Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

• Management systems/ management plan (lack of integrated Management Plan, lack of legal protection from logging, and inadequate management of logging in the Slovak part of the property)
• Inappropriate boundary configuration of some parts of the property 
• Management and institutional factors (lack of transnational research and monitoring plans, need for capacity building)
• Forestry / wood production

N/A

On 26 November 2021, the States Parties of Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Ukraine submitted supplementary information on forestry operations that are currently permissible in the buffer zones of the property. On 28 January 2022, all States Parties submitted a joint report on the state of conservation of the property. The state of conservation report is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1133/documents/. Both documents note the following:

• In Germany, Italy and Spain, different types of forestry interventions are possible in the component parts of Grumsin (Germany), Monte Raschio, Sasso Fratino (Italy), Hayedos de Ayllón and Hayedos de Navarra (Spain);
• The “Guidance document on buffer zone management and buffer zone zonation” of the property for all States Parties was further developed and submitted for review by IUCN;
• In Slovakia, following the modification of the boundaries adopted by the Committee in its Decision 44 COM 7B.99, the protection regime is now fully aligned with the boundaries for component parts in that country;
• The Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the component parts in Slovakia was expected to be finalised in 2022. Further updates on management and development of management plans were reported for component parts in Austria, Czechia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania and Switzerland;
• In Ukraine, the legislation for nature protection was updated with the intention of improving the conservation of primeval and old-growth forests;
• In Romania, the upgrade of the national road 66A has been temporarily put on hold, pending clarification of the steps to be followed. The non-intervention regime in Domogled – Valea Cernei National Park is planned to be expanded;
• In Italy, preliminary analysis of impacts from a forest fire east of the boundary of the Valle Infernale component indicates that only a small part of the component part has been affected and the majority of old-growth forest habitat in this component was not burned.
• In Belgium, several infrastructure developments are planned within the buffer zone of the five component parts in the Sonian forest. A green bridge is planned to improve the connectivity of the component parts Grippensdelle A and B, which are under consideration for a boundary modification. The two components in Wallonia (Ticton A and B) are in the process of being extended with a view to possible unification;
• Regarding boundary modifications, Austria and Croatia submitted a minor boundary modification for Dürrenstein and the two component parts in Paklenica National Park (see Document WHC/23/45.COM/8B). Belgium is considering the enlargement of the component parts in the Sonian Forest.
• Croatia is currently in the process of developing a new Management Plan for the next ten-year period, which includes monitoring and research activities on species and forest ecosystem.

By letter dated 18 February 2022, the State Party of Belgium sent information to the World Heritage Centre regarding a road improvement programme on the ring road around Brussels, including infrastructure projects within the buffer zone of the property.

On 28 April 2022, the IUCN review of the proposed “Guidance document on buffer zone management and buffer zone zonation” was transmitted to the States Parties.

On 18 May 2022, the World Heritage Centre transmitted third-party information to the State Party of Romania concerning legislative changes, in particular an approved amendment to the Protected Areas Law in Romania to facilitate hydropower projects which could affect the Romanian component parts located in the Domogled-Valea Cernei National Park. On 11 August 2022, the World Heritage Centre sent a second letter to the State Party of Romania regarding third-party concerns over forestry operations in the buffer zones of the property in Romania. The State Party of Romania provided a response to the above-mentioned letters on 29 November 2022, including information on the harmonization between the Forest Management and the Management Plan of the Domogled National Park; clarifications on the progressive logging in the buffer zone, including the intention to reduce the intensity of interventions in the future and to modify the type of logging that will be carried out; procedural clarifications on forestry management plans and environmental assessment procedures, such as provisions for UNESCO-designated areas within these processes, and assurances over concerns regarding conflict of interest and public consultation. Through this letter, the State Party of Romania confirmed that there were no proposals for hydropower projects to be carried out within the components of the property or its buffer zones following the amendment to the protected areas law.

On 16 March 2023, the State Party of Romania informed the World Heritage Centre of the initiation of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the Cerna-Belareca hydropower facility, stated to be partly located within the Romanian component of the property.

On 26 April 2023, an online workshop was held between the States Parties, the coordination office for the property, IUCN and the World Heritage Centre to discuss steps required for the finalisation of the “Guidance document on buffer zone management and buffer zone zonation” and the means by which concerns over forestry operations which are currently permissible in the buffer zones of the property can be addressed.

As a result of the boundary modification of the Slovak component parts adopted by the Committee (Decision 44 COM 7B.99), the protection regime of the Slovak component parts is now in line with the requirements of the Operational Guidelines. It is recommended that any pending recommendations from the 2014 and 2018 missions continue to be implemented.

Regarding buffer zone management of the transnational serial property, while significant progress has been made in further strengthening the Guidance document, the IUCN Technical Review notes that for the Guidance to be effective, a number of principles would need to be considered, including the minimization of interventions and maximization of areas of strict protection within the buffer zones as a matter of priority. The States Parties should therefore finalize the Guidance, based on the IUCN review, in particular by designing and implementing a mechanism to ensure continued strengthening of standards, recognising that the Guidance outlines minimum requirements for forestry operations in the buffer zones.

In this respect, it is very positive that recent legislative changes by the State Party of Ukraine ensure that no logging and sanitary cuts are permitted in the buffer zones of Ukrainian component parts. The plans of the State Party of Romania to expand areas with a non-intervention regime in Domogled – Valea Cernei National Park to 75% are likewise commendable, as this could significantly enhance the function of the buffer zone as an added layer of protection for three component parts. All States Parties should be encouraged to consider commitments to non-intervention of this ambition in terms of scale similar in size (total area) as those agreed in Domogled. It is also welcome that shelterwood cuts will no longer be possible under the new management plans for Groșii Țibleșului and Strâmbu Băiuț (Romania). At the same time, the concerns regarding current intervention levels and the possibility of shelterwood cuts, which are currently allowed in Domogled – Valea Cernei National Park, Cheile Nerei-Beușnița and Cozia (Romania), remain. It is recommended the State Party of Romania provide more details on the timeline to reach the 75% target and areas that shall benefit from the non-intervention regime in the future. Secondly, the 2019 Joint Reactive Monitoring mission recommendation to support undisturbed natural processes in all component parts and their buffer zones through natural regeneration, pro-forestation, aging of forest stands beyond conventional rotation ages needs to be implemented, ensuring that no impactful interventions take place in proximity of the respective component parts.

Regarding the supplementary information on forestry operations currently permissible in the buffer zones, similar concerns apply to component parts where shelterwood cuts, clear-cuts, thinning and/or sanitary and salvation cuts can be conducted. While the objective of interventions in Hayedos de Ayllón and Hayedos de Navarra in Spain and Monte Raschio and Sasso Fratino in Italy is to transform the affected areas into natural beech stands, these interventions may similarly impact temperature and wind regimes (with implications for fire risks) and may impact soil integrity, among other things. Furthermore, it is of serious concern that areas of possible logging intervention directly border the component part of Grumsin (Germany). Timber use in this buffer zone is only prohibited on 65 ha out of 274 ha and clear-cuts smaller than 0.3 ha are permitted on special areas in the remaining parts of the buffer zone. It is recommended the States Parties of Italy and Spain consider adapting intervention regimes to favour the natural transition towards more resilient natural beech forests, and the State Party of Germany significantly expand the area of non-intervention and implement an immediate ban on any clear-cuts in the buffer zone of Grumsin.

Regarding infrastructure projects, recalling that the Committee urged the State Party of Romania to abandon plans to upgrade the National Road 66A inside and/or near the property (Decision 44 COM 7B.99) due to the potential impact on the property’s integrity and Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), it is welcome that these plans have temporarily been put on hold. Noting that the State Party of Romania is trying to identify the best option to safeguard the OUV of the component part, it is important to consider an appropriate alternative route. The information that no proposals for hydropower plant projects are to be permitted within the property or its buffer zones following the amendment to the protected areas law in Romania is acknowledged. However, noting the information that an EIA is underway for the Cerna-Belareca hydropower facility, the State Party should be requested to provide details of the project to the World Heritage Centre and to undertake the EIA in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, recalling that the 2019 mission considered that the extension of existing facilities in the Domogled-Valea Cernei component could pose severe threats to the property’s OUV. The established position of the Committee that the construction of dams with large reservoirs within the boundaries of World Heritage properties is incompatible with World Heritage status should also be recalled.

Information on the road upgrade programme within the buffer zone of the Belgian components is noted, including that a Strategic Environmental Assessment will be undertaken, in addition to individual EIAs for the different junctions, which will consider all possible impacts on the OUV. The State Party should be requested to ensure that these assessments are undertaken in accordance with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and are submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review and comments by IUCN.

Noting that the preliminary analysis of the forest fire in the Valle Infernale component part in Italy indicates limited impact, it is recommended that the State Party of Italy clarify the cause of the fire, the exact amount of old-growth forest affected, if any, and provide a map of the affected area.

The efforts by Belgium to increase the size of its component parts by seeking to enlarge and merge these are appreciated. Nevertheless, while the proposed green bridge may improve the connectivity between the Grippensdelle component parts, the ecoduct remains an artificial structure that cannot meet the integrity requirements of the Operational Guidelines.

It should be noted that the Ukrainian component parts of the property have not, at the time of preparing the report, suffered any direct impact from the ongoing war.