The Emerald Network is currently in its implementation phase.

Through the '90 and '2000, the Council of Europe supported the implementation of the Emerald Network in the newest EU Member States, which later jointed the Union in 2004 and 2007.

An extensive programme of national projects was set up with a view to developing a database including selected areas representative of the habitat types and species from the Bern Convention lists found in each country. These national projects also included the establishment and appointment of national multidisciplinary teams bringing together various scientific institutions in the countries concerned. This work has greatly contributed to prepare these countries for their EU accession

Efforts are currently deployed on the setting-up of the Emerald Network in Central and Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. After the successful implementation of a first Joint Programme on the Emerald Network for seven countries from this region, in the period 2009-2011, a second project of that nature was launched in October 2012 for the same seven countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation and Ukraine. While the first project aimed to identify and describe the areas in the countries suitable to be included in the Emerald Network, the second project, to be implemented in the period 2012-2016, focuses on Phase II of the Emerald Network constitution process.

For more information, please consult the webpage of the current EU/CoE Joint Programme on the Emerald Network Phase II.