Sofia, Bulgaria was the host of a two-day conference "Mapping and assessment of ecosystem services - science in action", organized by the EEA-funded project "Methodological Support for Ecosystem Services Mapping and Biophysical Valuation" (MetEcoSMap). The event, which took place on 6 and 7 February, brought together 133 experts from 21 countries.

The conference focused on mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services across the different countries represented at the event. MetEcoSMap presented their work on the development of a methodological framework for mapping and assessment of ecosystem services in Bulgaria.

STACCATO was also presented at the conference by partner Anja Schmidt, UFZ who gave an overview on the project’s objectives and current progress. Emphasis was put on the Bulgarian Case Study with an invitation opened to local experts to comment and contribute.

After the conference, STACCATO experts met to discuss the future work within STACCATO, making significant progress towards clarifying the project methodology and next steps.