15 May 2025 – Online (Microsoft Teams)

As part of the EU4Green project, a regional online workshop was held on 15 May 2025 to discuss the implementation and initial findings of Agri-Environmental Indicators (AEIs) across the Western Balkans. The event, organized under Work Package WP1-17, brought together technical experts, national representatives, and EU4Green partners to assess the status of agricultural sustainability monitoring in the region.

The session was led by the Environment Agency Austria, with contributions from Hedwig Bartl and Bettina Schwarzl, who presented data and progress on a series of key indicators. These included:

• Gross Nutrient Balance (GNB) – early results were shared for all six Western Balkan economies, with a focus on nitrogen surpluses
• Proxy Indicator for Soil Erosion – analysis focused on the area of erosion-prone crops, offering insights into land management practices
• High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland – initial mapping and indicator development revealed the extent of traditional and biodiversity-rich agricultural areas.
• On-Top Indicators – additional context-specific metrics were presented to capture more nuanced environmental pressures linked to agriculture.

Participants from the WB6 countries engaged in discussions after each session, reflecting on methodological challenges, data availability, and opportunities for alignment with EU monitoring standards.

The workshop served to consolidate technical knowledge across the region, promote harmonization of AEI methodologies, and identify next steps for improving environmental data collection in the agriculture sector.

This event was part of EU4Green’s broader goal to support evidence-based policymaking and environmental governance in the Western Balkans, in line with the EU Green Agenda.

For more information about EU4Green activities, visit eu4green.eu

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