Dr. Todor Todorov, ProGEO Past President, Sofia, Bulgaria ProGEO was set up in 1988 in the Netherlands, and since then annual meetings and international symposiums have been held in Austria, Norway, France, Wales-England, Germany, Hungary, Finland-Sweden, Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria, Spain, Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Ukraine, Croatia, Germany and Italy.

1. ProGEO and its Major Project
on
Geoconservation in Europe
Dr. Todor Todorov, ProGEO
Past President, Sofia, Bulgaria

2. Topics for discussion
 My presentation will follow the next
sequence of topics:
 What is ProGEO?
 Milestones in ProGEO history
 Geoparks
 ProGEO Projects
 Manual Project
 Conclusions
 Some picture illustrations (if the time
allows it)

3. What is ProGEO?
 The European Association for the Conservation of the Geological
Heritage (ProGEO) is an association of the European
conservationalists and geoscientists, involved in geology as
researchers, planners, managers and educators.
 ProGEO was set up in 1988 in the Netherlands, and since then
annual meetings and international symposiums have been held in
Austria, Norway, France, Wales-England, Germany, Hungary,
Finland-Sweden, Italy, Estonia, Bulgaria, Spain, Czech Republic,
Ireland, Portugal, Ukraine, Croatia, Germany and Italy.
 By 1993 the Association existed as European Working
Group on Earth Science Conservation. In 1992,Weymouth,
England, ProGEO was established as an association open to
all. In 1993, the General Assembly in Germany approved its
status but it was only in 2000 the ProGEO was officially
registered in Sweden.

4. The work of the SE European ProGEO
Working Group known as ProGEO WG No.1
 ProGEO is working by its Regional Working Groups. The
first ProGEO Working Group for South-Eastern European
countries was established in Bulgaria in 1995. Later, the
second and the third ProGEO Working Groups for Central
and East European, and North European countries were
established, as well. Two years ago the Sout-Southwestern
ProGEO WG was also created. In a separate ProGEO WG
the Russian colleagues were also organized.
 WG1 was created during the First sub-regional meeting on
Conservation of Geological Heritage, held in Bulgaria in
1995. All South-Eastern European countries attended it,
incl. Turkey and Hungary, as well.
 The collaboration within the SEE region began since 1995.
 Following meetings subsequently were organized in
Bulgaria (1996), Greece (2001), Turkey (2002), Romania
(2003), Serbia (2004), Albania (2005), Bosnia and
Herzegovina (2006), Slovenia (2007) and Croatia (2008)

5. First Outcomes
 Presentation and exchange of information on the
National Geological Geosite and Framework lists
and of national policies for conservation of
geological heritage;
 Creation of the First Framework list of geological
heritage for the region of the SEE countries, as a
whole;
 Further development of bi- and multi-lateral
contacts between the Balkan countries

6. What is ProGEO?
 ProGEO acts as a focal point to promote the conservation of
Europe's rich heritage of landscape, rock, fossil and mineral
sites. It seeks to mobilise the expertise, enthusiasm and
good will that exists among geoscientists, as well as to
influence national and international policy makers, by
initiating joint projects and schemes which demonstrate
good conservation practice.
 ProGEO acts as an affiliated Association of the International
Union of Geological Sciences and its membership is open to
all; its Council members represent all the nations of
Europe. ProGEO is an international body with the capacity
to speak for those involved in geoconservation in Europe.
 Responsible for the selection and inventory of the
geological heritage conservation on national and local levels
are the National Groups of ProGEO. Similar groups were
created and exist across all European countries.

7. ProGEO Objectives
 ProGEO aims to work towards an integrated
European listing of outstanding geoscience sites;
 ProGEO enables full support to be granted to the
work of all international bodies;
 ProGEO aims to achieve an integrated approach
to nature conservation, promoting a holistic
approach to the conservation of biological and
physical phenomena;

8. ProGEO and International Actors
 Interaction with UNESCO for promoting the
topics of the importance of geoconservation;
The topics were included in the:
1. Programmes of the 30th International
Geological Congress in Beijing, China (1996);
2. Program of the International Geological
Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Florence, Oslo
and Brisbane;
 Regional organizations such as CBGA;
1. Congresses in Vienna (1999), Bratislava (2002),
Belgrade (2006) and Thessaloniki (2010);

9. Milestones in ProGEO History
◊ 2012 Bari, Italy, VII International ProGEO Symposium on
Conservation of Geoheritage, Sixth General Assembly;
◊ 2010 Hagen, Germany, VI International ProGEO Symposium
on Conservation of Geosites and Geoparks;
 2008 Rab, Croatia, V International ProGEO Symposium on
Conservation of the Geological Heritage. Fifth General
Assembly. "Final declaration“;
 2006 Kyiv, The Ukraine, ProGEO Symposium. "Safeguarding
our Geological Heritage.European Protection Policies of the
Geological Heritage – Theory and Practice."Fourth General
Assembly;
 2005 Braga, Portugal. IV International Symposium
ProGEO"."On the Conservation of the Geological Heritage”;
 2002 Dublin, Republic of Ireland - "Conference on Natural
and Cultural Landscapes, the Geological Foundation" and
The ProGEO Third General Assembly.
"Declarations adopted by delegates at the Conference in Dublin C
;
 2000 - Official registration of the Association in Sweden;
 2000 Prague, Czech Republic;

10. Milestones in ProGEO History
 1999 Madrid, Spain. Third International Symposium. “Towards the
Balanced Management and Conservation of Geolofical Heritage in
the New Milenium”
 1998 Belogradchik, Bulgaria. "Geological Heritage of
Europe"1997Tallinn, Estonia. The ProGEO Second General
Assembly;
 1996 Rome, Italy. II International Symposium. "On the
Conservation of our Geological Heritage/ World Heritage: Geotope
Conservation World-wide, European and Italian Experiences“ ;
 1995 Sigtuna, Sweden and Finland;
 1994 Budapest, Hungary;
 1993 Mitwitz-Cologne, Germany. The ProGEO First General
Assembly. The formal start for ProGEO and the adoption of
Articles.

11. European Working group
(EWGESC) Meetings
 1992 Weymouth, England;
 1991 Digne, France. I International
Symposium. "
Declaration of the Rights of the Memory of the
“;
 1990 Lom, Norway. Presentation of the
Lom Articles;
 1989 Bregenz, Austria;
 1988 Workshop in Leersum, Holland. The
first group, "The European Working Group
on Earth-Science Conservation", was
founded.

12. Geoparks
 Geoparks Program – a comprehensive, important and
useful UNESCO Program in the field of Nature Conservation
on European level as well as worldwild;
 Geoparks Program - Initiative of the Earth Sciences Division
of UNESCO;
 ProGEO involvement plays a key role for the Program
development;
 Geoparks are larger areas than the geosites, they include
other assets of archeological, ecological, historical, or
cultural values and can trigger economical development;
 Two Geopark Networks have been established and have
proved to carry out serious work in selection, preservation
and management of geoparks across Europe (EGN) and all
over the world, as a whole (WGN).

13. ProGEO Projects
Two main and major projects so far:
 ‘Geosites Project’ (in cooperation with IUGS);
(leader: Dr. Bill Wimbledon, UK) was interrupted some years ago but since
next year it will be initiated again.
 Manual Project ‘Geoconservation in Europe’ ;
(leader Dr. Todor Todorov, ProGEO past President, Bulgaria) is currently
already finished and published as a book;
 ProGEO executes various projects and activities, such as GeoTrips
and Geosites, other scientific and educational projects;
 Since 2009, journal “Geoheritage” (four issues per year) as
well as the regular for many years editions “ProGEO News”
(also four issues per year) have been published.

14. The Manual Project
 Initiated by one of founders of ProGEO – Dr. Gerard
Gongrjip, 10 years ago;
 Objective: To produce and publish a manual, a
comprehensive work summarizing the state of the art in
the Conservation of the Geological Heritage of Europe in
each of the European countries. Geological Heritage
includes valuable landforms (geomorphology), geological
outcrops and pedological features as well as sites related to
subsoil features, named in total “geosites”;
 Motive: Such an overview is important for exchange of
information between European Geoconservationists, as far
as the current situation in the protection of the earth-
science elements across Europe, is concerned. It will also
form a basis for assessing the adequacy of present national
laws on protection, and for the formulation of European
conservation research program policy and code of practice.

15. The Manual Project
 Content of the Manual: The content of the
Manual “Geoconservation in Europe” includes the
following headings: Preface, Introduction,
Country description with Evaluation of
geoconservation in the 37 European countries,
Towards and European policy;
 Content of headings for each country:
Introduction, Legal base, Organizations and
Policy, Sites selection, Registration, Protected
sites/Protection, Management, Facilities:
educational, interpretational/scientific and those
intended for tourism, Conclusions, References,
and Contact addresses.

16. The Manual Project
 State of the project: The work on the project has
undergone many difficulties but at present the
contributions from all European countries (without
Moldova) have been collected. I am pleased to announce
again the Manual Project finished and was publish as a
Book.
 Distribution: The Manual will be a very important Book
which has to reach the all Geological and Environmental
Surveys, Organizations and Institutions, European bodies,
individual experts and amateurs. Besides, it will also be
disseminated in the countries worldwide with an aim to
promote the activity and achievements of ProGEO in the
conservation of the Geological Heritage in the countries of
Europe.

17. Conclusions
 The geoconservation and its integration into nature
conservation in different European countries is developed to
very different levels;
 The European countries have different histories related to
geoconservation and the legislation is diverse;
 integrating the national lists of geosites, which will present
thus a tool for international measures and further inspire
local and national efforts;
 Developing of new strategies and introduction of new
terminology, such as geodiversity, providing thus a
possibility for greater influence for geoconservation;
 an increased integration with the general nature
conservation strategies and greater possibilities for
integration of geoconservation in land use planning.

18. For your feedback
 Thank you for your kind
attention !
 Dr.Todor Todorov
uptech@tea.bg
ProGEO webpage:
www.progeo.se