Background The agricultural sector is a major source of pressure on Europe's environment. In the Spanish Atlantic biogeographical region natural and semi-natural grasslands are mostly affected by the abandonment of pastoral systems and associated lack of grazing which represents one of the biggest threats to European terrestrial environments. In the Basque country the conservation status of most of the natural grassland habitats used for the intensive livestock farming are identified as having an ‘unfavourable-bad’ conservation status. Objectives The main objective of the LIFE OREKA Mendian project is to develop a strategy for grasslands conservation tailored to the Basque context. By encouraging the traditional use of grasslands the project aims to restore a favourable conservation status for 12 habitat types listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive and two Annex II species. Specific objectives are to: Establish criteria for the management of the target habitats and species to be shared among all stakeholders, promoting coordination and efficiency; Ensure compliance with the conservation objectives for each Natura 2000 network site, through a livestock management plan; Achieve a balance between the forage supplied by the grasslands and the demand for livestock use, by involving landowners and land-users in the conservation efforts; Restore the surface, structure and functionality of the grassland habitats, in particular where they have suffered from shrub encroachment, overgrazing or other problems; Achieve a balance between livestock and forestry usage and limit grazing to areas where the risks of forest regeneration or soil erosion are minimal; Restore vulnerable habitats (bogs, mires, fens and heathland) as well as associated threatened grassland flora species; Eradicate invasive species of flora found in the targeted habitats; Test innovative tools for the management of grassland habitats and provide data for monitoring and assessing their conservation status; Establish best practices to help site managers with decision-making; Communicate to the general public the socioeconomic and environmental benefits of conserving mountain grasslands, highlighting the essential role of farmers in their maintenance; Ensure the project has financial complementarity with other European funds (such as EAFRD); and Exchange experiences between European regions that have different management models for Natura 2000 sites. Expected results: Planning of the conservation of grassland habitats in 15 Natura 2000 sites, in line with Natura 2000 objectives; Getting approval of conservation plans by landowners and managers/users; Improving the conservation status of a total of over 13 400 ha of the mountain grassland habitats in the targeted woodlands by adapting the livestock pressure to grassland requirements; Providing guidelines for private land and promote voluntary agreements; Restoring some 1 037 ha of four habitat types; Improving 903 ha of six habitat types (of which two priority habitats); Eradicating invasive species on 105 ha of priority, species-rich Nardus grasslands; Improving the conservation status of Narcissus - asturiensis and - pseudonarcissus; Assessing livestock grazing to limit shrub encroachment; Assessing prescribed fire to restore 30 ha of Molinia meadows; Protecting 50 ha of ‘unfavourable’ conservation status habitats included in grasslands areas of four habitat types (of which two priority habitats); Restoring 2 400 square metres of degraded grassland habitats in two sites; Increasing the use of under-grazed areas, by creating 121 features for cattle such as troughs for water or feed supplements; Eliminating at nine sites the impacts of over-grazing in bogs, mires, fens and heathland and forest habitats or habitats with a risk of erosion; Elaborating guidelines in order to prepare Grassland Plans to obtain agri-environmental funds from the Rural Development Programme;and Elaborating a Best practices Manual for the management of mountain grasslands.