Gabriella Battaini Dragoni took part today in a ceremony to mark the 50^th  anniversary of the European Diploma for Protected Areas.

The award is granted to natural or semi-natural areas or landscapes of exceptional European interest for the conservation of biological, geological and landscape diversity and which are managed in an exemplary way. The diploma is awarded for a five-year period, and is renewable every ten years. As of today, 73 protected areas have received the European Diploma. They are located in 28 European countries, both member and non-member states of the Council of Europe.