An ecological network connecting all important wetland nature areas in the North Sea area is the main goal of TEN. Its approach is to promote not only ecological values but development of rural areas, economic development, and management of water quality and water catchments as well. Spatial planning requirements are also taken into account.
TEN is one of the transnational projects in the EU's Interreg IIIB programme for the North Sea area. The projects of the current phase of TEN, TEN 3, show the different possibilities to realise this ecological network.
The participants in TEN 3 are in the Netherlands the provinces Drenthe, Groningen and Overijssel, in Germany the city of Bremen and Niedersachsen and in the United Kingdom the counties Norfolk and Suffolk.