Bakony–Balaton Geopark is a new member of the European and Global Geoparks Networks!

The delegation of the project leader Balaton-felvidéki National Park Directorate received the certificates of full membership of the European Geoparks Network (EGN) and the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) – supported by the UNESCO – during the 11th European Geopark Conference in Portugal, Arouca. The highly acknowledged certificates were given by Patrick McKeever on behalf of the UNESCO and by Nikolaos Zouro, president and Andreas Schüller, vice-president on behalf of the EGN. The members of the delegation were Zoltán Puskás, director, Barnabás Korbély, geopark project coordinator and Anna Knauer, tourism officer (the last two experts also made a presentation on the conference with great success). Mária Zolnai, representing the Ministry for Rural Development of Hungary was also present.

The conference – with more than 400 participants from many countries of the world – was open in a video-message by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. The importance and prestige of the announcement of the membership of Bakony–Balaton Geopark is strengthened by the fact that the Coordination Committee of the EGN decided about the membership applicaton of seven geoparks, and the Hungarian Geopark was one of the two successful ones: a geopark from Catalunia was the other "winner". This made the number of geoparks in EGN 52, in 18 countries of Europe. With the EGN membership the Bakony–Balaton Geopark has also become full member of the Global Geopark Network, supported by the UNESCO: this organisaton holds the membership of 91 geoparks in 27 countries at present.