As a 'Global 200' Ecoregion, the Carpathian Mountains in Central and Eastern Europe represent one of the most biologically outstanding ecosystems in the world. The Carpathian Ecoregion Initiative, 'CERI' is an international network of NGOs and research institutes from seven Carpathian countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Serbia & Montenegro) dedicated to the protection of this internationally important nature area. The Initiative was created in 1999 to take a complex, multidisciplinary ecoregional approach to conservation of the Carpathian mountain range, consistent with the WWF methodology for ecoregion management developed in the 'Global 200' Programme. In Czech, English, Magyar, Polish, Romanian and Ukrainian.