The Impact of Europeanisation on the Nature Protection System of Croatia: Example of the Establishment of Multi-Level Governance System of Protected Areas Natura 2000

Abstract

The Europeanisation of South Eastern Europe led to the pre-accession and accession process of joining Croatia to the European Union. Croatia's accession to the formal process of accession to the European Union started in 2003. This process lasted until 2012. Then, in 2013, Croatia joined the European Union. This paper examines the impact of Europeanization during this period on the nature protection system in the case of Croatia while establishing multi-level governance system of protected areas NATURA 2000.
The analysis of the establishment of multi-level governance system is performed according the morphogenetic model in three cycles as case study. Case study is organized with the help of interviews and desk analysis of the relevant documents. In the first cycle were explained the projects of implementation of NATURA 2000 in Croatia and its changing impacts on national legislation in the area of nature protection. The second cycle explains the role of the main actors in the establishment of multi-level governance system of NATURA 2000. The third cycle outlines the contributes to the establishment of multi-level governance system of NATURA 2000 in nature protection system of Croatia and future challenges of the nature protection system of Croatia. The main conclusions emphasize that the major changes due to implementation of European ecological network NATURA 2000 into the national system of Croatian nature protection, which led to transformation of governmental institutions and equal inclusion of non-governmental organizations into the system of decision making.