This is a group of EAZA members ( European Zoos) that we have brought together to make a advocacy programme specifically to DG Environment and the forthcoming LIFE+ funding instrument, and to increase the potential for successful bids when this opens in the latter half of 2007.
In addition, we have had dialogue with a number of other EU funding streams of potential interest to European zoos, including the environmental theme within Europe’s overseas aid programme and DG Culture.
A document ‘The EU and Europe’s progressive zoos’ tracing the alignment of zoos’ socio-environmental work and EU policy and referencing specific members of the EU Interest Group is in preparation.
The overall programme of work will end in th next couple of months (April/ May 2007). There have been no discussions to date as to whether the EU Interest Group might have a role thereafter.
3 Comments
March 21, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Thanks for your website.
I have just visited a Zoo in Bulgaria, Varna. This Zoo suffers from stereotypical underfunding and is in dire need of all the support, advice and change that the EU accession treaty intended.
I am working with a young activist who is currently designing the Zoo’s website. He has recently appeared in negotiations with the Zoo Director on Bulgaria’s national news television and and a discussion programme for local Varna TV and radio. Some of the conditions are dire there for the stressed animals, particularly the wild cats and bears. Bulgaria has shown some positive intent on animal wefare, so we are working with this intention on spawning the connection between civic democracy ,animal welfare and developing succesful post communist economic models based on progressive policy and strategy. There is virtually zero debate at this level, and even less responsibility.
The potential for developing these issues into successful outcomes is a large as the curent paucity of attention given to them.We want to reverse the situation by starting with whats necessary, attending to the possible and then letting beneficial chaos theory take over!
WE and I would appreciate any and all advice you can offer on EU funding streams for Zoos to develop our ideas and civic outreach intentions.
Thank you
Martyn Rule
March 22, 2008 at 11:16 am
Dear Martyn,
Thanks for your email. I have visited Bulgaria myself with EAZA and know only too well of the distressing condition of some animals in certain zoos there. I believe matters are even worse in some Romanian collections. I admire your work in trying to better the situation.
Whilst EU legislation exists (the EU Directive on Zoos) exists to mandate higher welfare standards within the enlarged EU, I am afraid that sadly, amongst the very many EU financial instruments, there exists none that directly and specifically supports improved accommodation for zoo animals as such.
However there are plural opportunities to secure major funding for
1. economic development involving zoos
2. wildlife conservation and public awareness of environmental matters
These all require political will on the part the authorities that operate the zoo (in this case, I would guess, the municipal authorities of Varna??) I can imagine that these will not be putting animal welfare at the top of their list, but the great trick is to get them to see that tens of millions of euros are potentially available to transform their site ( in keeping with the EU Zoo Directive) from an embarrassing old fashioned menagerie with dwindling audiences, disseminating a negative, retrograde image internationally for Varna and Bulgaria as whole, into a 21st Century environmental and natural heritage awareness centre, generating jobs, tourism, small businesses, positive image for Varna and perhaps promoting Bulgaria’s native wildlife heritage. This would be especially appropriate in Varna as a major tourism city. Such a metamorphosis will naturally also embrace dramatically improved welfare conditions. Varna zoo is almost certainly sitting on a high and growing value land bank, and EU legislation (and popular international opinion such as your own) will eventually force closure of the site or change anyway. So the zoo authorities look to lose everything unless they embark early on an imaginative and inspirational paradigm shift.
JRA Ltd occasionally visits zoo sites across Europe to run a short workshop matching the realities and aspirations of an organisation with a strategy to secure transformational EU funding (I don’t claim it is straightforward to bid successfully for these large funds). This is how I pay my bills of course (!), so the fee is realistic, but as the exercise only takes a few days, not exorbitant.
Anyway the animals in Varna Zoo could potentially benefit in different ways from:
• Bulgaria’s EU Structural Funds in the zoo’s identity as means for regional economic development and positive identity
• EU Cohesion fund – as above but with extra emphasis on the environment
• LIFE+ could part fund a public campaign around Bulgarian biodiversity with knock on effects for the individual treatment of animals in captivity, as well as wild based conservation
• Interreg could establish a pan-EU partnership to upgrade Varna zoo
• TAIEX could pay for exchange of expertise between a high welfare standard zoo elsewhere in EU and Varna
Further details are available scattered around the Zoo Funding blog, and upon further investigation there may be other funding possibilities (EU and otherwise)
Good luck, keep in touch and let me know if the Varna authorities would wish to work with JRA on a professional basis.
March 22, 2008 at 11:25 am
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