Background The latest Habitats Directive Article 17 report on the conservation status of habitats and species highlights the particularly 'unfavourable' conservation status of grasslands. Belgium’s Lorraine and southern Ardennes areas are important regions for the conservation of semi-natural grasslands types listed in the annexes of the Habitat Directive. Objectives The 'Herbages' project aims to improve the conservation status of 400 ha of priority grasslands. LIFE funds will be used to support 11 different grassland types, including six priority habitats. Conservation work will involve increasing the surface area of these 11 habitats. This will be achieved by improving the functionality of the project areas’ ecological network. Specifically, the project aims to: Improve the conservation status of the 11 protected habitats (quantity and quality of the target habitats will increase over a total area of 400 ha); Prevent extinction of the habitats’ characteristic species, especially those that are most vulnerable to fragmentation, by population reinforcements after the restoration of their habitat; develop regional expertise in the restoration of rarely targeted habitats; Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the implemented restoration actions by enhancing the state of knowledge on the distribution of habitats and their typical species, by assessing conservation priorities in the project area, and by a better training of stakeholders; and Improve the ecological connectivity of grasslands in and between the Natura 2000 network sites through the use of habitat ‘stepping stones’ and ‘corridors’. Methods used for the restoration of the habitats involve: land purchase (250 ha); restoration of ecological corridors and stepping-stone sites; logging site preparation; population reintroduction; mowing; and implementing an adjusted hydrological management and monitoring system. All of the 250 ha of land that is proposed for acquisition will be restored (60% of the project’s tangible actions will be implemented in the purchased land). The overall outcome will be the improvement of the conservation status of 11 Annex I habitats. Expected results: Key expected results include: Restoration of 400 ha of Annex I habitats (165 ha of priority habitats and 235 ha of non-priority habitats), as well as the establishment of the infrastructure necessary to sustain the project legacy after it completes its work; Reinforcement of populations (for between four and eight species) typical of the targeted priority habitats; Reduction of the habitats’ fragmentation level and improvement of the connectivity between SACs for the target habitats; Purchase of 250 ha of private land, to expand the nature reserve’s protection of target habitats; Improving regional expertise in terms of restoration of dry grasslands habitats; and Training for staff at the Arlon offices of the State nature and forest authority in issues related to the conservation of grassland habitats.