On June 10, 2025, DANUBEPARKS took an active role in the Strategic Workshop of the Restoration Task Force (RTF), held at the Visitor Centre in Noskovci, Croatia. This workshop was part of the ongoing project “Restoring the Amazon of Europe,” which aims to foster collaborative restoration efforts across the five-country Biosphere Reserve region along the Danube River.
Matej Marušić, Secretary General of DANUBEPARKS, delivered a keynote presentation titled “DANUBEPARKS: A governance model for collaborative action in complex contexts.” In his presentation, Marušić highlighted DANUBEPARKS as an exemplary network of transnational cooperation, founded on trust, shared values, and a unified vision for nature conservation throughout the Danube basin. The presentation emphasised how such governance models can effectively facilitate joint action in complex environmental and social landscapes.
The workshop convened a diverse group of stakeholders from local, regional, and national institutions working across multiple sectors. The agenda focused on fostering practical coordination approaches to overcome previously identified challenges, aligning long-term development strategies with restoration goals, and co-designing the draft charter that will guide the future work of the RTF.
Participants engaged in discussions aimed at shaping the operational framework of the Restoration Task Force, reviewing support mechanisms for the period 2025–2028, and agreeing on the next steps for formalizing the Task Force’s purpose and structure. The collaborative sessions facilitated knowledge exchange and helped build consensus for sustainable development and ecosystem restoration in this ecologically vital corridor.
The event concluded with an outlook towards enhanced cooperation and commitment to restoring the Danube Biosphere Reserve, underscoring the importance of partnerships like DANUBEPARKS in driving regional environmental progress.