On Thursday, June 25, representatives of EGTC GO took part in the BESTbelt Pan-European Conference 2026, a multi-day event that brought together participants from the European Green Belt, a European network of associations, NGOs, and public institutions.

The European Green Belt was established in 2003 to preserve the rich wildlife and vegetation along the former Iron Curtain. It connects 24 countries through a 12,500-kilometre ecological network stretching from the Barents Sea on the Russian-Norwegian border, along the Baltic coast and through Central Europe and the Balkans, all the way to the Black Sea.

Today, it represents the backbone of a pan-European ecological network of significant value as a “European Green Infrastructure”: a true ecological corridor that for many years divided Europe vertically while also allowing nature to preserve itself in an undisturbed environment.

During Session 6, Cooperation with Local Communities along the European Green Belt, Ezio Benedetti — EU Projects Coordinator for EGTC GO — presented to participants the results achieved so far through cross-border cooperation among local authorities in our area in the fields of nature conservation, sustainable territorial development, and the enhancement of historical and cultural heritage.

In particular, he focused on the ITI Isonzo-Soča project, the 16 SPF projects directly or indirectly related to environmental conservation, and the Interreg Italy–Slovenia Programme project BeWoP. He concluded by presenting future strategic development perspectives regarding cross-border environmental protection, especially in relation to the Isonzo-Soča River.