST EUROPE

TODIĆ Prof. Dragoljub (Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade), d.todic@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs

The introductory part of the paper focuses on the importance of biodiversity. This is followed by referencing the most important international agreements in the field of biodiversity protection. The paper gives an overview of the membership status of the Southeast European (SEE) countries in the international agreements in the field of biodiversity: both EU Member States (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia), and those in the process of joining the EU (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania and Turkey). It also provides a basic overview of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. The author points to the issue of the relevance of transitional measures (deadlines) for the implementation of regulations in the field of nature protection (agreed by the countries that have become EU members in the last three rounds of the enlargement). The importance and types of protected areas in the EU and non-EU countries are emphasised. The final part of the paper discusses the issue of the similarities and differences between the countries from the region of SEE in the process of joining the EU, in terms of assessment of the achieved level of harmonization of national legislation with the EU legislation. The paper considers the thesis that in terms of membership in international agreements there are no significant differences between SEE countries that are in the process of joining the EU and EU Member States. However, in regards to the protected areas, there are differences. The relevance and the nature of the differences between the countries which are not members of the EU in terms of the dynamics and level of harmonization of national regulations with the EU should be researched.

Keywords: biodiversity, nature protection, environment, habitats, international treaties, the European Union, Southeast Europe, European integration