For the joint management of the Fertő/Neusiedler See Cultural Landscape cross-border World Heritage Site

Within the framework of the ’Common Heritage’ project co-financed by the EU through the Interreg V-A Austria-Hungary Programme, CESCI has been selected for delivering consultancy for the establishment of a joint management organisation of the cross-border World Heritage Site Fertő/Neusiedler See. 20 years after the labelling decision by the UNESCO, this is the first attempt to create a joint body to manage the joint natural heritage.

The Fertő/Neusiedler See Cultural Landscape located at the Austrian-Hungarian border was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001 following the joint request of the two governments. The lake and its environment are protected and managed by National Park Directorates on both sides of the border. The positive decision of the UNESCO resulted in the establishment of two parallel organisations involving the relevant actors in the management of the world heritage site. However, no joint body has been set up and the relationship between the two organisations is rather ad-hoc. Even more, neither the professional institutions, nor the local and regional municipalities work together. It means that regardless of the joint heritage and its values, there is no a permanent platform for harmonising the management plans, development ideas and protection measures.

Due to the above shortages, the two organisations applied for funding to the Interreg V-A Austria-Hungary Programme in order to create the basic conditions for a future shared management. In July 2021, within the framework of the ’Common Heritage’ project selected for funding, CESCI has been selected for providing consultancy for the preparation, management and monitoring of the establishment process of a joint body which would be responsible for the management of the cross-border World Heritage Site. The work has already started with the analysis of the current steering model and the legal environment of the two countries, as well as with the compilation of the existing practices of joint management of cross-border natural assets.