County of Bieszczady
What the Saarpfalz district and the Bieszczady district have in common is that they are home to many species- and resource-rich natural landscapes and associated craft and production structures, which are the subject of specific regional policy strategies for the development of habitats and economic locations. The respective district administrations specifically support the protection of these natural and cultural treasures through biosphere reserves and share the view that the different strengths and potentials of the regions can be utilised across borders for the benefit of European society.
With this in mind, an official partnership was signed on 18 October 2021 between the Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve and the UNESCO Eastern Carpathians Biosphere Reserve in the partner district of Bieszczady, located directly in the Poland-Ukraine-Slovakia border triangle. This agreement is part of a larger biosphere co-operation, which also includes the district of Lubaczów with the Roztocze biosphere reserve.
The aim of the cooperation is to exchange best practices and experiences to promote sustainable development and to contribute to the attractiveness and visibility of the respective regions in Europe through joint projects. This project is increasingly leading to concrete action plans and is part of the activities of the "International Alliance for Peace and Cohesion in Europe" , to which the district of Bieszczady is also affiliated as an alliance partner.
For example, a biosphere summit was held in the partner district of Lubaczów on 1 September 2023, at which the joint declaration "Biosphere reserves as an opportunity for the development of European regions" was signed. The agreement seals the joint commitment to sustainable development of the participating regions that conserves natural resources and provides, for example, points of reference for the joint conceptualisation of partner business structures and marketing strategies for local products.
