The protection of areas and sites is one of the most important instruments of modern, anticipating strategies in nature conservation and planning for sustainable spatial development. Therefore, an enormous increase of number and acreage as well as the number of categories of sites has been registered. The management of these sites has become a challenge for conservation and other sectors, mainly regional planning, since protected area management is related to three dimensions, i.e. the spatial, socio-cultural and economic dimension. Therefore, the planning and managing of protected areas hit very different legal, administrative and technical realities. Besides, the interfaces between regional, national and transnational requirements and solutions must be stringently developed. Within the enlargement process of the EU, different administrative and planning systems should anticipatorily be harmonised in a smooth process. Expected Results: Based on a transnational database (inquiry, literature, experts), an Expert System will be developed: C.A.S. - Computer Aided System for identification of problems, proposed instruments and tools and examples of best practices. This Expert System grants a broad group of users access to the know-how of European experts from different sectors. An extensive transnational transfer of know-how and experiences is planned by means of workshops, conferences, excursions and the establishment of virtual teams via the project's homepage. The regional pilot campaigns focus on generating "visible results" for the solution of concrete problems. They involve regional initiatives and administrative bodies, support local implementation and place emphasis on communication with regional stakeholders. This "bottom up" approach ensures that the broad spectrum of "practical" aspects is included in the general results at transnational level.