Committee for the Selection of Projects for the Operational Programme PL02 "Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems" in the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area of 11 March 2014 approved the ranking list for the result 2 ("The increase in resistance to the pressure of native ecosystems of invasive alien species").

Among the selected projects for the Operational Programme PL02 "Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems" on top of the list was the project "Environment without Barszcz Sosnowskiego (Heracelum Sosnowskyi Manden.)".

The "Environment without Barszcz Sosnowskiego (Heracleum Sosnowskyi Manden.)" uses the grant in the amount of (3 228 985 zł) originating from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway under the EEA funds. The aim of the project is to inventory, monitoring, destruction and eradication of plants Barszczu Sosnowskiego (Heracleum Sosnowskyi Manden.) in the 31 municipalities province Malopolska and selected areas belonging to the Agricultural University and the Institute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization in the Malopolska Region.

Through the Norwegian funds and funds of the EEA Norway contributes to the reduction of social and economic inequality and the strengthening of bilateral relations with beneficiary countries in Europe. Norway cooperates closely with the EU on the basis of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement).
In the period 2009-2014 a grant from Norway is 1.7 billion. These measures are available to non-governmental organizations, research and academic institutions, and public and private sector in 12 newly acceded EU Member States as well as Greece, Portugal and Spain. Thanks to them, there is extensive cooperation with companies from Norway, and the project may be implemented by 2016.

"Environment without Barszcz Sosnowski (Heracleum Sosnowskyi Manden.)".
The operational program PL02 "Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems" in the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014.

IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: April 2014 - April 2016
COST OF THE PROJECT: 3 798 806
AMOUNT OF FUNDING: 3 228 985
The intensity of co-financing: 85 %

Operational program "Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems" focuses on pursuing actions to halt the loss of biodiversity. Strategic actions involve the removal or reduction of current and potential threats to biological diversity.

The national strategy is to identify and monitor biodiversity, identify processes and categorize activities that have or may have a negative impact on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity , and monitor their effects.

The project provides for measures to halt the invasion of alien species that threaten flora and fauna.