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1 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
NATURA ISSN
102
6-61
51
N u m b e r 3 6 | J u l y 2 0 1 4N a t u r e a n d B i o d i v e r s i t y N e w s l e t t e r
2000
Environment
EU funding opportunities for Europersquos
biodiversity
2 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Natura2000nature and biodiversity newsletter July 2014
CoNTeNTS3ndash5 Natura 2000 Award winners
6ndash7 Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services
8ndash9 Natura 2000 Barometer ndash update December 2013
10ndash13New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversity
14ndash16 News Round-up
Cover Dalmatian pelicans Pelecanus crispus on Lake Kerkini Greece copy David Pattynnatureplcom
Editorial
2copy
european Comm
ission
copy Thinkstock
As I reach the end of my mandate as european environment Commissioner I would like to take this opportunity to reflect back over the past five years and the tremendous work that has been done to safeguard our european natural heritage
It was a difficult beginning In 2010 the european Union was forced to conclude that it had failed to meet the target of halting the loss of biodiversity in europe by this date Instead of giving up we set the bar higher by agreeing an ambitious headline target for 2020 and developing a more robust all-encompassing eU Biodiversity Strategy The Commission and the Member States are now redoubling efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity across europe Since the Strategy was adopted in 2011 we have made significant progress on a number of fronts An ambitious strategy to develop and expand Green Infrastructure across europe is in place and a new Regulation on tackling invasive alien species will soon enter into force We have also succeeded in creating further opportunities within the new Multiannual financial framework for the period 2014ndash2020 to finance biodiversity and the Natura 2000 network and in gaining greater recognition for the substantial socio-economic value of our natural capital for instance through the work of the eU initiative on mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAeS)
Last but not least we have done a lot of work to establish adequate management for the Natura 2000 network Natura 2000 is one of our greatest achievements and it remains as relevant today as it was when it was first created 20 years ago Its continuing success can be attributed to a number of factors powerful european legislation supportive financial instruments an important element of subsidiarity and flexibility that allows it to be adapted to local situations and a strong network of organisations which help people from all over europe share their experience and best practices But the work is far from done The first results of Member State assessments of the conservation status of the eU-protected species and habitats show that efforts will need to be considerably strengthened if the Union is to achieve its 2020 biodiversity targets The network is not yet complete especially in the marine area and many sites still lack adequate management However the foundations for achieving the targets set out in the eU biodiversity strategy have been laid Now we need to make it reality
I am confident that my successor will have a solid basis for taking this work forward over the next five years and wish him or her all the best in this important endeavour
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
copy Jana M
arešovaacutecopy
Chris Gom
ersallnatureplcomcopy
Mark H
amblin natureplcom
copy Benoit Bock
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
3 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 33
Natura 2000 Awardwinners
3 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The Natura 2000 Award is designed to reward excellence in the management of Natura 2000 sites and showcase the added value of the network for local economies In addition it pays tribute to all those who are working tirelessly on making Natura 2000 an operational success whilst drawing public attention to its substantial conservation achievements
The application process 163 applications were submitted from all over the eU They were applying for one of the following award categories Conservation Socio-economic Benefits Communication Reconciling InterestsPerceptions and Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation This high number surpassed all expectations each application was evaluated and ranked by an independent group of experts according to five key criteria
effectiveness originality durability cost-benefit and replicability This resulted in the selection of 22 shortlisted projects which were submitted to a jury of prominent high-level representatives from key european organisations and bodies (european Commission european Parliament Committee of the Regions) and non-governmental organisations (WWF and eLo ndash european Landowners organisation)
The winnersThe five winners of the first ever european Natura 2000 Award were announced at a high profile ceremony in Brussels on 21 May The event also presented a welcome opportunity to promote Natura 2000 to a wider audience on the eve of the european elections each of the finalists and winners are now also showcased on the Natura 2000 Award
website The intention is to raise awareness for the interesting work being done on Natura 2000 across different parts of europe and inspire others ndash be they landowners NGos local communities or authorities businesses or anyone else ndash to launch their own Natura 2000 activities It is hoped that they too will consider applying for an eU Natura 2000 Award in due course
Some lessons learned Despite the substantial number of very interesting applications received some projects did not make it to the shortlist because they had not introduced enough information into the application form to enable an objective evaluation of their relative merits according to the different award criteria As this concerned mainly the form and not the substance of the
Members of the Jury and the Natura 2000 Award winners
In competitions the trophy always goes to one but we should all feel winners today because when nature is protected the benefits arenrsquot just for species and habitats but also for all of us
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
copy european Com
mission
4 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
ConSErvaTion awarD (no applications received 58)The Conservation Award went to a project to save the imperial eagle in Sakar Bulgaria run by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) Thanks to a good cooperation between conservationists and private companies the local population of this globally threatened species has been brought back from the brink of extinction By working with energy companies to insulate dangerous power lines and bury overhead cables the project successfully eliminated the risk of electrocution a serious problem facing this bird of preyhttpbspborgenindexhtml
RUNNeRS UPbull Almendralejos Purification Church A divine SPA for the lesser
kestrel ndash Spainbull New Iberian lynx population reintroduction strategies ndash Spainbull The daring Dutch restoring the dynamic dunes ndash The Netherlandsbull Montecristo the largest Mediterranean island gets rid of invasive
alien rats ndash Italybull The comeback of burnt black pine forests on Mount Parnon South Peloponnese ndash Greece
44
project the Commission encouraged those applicants to re-apply next year in more detail It was also evident that some categories proved to be more popular than others This resulted in an uneven number of finalists in each category with some having as many as five or six finalists and others having only three
Taking these first experiences into account the Commission intends to improve the application forms for the next round of awards and make the application guide available in all eU languages The next award is expected to be launched in the Autumn and will be announced on the Natura 2000 Award website httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000awardsindex_enhtm
SoCio-EConomiC BEnEfiTS awarD (no applications received 8)A project in Sighișoara-Tacircrnava mare romania won the Socio-economic Benefits Award with an impressive example of Natura 2000 providing economic growth and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas The project run by Fundatia Adept enables farmers to make a better living by working sustainably on high nature value land while also preserving a unique landscape with rich biodiversity Thanks to the project 2300 farming families in the region generate income of more than euro25 million annuallywwwfundatia-adeptorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Island of Tiengemeten ldquowelcome to unique nature nearby
the cityrdquo ndash The Netherlandsbull Straacutežovske vrchy ndash a living and rich region ndash Slovakia
natura 2000 award 2014 finalists
Adjusting overhead cables to eliminate the risk of electrocution
Marketing of local eco-products from Tarnava Mare Romania
copy Fundatia AD
ePT Transilvania
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014copy
N Terziev
copy Svetoslav Spasov
5 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 55
nETworKinG anD CroSS-BorDEr CooPEraTion awarD(no applications received 10)The Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation Award goes to a technical cooperation network in Spain led by europarc Spain for developing quality standards for management and a reference website on the state of the Natura 2000 network in Spain Rebollar de Navalpotro in Guadalajara is one area where these actions have been
rEConCiLinG inTErESTS awarD (no applications received 38)The Reconciling InterestsPerceptions Award went to a project in the vijvergebied van midden Limburg site in Belgium run by a partnership led by the european Landowners organisation (eLo) Landowners nature organisations and authorities ndash once in conflict over nature conservation ndash now work together here to manage wetlands thanks to an innovative approach combining economy ecology and education www3watereu
RUNNeRS UPbull When hunting overlaps with conservation ndash Francebull A spatial optimisation tool to support implementation of conservation
objectives in Flanders ndash Belgiumbull The Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve ndash UKbull The first complex long-term contract for N2000 management ndash Czech Republicbull Management of Lake Lesser Prespa through a multi-stakeholder
participation process ndash Greece
CommUniCaTion awarD (no applications received 49) The Communication Award goes to ranaacute-Hraacutedek in the Czech republic for promoting the protection of dry grassland habitats in the Louny region The project run by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency organises a lsquoCelebration of the Steppesrsquo event in May every year which attracts over 1000 people to the region Through cooperation with local teachers some 30 schools and clubs also take part in the annual art competition The winning pictures are featured in educational materials giving the children real pride in their workhttpwwwochranaprirodyczenlifelife-lounske-stredohori-steppes
RUNNeRS UPbull A way of public relations the contact office ldquoWolves in Saxonyrdquo ndash Germanybull Knowing and preserving the 12 bat species of Alvielarsquos cave ndash Portugalbull Natura 2000 goes to school ndash Austria
School children learning about grasslands in the Louny Region
Marshlands restored for the benefit of the European tree frog Hyla arborea
Rebollar de Navalpotro Natura 2000 site in Castilla La Mancha
copy Jana M
arešovaacute
copy D
aniel Mihalca
successfully applied showing how Natura 2000 is both a network of species and habitats and a network of people wwwredeuroparcorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Association of Natura 2000 site managers of Brittany a human network serving the Natura 2000 policy ndash Francebull Cross-regional cooperation to enhance the natural
structure and public awareness of the Sonien Forest ndash Belgium
Disentildeo de planesde seguimientoen espacios naturalesprotegidos
EU
RO
PAR
C-E
spantilde
aD
isentilde
o de
pla
nes
de s
egui
mie
nto
en e
spac
ios
natu
rale
s pr
oteg
idos
Man
ual 0
2
Manual 02Serie manuales EUROPARC-EspantildeaPlan de accioacuten para los espacios naturales protegidos del Estado espantildeol
Seccioacuten del Estado espantildeol de la Federacioacuten de Parques Naturales y Nacionales de Europa (EUROPARC-Espantildea)
copy Paco Pantildeos (G
eACAM
)
copy Arne vanden Bogaerde
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
6 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 201466 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAeS)In recent years governments businesses and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fact that human wellbeing is highly dependent upon healthy ecosystems Yet to this day still too little is known about these complex living systems and the multiple pressures they are under This lack of understanding and of reliable data severely undermines our ability to safeguard our lsquonatural capitalrsquo and optimise the benefits it can bring to society That is why the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 puts so much emphasis on the importance of robust and reliable information concerning ecosystems and ecosystem services as the foundation upon which the other actions should be built Action 5 of the Strategy calls on ldquoMember States with the assistance of the Commission
to map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014 assess the economic value of such services and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and at national level by 2020rdquo This is the basis for the MAeS initiative (Mapping and Assessment of ecosystems and their Services) Comprehensive information about the status of biodiversity ecosystems and ecosystem services is essential to be able to monitor change and to assess whether biodiversity targets have been reached and the right policy decisions have been taken not just as regards biodiversity protection but also across a wide range of other policy sectors It is clear that better knowledge will be of great value in key policy areas such
as climate adaptation (using ecosystem-based approaches for flood protection and forest fire prevention) regional policy (as a tool in urban planning and deployment of green infrastructure) water policy (providing multiple ecosystem services from lakes and rivers such as water supply angling tourism and nature conservation) coastal protection and marine policy (regarding the ecosystems based approach to the sustainable management of marine resources)
Commission support for member StatesIn order to support the MAeS initiative the Commission has been working closely with the eU Member States the european environment Agency and stakeholders and contractors over the last two years to gather
Its not enough to just talk about the importance of nature and the need to stop biodiversity loss it will only happen if our good intentions are translated into real outcomes in terms of behaviour and action on the ground For this to happen we need to make sure that we have the right information to take intelligent decisions about human actions that affect biodiversity the MAES initiative is designed to provide this information
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
Pollination is one of the many valuable services ecosystems provide society In the EU it is estimated to be worth euro15 billionyear
copy Chris G
omersall2020
visionnatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
copy J
oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
n Co
mm
issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
copy Adrian D
aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
copy w
ww
inbobe
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
2 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Natura2000nature and biodiversity newsletter July 2014
CoNTeNTS3ndash5 Natura 2000 Award winners
6ndash7 Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services
8ndash9 Natura 2000 Barometer ndash update December 2013
10ndash13New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversity
14ndash16 News Round-up
Cover Dalmatian pelicans Pelecanus crispus on Lake Kerkini Greece copy David Pattynnatureplcom
Editorial
2copy
european Comm
ission
copy Thinkstock
As I reach the end of my mandate as european environment Commissioner I would like to take this opportunity to reflect back over the past five years and the tremendous work that has been done to safeguard our european natural heritage
It was a difficult beginning In 2010 the european Union was forced to conclude that it had failed to meet the target of halting the loss of biodiversity in europe by this date Instead of giving up we set the bar higher by agreeing an ambitious headline target for 2020 and developing a more robust all-encompassing eU Biodiversity Strategy The Commission and the Member States are now redoubling efforts to conserve and restore biodiversity across europe Since the Strategy was adopted in 2011 we have made significant progress on a number of fronts An ambitious strategy to develop and expand Green Infrastructure across europe is in place and a new Regulation on tackling invasive alien species will soon enter into force We have also succeeded in creating further opportunities within the new Multiannual financial framework for the period 2014ndash2020 to finance biodiversity and the Natura 2000 network and in gaining greater recognition for the substantial socio-economic value of our natural capital for instance through the work of the eU initiative on mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAeS)
Last but not least we have done a lot of work to establish adequate management for the Natura 2000 network Natura 2000 is one of our greatest achievements and it remains as relevant today as it was when it was first created 20 years ago Its continuing success can be attributed to a number of factors powerful european legislation supportive financial instruments an important element of subsidiarity and flexibility that allows it to be adapted to local situations and a strong network of organisations which help people from all over europe share their experience and best practices But the work is far from done The first results of Member State assessments of the conservation status of the eU-protected species and habitats show that efforts will need to be considerably strengthened if the Union is to achieve its 2020 biodiversity targets The network is not yet complete especially in the marine area and many sites still lack adequate management However the foundations for achieving the targets set out in the eU biodiversity strategy have been laid Now we need to make it reality
I am confident that my successor will have a solid basis for taking this work forward over the next five years and wish him or her all the best in this important endeavour
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
copy Jana M
arešovaacutecopy
Chris Gom
ersallnatureplcomcopy
Mark H
amblin natureplcom
copy Benoit Bock
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
3 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 33
Natura 2000 Awardwinners
3 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The Natura 2000 Award is designed to reward excellence in the management of Natura 2000 sites and showcase the added value of the network for local economies In addition it pays tribute to all those who are working tirelessly on making Natura 2000 an operational success whilst drawing public attention to its substantial conservation achievements
The application process 163 applications were submitted from all over the eU They were applying for one of the following award categories Conservation Socio-economic Benefits Communication Reconciling InterestsPerceptions and Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation This high number surpassed all expectations each application was evaluated and ranked by an independent group of experts according to five key criteria
effectiveness originality durability cost-benefit and replicability This resulted in the selection of 22 shortlisted projects which were submitted to a jury of prominent high-level representatives from key european organisations and bodies (european Commission european Parliament Committee of the Regions) and non-governmental organisations (WWF and eLo ndash european Landowners organisation)
The winnersThe five winners of the first ever european Natura 2000 Award were announced at a high profile ceremony in Brussels on 21 May The event also presented a welcome opportunity to promote Natura 2000 to a wider audience on the eve of the european elections each of the finalists and winners are now also showcased on the Natura 2000 Award
website The intention is to raise awareness for the interesting work being done on Natura 2000 across different parts of europe and inspire others ndash be they landowners NGos local communities or authorities businesses or anyone else ndash to launch their own Natura 2000 activities It is hoped that they too will consider applying for an eU Natura 2000 Award in due course
Some lessons learned Despite the substantial number of very interesting applications received some projects did not make it to the shortlist because they had not introduced enough information into the application form to enable an objective evaluation of their relative merits according to the different award criteria As this concerned mainly the form and not the substance of the
Members of the Jury and the Natura 2000 Award winners
In competitions the trophy always goes to one but we should all feel winners today because when nature is protected the benefits arenrsquot just for species and habitats but also for all of us
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
copy european Com
mission
4 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
ConSErvaTion awarD (no applications received 58)The Conservation Award went to a project to save the imperial eagle in Sakar Bulgaria run by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) Thanks to a good cooperation between conservationists and private companies the local population of this globally threatened species has been brought back from the brink of extinction By working with energy companies to insulate dangerous power lines and bury overhead cables the project successfully eliminated the risk of electrocution a serious problem facing this bird of preyhttpbspborgenindexhtml
RUNNeRS UPbull Almendralejos Purification Church A divine SPA for the lesser
kestrel ndash Spainbull New Iberian lynx population reintroduction strategies ndash Spainbull The daring Dutch restoring the dynamic dunes ndash The Netherlandsbull Montecristo the largest Mediterranean island gets rid of invasive
alien rats ndash Italybull The comeback of burnt black pine forests on Mount Parnon South Peloponnese ndash Greece
44
project the Commission encouraged those applicants to re-apply next year in more detail It was also evident that some categories proved to be more popular than others This resulted in an uneven number of finalists in each category with some having as many as five or six finalists and others having only three
Taking these first experiences into account the Commission intends to improve the application forms for the next round of awards and make the application guide available in all eU languages The next award is expected to be launched in the Autumn and will be announced on the Natura 2000 Award website httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000awardsindex_enhtm
SoCio-EConomiC BEnEfiTS awarD (no applications received 8)A project in Sighișoara-Tacircrnava mare romania won the Socio-economic Benefits Award with an impressive example of Natura 2000 providing economic growth and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas The project run by Fundatia Adept enables farmers to make a better living by working sustainably on high nature value land while also preserving a unique landscape with rich biodiversity Thanks to the project 2300 farming families in the region generate income of more than euro25 million annuallywwwfundatia-adeptorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Island of Tiengemeten ldquowelcome to unique nature nearby
the cityrdquo ndash The Netherlandsbull Straacutežovske vrchy ndash a living and rich region ndash Slovakia
natura 2000 award 2014 finalists
Adjusting overhead cables to eliminate the risk of electrocution
Marketing of local eco-products from Tarnava Mare Romania
copy Fundatia AD
ePT Transilvania
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014copy
N Terziev
copy Svetoslav Spasov
5 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 55
nETworKinG anD CroSS-BorDEr CooPEraTion awarD(no applications received 10)The Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation Award goes to a technical cooperation network in Spain led by europarc Spain for developing quality standards for management and a reference website on the state of the Natura 2000 network in Spain Rebollar de Navalpotro in Guadalajara is one area where these actions have been
rEConCiLinG inTErESTS awarD (no applications received 38)The Reconciling InterestsPerceptions Award went to a project in the vijvergebied van midden Limburg site in Belgium run by a partnership led by the european Landowners organisation (eLo) Landowners nature organisations and authorities ndash once in conflict over nature conservation ndash now work together here to manage wetlands thanks to an innovative approach combining economy ecology and education www3watereu
RUNNeRS UPbull When hunting overlaps with conservation ndash Francebull A spatial optimisation tool to support implementation of conservation
objectives in Flanders ndash Belgiumbull The Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve ndash UKbull The first complex long-term contract for N2000 management ndash Czech Republicbull Management of Lake Lesser Prespa through a multi-stakeholder
participation process ndash Greece
CommUniCaTion awarD (no applications received 49) The Communication Award goes to ranaacute-Hraacutedek in the Czech republic for promoting the protection of dry grassland habitats in the Louny region The project run by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency organises a lsquoCelebration of the Steppesrsquo event in May every year which attracts over 1000 people to the region Through cooperation with local teachers some 30 schools and clubs also take part in the annual art competition The winning pictures are featured in educational materials giving the children real pride in their workhttpwwwochranaprirodyczenlifelife-lounske-stredohori-steppes
RUNNeRS UPbull A way of public relations the contact office ldquoWolves in Saxonyrdquo ndash Germanybull Knowing and preserving the 12 bat species of Alvielarsquos cave ndash Portugalbull Natura 2000 goes to school ndash Austria
School children learning about grasslands in the Louny Region
Marshlands restored for the benefit of the European tree frog Hyla arborea
Rebollar de Navalpotro Natura 2000 site in Castilla La Mancha
copy Jana M
arešovaacute
copy D
aniel Mihalca
successfully applied showing how Natura 2000 is both a network of species and habitats and a network of people wwwredeuroparcorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Association of Natura 2000 site managers of Brittany a human network serving the Natura 2000 policy ndash Francebull Cross-regional cooperation to enhance the natural
structure and public awareness of the Sonien Forest ndash Belgium
Disentildeo de planesde seguimientoen espacios naturalesprotegidos
EU
RO
PAR
C-E
spantilde
aD
isentilde
o de
pla
nes
de s
egui
mie
nto
en e
spac
ios
natu
rale
s pr
oteg
idos
Man
ual 0
2
Manual 02Serie manuales EUROPARC-EspantildeaPlan de accioacuten para los espacios naturales protegidos del Estado espantildeol
Seccioacuten del Estado espantildeol de la Federacioacuten de Parques Naturales y Nacionales de Europa (EUROPARC-Espantildea)
copy Paco Pantildeos (G
eACAM
)
copy Arne vanden Bogaerde
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
6 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 201466 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAeS)In recent years governments businesses and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fact that human wellbeing is highly dependent upon healthy ecosystems Yet to this day still too little is known about these complex living systems and the multiple pressures they are under This lack of understanding and of reliable data severely undermines our ability to safeguard our lsquonatural capitalrsquo and optimise the benefits it can bring to society That is why the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 puts so much emphasis on the importance of robust and reliable information concerning ecosystems and ecosystem services as the foundation upon which the other actions should be built Action 5 of the Strategy calls on ldquoMember States with the assistance of the Commission
to map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014 assess the economic value of such services and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and at national level by 2020rdquo This is the basis for the MAeS initiative (Mapping and Assessment of ecosystems and their Services) Comprehensive information about the status of biodiversity ecosystems and ecosystem services is essential to be able to monitor change and to assess whether biodiversity targets have been reached and the right policy decisions have been taken not just as regards biodiversity protection but also across a wide range of other policy sectors It is clear that better knowledge will be of great value in key policy areas such
as climate adaptation (using ecosystem-based approaches for flood protection and forest fire prevention) regional policy (as a tool in urban planning and deployment of green infrastructure) water policy (providing multiple ecosystem services from lakes and rivers such as water supply angling tourism and nature conservation) coastal protection and marine policy (regarding the ecosystems based approach to the sustainable management of marine resources)
Commission support for member StatesIn order to support the MAeS initiative the Commission has been working closely with the eU Member States the european environment Agency and stakeholders and contractors over the last two years to gather
Its not enough to just talk about the importance of nature and the need to stop biodiversity loss it will only happen if our good intentions are translated into real outcomes in terms of behaviour and action on the ground For this to happen we need to make sure that we have the right information to take intelligent decisions about human actions that affect biodiversity the MAES initiative is designed to provide this information
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
Pollination is one of the many valuable services ecosystems provide society In the EU it is estimated to be worth euro15 billionyear
copy Chris G
omersall2020
visionnatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
copy J
oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
n Co
mm
issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
copy Adrian D
aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
copy w
ww
inbobe
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
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copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
3 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 33
Natura 2000 Awardwinners
3 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The Natura 2000 Award is designed to reward excellence in the management of Natura 2000 sites and showcase the added value of the network for local economies In addition it pays tribute to all those who are working tirelessly on making Natura 2000 an operational success whilst drawing public attention to its substantial conservation achievements
The application process 163 applications were submitted from all over the eU They were applying for one of the following award categories Conservation Socio-economic Benefits Communication Reconciling InterestsPerceptions and Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation This high number surpassed all expectations each application was evaluated and ranked by an independent group of experts according to five key criteria
effectiveness originality durability cost-benefit and replicability This resulted in the selection of 22 shortlisted projects which were submitted to a jury of prominent high-level representatives from key european organisations and bodies (european Commission european Parliament Committee of the Regions) and non-governmental organisations (WWF and eLo ndash european Landowners organisation)
The winnersThe five winners of the first ever european Natura 2000 Award were announced at a high profile ceremony in Brussels on 21 May The event also presented a welcome opportunity to promote Natura 2000 to a wider audience on the eve of the european elections each of the finalists and winners are now also showcased on the Natura 2000 Award
website The intention is to raise awareness for the interesting work being done on Natura 2000 across different parts of europe and inspire others ndash be they landowners NGos local communities or authorities businesses or anyone else ndash to launch their own Natura 2000 activities It is hoped that they too will consider applying for an eU Natura 2000 Award in due course
Some lessons learned Despite the substantial number of very interesting applications received some projects did not make it to the shortlist because they had not introduced enough information into the application form to enable an objective evaluation of their relative merits according to the different award criteria As this concerned mainly the form and not the substance of the
Members of the Jury and the Natura 2000 Award winners
In competitions the trophy always goes to one but we should all feel winners today because when nature is protected the benefits arenrsquot just for species and habitats but also for all of us
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
copy european Com
mission
4 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
ConSErvaTion awarD (no applications received 58)The Conservation Award went to a project to save the imperial eagle in Sakar Bulgaria run by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) Thanks to a good cooperation between conservationists and private companies the local population of this globally threatened species has been brought back from the brink of extinction By working with energy companies to insulate dangerous power lines and bury overhead cables the project successfully eliminated the risk of electrocution a serious problem facing this bird of preyhttpbspborgenindexhtml
RUNNeRS UPbull Almendralejos Purification Church A divine SPA for the lesser
kestrel ndash Spainbull New Iberian lynx population reintroduction strategies ndash Spainbull The daring Dutch restoring the dynamic dunes ndash The Netherlandsbull Montecristo the largest Mediterranean island gets rid of invasive
alien rats ndash Italybull The comeback of burnt black pine forests on Mount Parnon South Peloponnese ndash Greece
44
project the Commission encouraged those applicants to re-apply next year in more detail It was also evident that some categories proved to be more popular than others This resulted in an uneven number of finalists in each category with some having as many as five or six finalists and others having only three
Taking these first experiences into account the Commission intends to improve the application forms for the next round of awards and make the application guide available in all eU languages The next award is expected to be launched in the Autumn and will be announced on the Natura 2000 Award website httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000awardsindex_enhtm
SoCio-EConomiC BEnEfiTS awarD (no applications received 8)A project in Sighișoara-Tacircrnava mare romania won the Socio-economic Benefits Award with an impressive example of Natura 2000 providing economic growth and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas The project run by Fundatia Adept enables farmers to make a better living by working sustainably on high nature value land while also preserving a unique landscape with rich biodiversity Thanks to the project 2300 farming families in the region generate income of more than euro25 million annuallywwwfundatia-adeptorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Island of Tiengemeten ldquowelcome to unique nature nearby
the cityrdquo ndash The Netherlandsbull Straacutežovske vrchy ndash a living and rich region ndash Slovakia
natura 2000 award 2014 finalists
Adjusting overhead cables to eliminate the risk of electrocution
Marketing of local eco-products from Tarnava Mare Romania
copy Fundatia AD
ePT Transilvania
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014copy
N Terziev
copy Svetoslav Spasov
5 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 55
nETworKinG anD CroSS-BorDEr CooPEraTion awarD(no applications received 10)The Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation Award goes to a technical cooperation network in Spain led by europarc Spain for developing quality standards for management and a reference website on the state of the Natura 2000 network in Spain Rebollar de Navalpotro in Guadalajara is one area where these actions have been
rEConCiLinG inTErESTS awarD (no applications received 38)The Reconciling InterestsPerceptions Award went to a project in the vijvergebied van midden Limburg site in Belgium run by a partnership led by the european Landowners organisation (eLo) Landowners nature organisations and authorities ndash once in conflict over nature conservation ndash now work together here to manage wetlands thanks to an innovative approach combining economy ecology and education www3watereu
RUNNeRS UPbull When hunting overlaps with conservation ndash Francebull A spatial optimisation tool to support implementation of conservation
objectives in Flanders ndash Belgiumbull The Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve ndash UKbull The first complex long-term contract for N2000 management ndash Czech Republicbull Management of Lake Lesser Prespa through a multi-stakeholder
participation process ndash Greece
CommUniCaTion awarD (no applications received 49) The Communication Award goes to ranaacute-Hraacutedek in the Czech republic for promoting the protection of dry grassland habitats in the Louny region The project run by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency organises a lsquoCelebration of the Steppesrsquo event in May every year which attracts over 1000 people to the region Through cooperation with local teachers some 30 schools and clubs also take part in the annual art competition The winning pictures are featured in educational materials giving the children real pride in their workhttpwwwochranaprirodyczenlifelife-lounske-stredohori-steppes
RUNNeRS UPbull A way of public relations the contact office ldquoWolves in Saxonyrdquo ndash Germanybull Knowing and preserving the 12 bat species of Alvielarsquos cave ndash Portugalbull Natura 2000 goes to school ndash Austria
School children learning about grasslands in the Louny Region
Marshlands restored for the benefit of the European tree frog Hyla arborea
Rebollar de Navalpotro Natura 2000 site in Castilla La Mancha
copy Jana M
arešovaacute
copy D
aniel Mihalca
successfully applied showing how Natura 2000 is both a network of species and habitats and a network of people wwwredeuroparcorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Association of Natura 2000 site managers of Brittany a human network serving the Natura 2000 policy ndash Francebull Cross-regional cooperation to enhance the natural
structure and public awareness of the Sonien Forest ndash Belgium
Disentildeo de planesde seguimientoen espacios naturalesprotegidos
EU
RO
PAR
C-E
spantilde
aD
isentilde
o de
pla
nes
de s
egui
mie
nto
en e
spac
ios
natu
rale
s pr
oteg
idos
Man
ual 0
2
Manual 02Serie manuales EUROPARC-EspantildeaPlan de accioacuten para los espacios naturales protegidos del Estado espantildeol
Seccioacuten del Estado espantildeol de la Federacioacuten de Parques Naturales y Nacionales de Europa (EUROPARC-Espantildea)
copy Paco Pantildeos (G
eACAM
)
copy Arne vanden Bogaerde
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
6 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 201466 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAeS)In recent years governments businesses and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fact that human wellbeing is highly dependent upon healthy ecosystems Yet to this day still too little is known about these complex living systems and the multiple pressures they are under This lack of understanding and of reliable data severely undermines our ability to safeguard our lsquonatural capitalrsquo and optimise the benefits it can bring to society That is why the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 puts so much emphasis on the importance of robust and reliable information concerning ecosystems and ecosystem services as the foundation upon which the other actions should be built Action 5 of the Strategy calls on ldquoMember States with the assistance of the Commission
to map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014 assess the economic value of such services and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and at national level by 2020rdquo This is the basis for the MAeS initiative (Mapping and Assessment of ecosystems and their Services) Comprehensive information about the status of biodiversity ecosystems and ecosystem services is essential to be able to monitor change and to assess whether biodiversity targets have been reached and the right policy decisions have been taken not just as regards biodiversity protection but also across a wide range of other policy sectors It is clear that better knowledge will be of great value in key policy areas such
as climate adaptation (using ecosystem-based approaches for flood protection and forest fire prevention) regional policy (as a tool in urban planning and deployment of green infrastructure) water policy (providing multiple ecosystem services from lakes and rivers such as water supply angling tourism and nature conservation) coastal protection and marine policy (regarding the ecosystems based approach to the sustainable management of marine resources)
Commission support for member StatesIn order to support the MAeS initiative the Commission has been working closely with the eU Member States the european environment Agency and stakeholders and contractors over the last two years to gather
Its not enough to just talk about the importance of nature and the need to stop biodiversity loss it will only happen if our good intentions are translated into real outcomes in terms of behaviour and action on the ground For this to happen we need to make sure that we have the right information to take intelligent decisions about human actions that affect biodiversity the MAES initiative is designed to provide this information
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
Pollination is one of the many valuable services ecosystems provide society In the EU it is estimated to be worth euro15 billionyear
copy Chris G
omersall2020
visionnatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
copy J
oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
n Co
mm
issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
copy Adrian D
aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
copy w
ww
inbobe
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
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arrisnatureplcom
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arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
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oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
4 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
ConSErvaTion awarD (no applications received 58)The Conservation Award went to a project to save the imperial eagle in Sakar Bulgaria run by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) Thanks to a good cooperation between conservationists and private companies the local population of this globally threatened species has been brought back from the brink of extinction By working with energy companies to insulate dangerous power lines and bury overhead cables the project successfully eliminated the risk of electrocution a serious problem facing this bird of preyhttpbspborgenindexhtml
RUNNeRS UPbull Almendralejos Purification Church A divine SPA for the lesser
kestrel ndash Spainbull New Iberian lynx population reintroduction strategies ndash Spainbull The daring Dutch restoring the dynamic dunes ndash The Netherlandsbull Montecristo the largest Mediterranean island gets rid of invasive
alien rats ndash Italybull The comeback of burnt black pine forests on Mount Parnon South Peloponnese ndash Greece
44
project the Commission encouraged those applicants to re-apply next year in more detail It was also evident that some categories proved to be more popular than others This resulted in an uneven number of finalists in each category with some having as many as five or six finalists and others having only three
Taking these first experiences into account the Commission intends to improve the application forms for the next round of awards and make the application guide available in all eU languages The next award is expected to be launched in the Autumn and will be announced on the Natura 2000 Award website httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000awardsindex_enhtm
SoCio-EConomiC BEnEfiTS awarD (no applications received 8)A project in Sighișoara-Tacircrnava mare romania won the Socio-economic Benefits Award with an impressive example of Natura 2000 providing economic growth and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas The project run by Fundatia Adept enables farmers to make a better living by working sustainably on high nature value land while also preserving a unique landscape with rich biodiversity Thanks to the project 2300 farming families in the region generate income of more than euro25 million annuallywwwfundatia-adeptorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Island of Tiengemeten ldquowelcome to unique nature nearby
the cityrdquo ndash The Netherlandsbull Straacutežovske vrchy ndash a living and rich region ndash Slovakia
natura 2000 award 2014 finalists
Adjusting overhead cables to eliminate the risk of electrocution
Marketing of local eco-products from Tarnava Mare Romania
copy Fundatia AD
ePT Transilvania
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014copy
N Terziev
copy Svetoslav Spasov
5 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 55
nETworKinG anD CroSS-BorDEr CooPEraTion awarD(no applications received 10)The Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation Award goes to a technical cooperation network in Spain led by europarc Spain for developing quality standards for management and a reference website on the state of the Natura 2000 network in Spain Rebollar de Navalpotro in Guadalajara is one area where these actions have been
rEConCiLinG inTErESTS awarD (no applications received 38)The Reconciling InterestsPerceptions Award went to a project in the vijvergebied van midden Limburg site in Belgium run by a partnership led by the european Landowners organisation (eLo) Landowners nature organisations and authorities ndash once in conflict over nature conservation ndash now work together here to manage wetlands thanks to an innovative approach combining economy ecology and education www3watereu
RUNNeRS UPbull When hunting overlaps with conservation ndash Francebull A spatial optimisation tool to support implementation of conservation
objectives in Flanders ndash Belgiumbull The Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve ndash UKbull The first complex long-term contract for N2000 management ndash Czech Republicbull Management of Lake Lesser Prespa through a multi-stakeholder
participation process ndash Greece
CommUniCaTion awarD (no applications received 49) The Communication Award goes to ranaacute-Hraacutedek in the Czech republic for promoting the protection of dry grassland habitats in the Louny region The project run by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency organises a lsquoCelebration of the Steppesrsquo event in May every year which attracts over 1000 people to the region Through cooperation with local teachers some 30 schools and clubs also take part in the annual art competition The winning pictures are featured in educational materials giving the children real pride in their workhttpwwwochranaprirodyczenlifelife-lounske-stredohori-steppes
RUNNeRS UPbull A way of public relations the contact office ldquoWolves in Saxonyrdquo ndash Germanybull Knowing and preserving the 12 bat species of Alvielarsquos cave ndash Portugalbull Natura 2000 goes to school ndash Austria
School children learning about grasslands in the Louny Region
Marshlands restored for the benefit of the European tree frog Hyla arborea
Rebollar de Navalpotro Natura 2000 site in Castilla La Mancha
copy Jana M
arešovaacute
copy D
aniel Mihalca
successfully applied showing how Natura 2000 is both a network of species and habitats and a network of people wwwredeuroparcorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Association of Natura 2000 site managers of Brittany a human network serving the Natura 2000 policy ndash Francebull Cross-regional cooperation to enhance the natural
structure and public awareness of the Sonien Forest ndash Belgium
Disentildeo de planesde seguimientoen espacios naturalesprotegidos
EU
RO
PAR
C-E
spantilde
aD
isentilde
o de
pla
nes
de s
egui
mie
nto
en e
spac
ios
natu
rale
s pr
oteg
idos
Man
ual 0
2
Manual 02Serie manuales EUROPARC-EspantildeaPlan de accioacuten para los espacios naturales protegidos del Estado espantildeol
Seccioacuten del Estado espantildeol de la Federacioacuten de Parques Naturales y Nacionales de Europa (EUROPARC-Espantildea)
copy Paco Pantildeos (G
eACAM
)
copy Arne vanden Bogaerde
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
6 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 201466 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAeS)In recent years governments businesses and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fact that human wellbeing is highly dependent upon healthy ecosystems Yet to this day still too little is known about these complex living systems and the multiple pressures they are under This lack of understanding and of reliable data severely undermines our ability to safeguard our lsquonatural capitalrsquo and optimise the benefits it can bring to society That is why the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 puts so much emphasis on the importance of robust and reliable information concerning ecosystems and ecosystem services as the foundation upon which the other actions should be built Action 5 of the Strategy calls on ldquoMember States with the assistance of the Commission
to map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014 assess the economic value of such services and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and at national level by 2020rdquo This is the basis for the MAeS initiative (Mapping and Assessment of ecosystems and their Services) Comprehensive information about the status of biodiversity ecosystems and ecosystem services is essential to be able to monitor change and to assess whether biodiversity targets have been reached and the right policy decisions have been taken not just as regards biodiversity protection but also across a wide range of other policy sectors It is clear that better knowledge will be of great value in key policy areas such
as climate adaptation (using ecosystem-based approaches for flood protection and forest fire prevention) regional policy (as a tool in urban planning and deployment of green infrastructure) water policy (providing multiple ecosystem services from lakes and rivers such as water supply angling tourism and nature conservation) coastal protection and marine policy (regarding the ecosystems based approach to the sustainable management of marine resources)
Commission support for member StatesIn order to support the MAeS initiative the Commission has been working closely with the eU Member States the european environment Agency and stakeholders and contractors over the last two years to gather
Its not enough to just talk about the importance of nature and the need to stop biodiversity loss it will only happen if our good intentions are translated into real outcomes in terms of behaviour and action on the ground For this to happen we need to make sure that we have the right information to take intelligent decisions about human actions that affect biodiversity the MAES initiative is designed to provide this information
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
Pollination is one of the many valuable services ecosystems provide society In the EU it is estimated to be worth euro15 billionyear
copy Chris G
omersall2020
visionnatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
copy J
oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
n Co
mm
issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
copy Adrian D
aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
copy w
ww
inbobe
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
5 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 55
nETworKinG anD CroSS-BorDEr CooPEraTion awarD(no applications received 10)The Networking and Cross-Border Cooperation Award goes to a technical cooperation network in Spain led by europarc Spain for developing quality standards for management and a reference website on the state of the Natura 2000 network in Spain Rebollar de Navalpotro in Guadalajara is one area where these actions have been
rEConCiLinG inTErESTS awarD (no applications received 38)The Reconciling InterestsPerceptions Award went to a project in the vijvergebied van midden Limburg site in Belgium run by a partnership led by the european Landowners organisation (eLo) Landowners nature organisations and authorities ndash once in conflict over nature conservation ndash now work together here to manage wetlands thanks to an innovative approach combining economy ecology and education www3watereu
RUNNeRS UPbull When hunting overlaps with conservation ndash Francebull A spatial optimisation tool to support implementation of conservation
objectives in Flanders ndash Belgiumbull The Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve ndash UKbull The first complex long-term contract for N2000 management ndash Czech Republicbull Management of Lake Lesser Prespa through a multi-stakeholder
participation process ndash Greece
CommUniCaTion awarD (no applications received 49) The Communication Award goes to ranaacute-Hraacutedek in the Czech republic for promoting the protection of dry grassland habitats in the Louny region The project run by the Czech Nature Conservation Agency organises a lsquoCelebration of the Steppesrsquo event in May every year which attracts over 1000 people to the region Through cooperation with local teachers some 30 schools and clubs also take part in the annual art competition The winning pictures are featured in educational materials giving the children real pride in their workhttpwwwochranaprirodyczenlifelife-lounske-stredohori-steppes
RUNNeRS UPbull A way of public relations the contact office ldquoWolves in Saxonyrdquo ndash Germanybull Knowing and preserving the 12 bat species of Alvielarsquos cave ndash Portugalbull Natura 2000 goes to school ndash Austria
School children learning about grasslands in the Louny Region
Marshlands restored for the benefit of the European tree frog Hyla arborea
Rebollar de Navalpotro Natura 2000 site in Castilla La Mancha
copy Jana M
arešovaacute
copy D
aniel Mihalca
successfully applied showing how Natura 2000 is both a network of species and habitats and a network of people wwwredeuroparcorg
RUNNeRS UPbull Association of Natura 2000 site managers of Brittany a human network serving the Natura 2000 policy ndash Francebull Cross-regional cooperation to enhance the natural
structure and public awareness of the Sonien Forest ndash Belgium
Disentildeo de planesde seguimientoen espacios naturalesprotegidos
EU
RO
PAR
C-E
spantilde
aD
isentilde
o de
pla
nes
de s
egui
mie
nto
en e
spac
ios
natu
rale
s pr
oteg
idos
Man
ual 0
2
Manual 02Serie manuales EUROPARC-EspantildeaPlan de accioacuten para los espacios naturales protegidos del Estado espantildeol
Seccioacuten del Estado espantildeol de la Federacioacuten de Parques Naturales y Nacionales de Europa (EUROPARC-Espantildea)
copy Paco Pantildeos (G
eACAM
)
copy Arne vanden Bogaerde
natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
6 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 201466 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAeS)In recent years governments businesses and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fact that human wellbeing is highly dependent upon healthy ecosystems Yet to this day still too little is known about these complex living systems and the multiple pressures they are under This lack of understanding and of reliable data severely undermines our ability to safeguard our lsquonatural capitalrsquo and optimise the benefits it can bring to society That is why the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 puts so much emphasis on the importance of robust and reliable information concerning ecosystems and ecosystem services as the foundation upon which the other actions should be built Action 5 of the Strategy calls on ldquoMember States with the assistance of the Commission
to map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014 assess the economic value of such services and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and at national level by 2020rdquo This is the basis for the MAeS initiative (Mapping and Assessment of ecosystems and their Services) Comprehensive information about the status of biodiversity ecosystems and ecosystem services is essential to be able to monitor change and to assess whether biodiversity targets have been reached and the right policy decisions have been taken not just as regards biodiversity protection but also across a wide range of other policy sectors It is clear that better knowledge will be of great value in key policy areas such
as climate adaptation (using ecosystem-based approaches for flood protection and forest fire prevention) regional policy (as a tool in urban planning and deployment of green infrastructure) water policy (providing multiple ecosystem services from lakes and rivers such as water supply angling tourism and nature conservation) coastal protection and marine policy (regarding the ecosystems based approach to the sustainable management of marine resources)
Commission support for member StatesIn order to support the MAeS initiative the Commission has been working closely with the eU Member States the european environment Agency and stakeholders and contractors over the last two years to gather
Its not enough to just talk about the importance of nature and the need to stop biodiversity loss it will only happen if our good intentions are translated into real outcomes in terms of behaviour and action on the ground For this to happen we need to make sure that we have the right information to take intelligent decisions about human actions that affect biodiversity the MAES initiative is designed to provide this information
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
Pollination is one of the many valuable services ecosystems provide society In the EU it is estimated to be worth euro15 billionyear
copy Chris G
omersall2020
visionnatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
copy J
oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
n Co
mm
issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
copy Adrian D
aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
copy w
ww
inbobe
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
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arrisnatureplcom
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arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
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oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
6 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 201466 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAeS)In recent years governments businesses and civil society have become increasingly aware of the fact that human wellbeing is highly dependent upon healthy ecosystems Yet to this day still too little is known about these complex living systems and the multiple pressures they are under This lack of understanding and of reliable data severely undermines our ability to safeguard our lsquonatural capitalrsquo and optimise the benefits it can bring to society That is why the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 puts so much emphasis on the importance of robust and reliable information concerning ecosystems and ecosystem services as the foundation upon which the other actions should be built Action 5 of the Strategy calls on ldquoMember States with the assistance of the Commission
to map and assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national territory by 2014 assess the economic value of such services and promote the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and at national level by 2020rdquo This is the basis for the MAeS initiative (Mapping and Assessment of ecosystems and their Services) Comprehensive information about the status of biodiversity ecosystems and ecosystem services is essential to be able to monitor change and to assess whether biodiversity targets have been reached and the right policy decisions have been taken not just as regards biodiversity protection but also across a wide range of other policy sectors It is clear that better knowledge will be of great value in key policy areas such
as climate adaptation (using ecosystem-based approaches for flood protection and forest fire prevention) regional policy (as a tool in urban planning and deployment of green infrastructure) water policy (providing multiple ecosystem services from lakes and rivers such as water supply angling tourism and nature conservation) coastal protection and marine policy (regarding the ecosystems based approach to the sustainable management of marine resources)
Commission support for member StatesIn order to support the MAeS initiative the Commission has been working closely with the eU Member States the european environment Agency and stakeholders and contractors over the last two years to gather
Its not enough to just talk about the importance of nature and the need to stop biodiversity loss it will only happen if our good intentions are translated into real outcomes in terms of behaviour and action on the ground For this to happen we need to make sure that we have the right information to take intelligent decisions about human actions that affect biodiversity the MAES initiative is designed to provide this information
Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for Environment
Pollination is one of the many valuable services ecosystems provide society In the EU it is estimated to be worth euro15 billionyear
copy Chris G
omersall2020
visionnatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
copy J
oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
n Co
mm
issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
copy Adrian D
aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
copy w
ww
inbobe
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
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_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
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ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Mapping of ecosystems services in Flanders (Belgium)The mapping of ecosystem services in flanders supports decisions on trade-offs in land-use planning between allocating land to provisioning services (food timber water) regulating services (air water soil quality regulation climate regulation erosion protection etc) and cultural services (recreation and information for education and art etc) interestingly the lsquogreenrsquo areas of cities provide all sorts of services which score high marks in terms of social benefits bull wwwinbobe
information and develop tools that the Member States can use in carrying out their mapping and assessment at national level The first step was to agree a coherent analytical framework to ensure that eU and Member States adopt a harmonised approach to their mapping and assessment work This led to the publication of an agreed framework in 2013 (see technical report No 1) The report was also designed to contribute to the ongoing discussion on the conceptual framework for sub-global assessments of ecosystems and ecosystem services under the Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBeS) The next step was to test the water With this in mind the MAeSrsquo second technical report published in 2014 proposes indicators that can be used at european and Member State level to map and assess biodiversity ecosystem condition and services based on the outcomes of six thematic pilot studies Four of the pilots focused on europersquos main ecosystem types agro-ecosystems forest ecosystems freshwater ecosystems and marine ecosystems A further pilot focused on the use of conservation status data
for assessing the state of ecosystems and of the associated delivery of services The final pilot addressed the challenge of natural capital accounts For each of these pilots a review was made of national and european data and indicators to assess the condition of ecosystems quantify biodiversity and map and assess their services The pilot studies lead to the development of specific indicators which can be used for mapping and assessing in accordance with the Common International Classification of ecosystem Services (CICeS v43) It also leads to the development of the first ever european map of ecosystems according to the MAeS typology
The maES Conference on 22 May 2014 International Biodiversity Day the european Commission hosted a high-level Conference to share the first results of the MAeS initiative and highlight its policy relevance The conference provided a platform to present the work undertaken to date at eU and Member State level as well as contributions from key stakeholders It demonstrated
how reliable high-quality information on the state of ecosystems and the services they provide contributes to the advancement of biodiversity objectives and to the integration of natural capital concerns into key eU sectoral policies
next stepsThe Member States have until the end of the year to finalise their mapping and assessment work under Action 5 of the Biodiversity Strategy The results of MAeS will then feed into the Mid-Term Review of the eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in 2015 and work will continue so as to draw up by 2020 a comprehensive benchmark of the condition of eU ecosystems and the value of the services they deliver For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureknowledgeecosystem_assessmentindex_enhtm
Technical Report - 2014 - 080
Mapping and Assessment of
Ecosystems and their Services
Indicators for ecosystem assessments
under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020
2nd Report ndash Final February 2014
Environment
Technical Report - 2013 - 067
Environment
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services
An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Discussion paper ndash Final April 2013
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oach
im M
AES
Eur
opea
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issio
n
ES regulation of water quality 0 = no capacity 5 = very high capacity
Round-table discussions at the MAES conference
7 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
EU Map of pollination gaps in agricultural landscapes JRC 2013
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aviesnatureplcomcopy
european Comm
ission
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8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
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oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
8 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
70deg60deg50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
20deg
20deg
10deg
10deg
0deg
0deg-10deg-20deg-30deg
60deg
50deg
50deg
40deg
40deg
30deg
30deg
0 500 1000 1500 km
-20deg
30deg
Canary Is-30deg
40deg
Azores Is
Madeira Is
Biogeographic regions within the EU 2013
Natura 2000 sites (under Birds and Habitats Directives)
Outside coverage
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
The natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is based on information officially transmitted by Member States until December 2013 The Natura 2000 network includes sites designated according to the Birds Directive (SPAs) and the Habitats Directive (SCIs) Both site types frequently often overlap either in their entirety or partially The figures relating to the total number of Natura 2000 sites (ie SPAs + SCIs) and their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis In order to eliminate possible overlaps between the two The methodology used has recently been refined which explains why many of the figures are slightly different from the previous Barometer updates
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as terrestrial sites whilst sites having a marine component covering more than 5 of their total area are counted as marine sites Coastal sites with a marine area covering more than 5 but less than 95 of the total site are counted as both terrestrial and marine sites
The area and of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus
barometer
Natura 2000 network December 2013 Natura2000sites
(undertheBirdsandHabitatsDirectives)
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
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e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
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arrisnatureplcom
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arrisnatureplcom
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14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
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oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
9 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
updateDecember2013
member States
naTUra 2000 SiTES (SPas + SCis) TErrESTriaL marinE
member StatesTotal ndeg
natura sitesTotal area in natura (kmsup2)
land area covered by
naturaTotal area SCi
(kmsup2) ndeg SCisTotal area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area natura 2000
(kmsup2)
Total ndeg natura sites
on landTotal area SCi (kmsup2) ndeg SCis
Total area SPa (kmsup2) ndeg SPas
Total area marine
natura 2000 (kmsup2)
Total ndeg marine natura
sitesBELGIEumlBELGIQUE 458 5 15381 1272 3 06392 280 2 96373 234 3 88299 458 1 12715 3 31811 4 1 27082 7 BELGIUM
BULGARIA 336 39 05631 3432 33 24566 231 25 08168 118 38 06647 336 62180 13 55668 11 98984 23 BULGARIAČESKAacute REPUBLIKA 1 116 11 06153 1403 7 85596 1 075 7 03443 41 11 06153 1 116 0 0 0 0 0 0 CZECH REPUBLIC
DANMARK 350 22 64638 832 3 16714 261 2 59195 113 3 58397 350 16 50296 101 12 19698 57 19 06241 150 DENMARKDEUTSCHLAND 5 253 80 74643 1544 33 47783 4 606 40 22435 740 55 14212 5 253 20 94028 69 19 72777 28 25 60431 93 GERMANY
EESTI 568 14 83228 1786 7 66690 542 6 15406 65 8 07635 568 3 88342 55 6 48294 26 6 75593 62 ESTONIAEacuteIREIRELAND 588 16 12751 1312 7 15776 423 4 30289 165 9 22230 588 6 38864 127 1 59039 95 6 90521 222 IRELAND
ELLAacuteDA 419 42 94705 2710 21 39828 241 27 62220 202 35 76128 419 6 67959 96 1 90518 66 7 18577 152 GREECEESPANtildeA 1 807 148 00241 2721 116 94074 1 449 100 85328 598 137 36509 1 807 10 43187 239 2 98012 96 10 63732 287 SPAINFRANCE 1 758 110 80784 1259 46 87350 1 366 43 35471 392 69 12741 1 758 27 86107 144 35 55586 81 41 68043 225 FRANCE
HRvATSKA 780 25 95421 3653 15 99617 742 17 03842 38 20 67470 780 4 96227 257 1 10520 9 5 27951 266 CROATIAITALIA 2 585 63 84110 1896 42 81831 2 310 40 09504 610 57 13706 2 585 5 59599 319 4 01023 90 6 70404 363 ITALY
KYacutePROS 61 1 75975 2838 75169 40 1 48197 29 1 62801 61 13145 6 11098 4 13174 8 CYPRUSLATvIJA 333 11 83132 1153 7 42112 320 6 61261 98 7 44937 333 2 65895 9 4 27490 8 4 38194 10 LATvIALIETUvA 488 8 56412 1208 6 13604 405 5 48351 82 7 89029 488 52733 4 41989 4 67382 8 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG 60 46948 1808 41367 49 14158 13 46948 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 LUXEMBOURGMAGYARORSZAacuteG 525 19 94974 2144 14 44370 479 13 74573 56 19 94974 525 0 0 0 0 0 0 HUNGARY
MALTA 39 23372 1288 4015 32 1401 13 4070 39 19285 16 254 9 19302 22 MALTANEDERLAND 199 17 37080 1340 3 13896 142 4 78333 78 5 53606 199 11 68584 14 5 66548 10 11 80774 18 THE NETHERLANDSOumlSTERREICH 219 12 55948 1498 9 04289 171 10 15079 98 12 55948 219 0 0 0 0 0 0 AUSTRIA
POLSKA 983 68 29637 1953 33 83479 845 48 38345 145 61 05932 983 4 33979 9 7 22568 9 7 23706 17 POLANDPORTUGAL 149 21 62801 2066 15 48956 95 9 20971 59 19 00951 149 1 06763 35 2 27427 16 2 61850 49 PORTUGALROMAcircNIA 531 55 67546 2256 39 77142 383 35 35165 148 53 78767 531 1 54550 9 1 47493 2 1 73665 11 ROMANIA
SLOvENIJA 354 7 68396 3785 6 63544 323 5 06732 31 7 67322 354 441 9 1023 3 1074 12 SLOvENIASLOvENSKO 514 14 44154 2957 5 83818 473 13 10576 41 14 44154 514 0 0 0 0 0 0 SLOvAKIA
SUOMI 1 839 55 98624 1445 48 56109 1 695 24 65863 468 48 85129 1 839 6 79411 142 6 42271 87 7 13496 168 FINLANDSvERIGE 4 072 66 73857 1384 56 90528 3 976 25 33076 544 57 40966 4 072 9 25861 451 4 74280 138 9 32891 489 SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM 924 94 96663 853 13 09040 654 16 00263 272 20 88377 924 67 10091 165 11 55675 134 74 08286 298 UNITED KINGDOM
EU28 27 308 1 039 33205 1836 601 17655 23 608 536 84019 5 491 787 76737 27 308 210 45413 2 292 130 76177 987 251 56467 2 960 EU28
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CY SI SK LT PL CZ GR IT PT AT DE RO LV ES LU FI UK FR NL SE MT BG EE DK BE HU IE
SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF
Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network marine species and habitat types are not taken into account (Situation December 2013)
For these countries the evaluation is based on data from 2011 or earlier
Sufficiency of the European natura 2000 networkFor Sites of Community Importance under the Habitats Directive (SCIs) the Commission with assistance from the eTC-BD evaluates the completeness of the network by individually assessing for each species and habitat type whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites The level of completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of speciesrsquo and habitatsrsquo assessments per member state indicating that the network is complete The graph indicates the result of this evaluation for the terrestrial part of Natura 2000
Sr (scientific reserve) additional research needed to identify the best sites in maJ (major insufficiency) none of the sites where that specieshabitat
type occurs have been proposed so far in moD (moderate insufficiency) additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that specieshabitat type in min (minor insufficiency) sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
specieshabitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites SUf(sufficient) the network is sufficient for that specieshabitat type
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141010
New eU financing opportunities for europersquos biodiversityThe effective management of the Natura 2000 network will require significant financial investments over the coming years This is estimated to be in the range of euro58 billion per year (based on estimates for the eU-27) While the main responsibility for financing Natura 2000 lies with the Member States Article 8 of the Habitats Directive explicitly links the delivery of necessary conservation measures for Natura 2000 to eU co-financing Since 2007 most eU funding for Natura 2000 and indeed for other eU biodiversity policy priorities has been made available by integrating biodiversity goals into various existing eU funds or instruments This integrated co-financing model continues to form the
basis for eU funding in 2014ndash2020 supporting the strategic goals to further embed the implementation of the eUrsquos biodiversity policy into other relevant policy sectors and their financing instruments and at the practical level linking biodiversity goals with the broader management of land and natural resources Several eU funds now offer important opportunities for financing both Natura 2000 activities and other wider biodiversity issues such as green infrastructure and climate mitigation using ecosystems-based solutions The most directly relevant funds include the (see boxes)bull european Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (eAFRD) bull european Maritime and
Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
bull european Regional Development Fund (eRDF)
bull Cohesion Fund (CF) andbull Programme for the
environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
of these only LIFe provides dedicated support to biodiversity and Natura 2000 all other eU funding instruments are primarily targeted to deliver general eU goals ndash rural regional infrastructural social and scientific development ndash in line with the overarching europe 2020 Strategy While this usefully allows the integration of Natura 2000 into the broader rural and regional contexts for example by aligning socio-economic benefits delivered by the sites with regional and local development goals it also makes the availability of funding
copy M
ark Ham
blinnatureplcom10 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
Volunteers building a natural dam to create an area of wet woodland in Abernethy Forest Scotland
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
11 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
The european Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (eAFRD)
The EafrD will continue to provide several opportunities to fund Natura 2000 during 2014ndash2020 Direct opportunities include for example financing a range of Natura 2000 activities in the context of agri-environment-climate and forest-environmental schemes compensation payments for additional costs and income foregone related to managing agricultural and forest land within Natura 2000 sites improving knowledge on rural biodiversity providing advisory services to farmers and drawing up Natura 2000 management plans
Furthermore a great variety of more indirect opportunities are available allowing the management of Natura 2000 to be linked with broader rural development efforts such as promoting organic farming improving risk management and enhancing business development
for Natura 2000 dependent on compliance with the overall objectives and rules of the given funding instruments That is why it is so important to emphasise and make best use of the multiple socio-economic values that the Natura 2000 network and wider green infrastructure initiatives provide society in terms of better food and water security increased tourism and recreation employment and social inclusion especially in marginalised rural areas and cost-effective solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change This economic worth of europersquos lsquonatural capitalrsquo is substantial and far exceeds the estimated costs of managing the network but remains poorly understood by other policy sectors
Prioritised action frameworks ndash a new planning toolIn order to improve the uptake of funds for Natura 2000 in the new financing period the Commission has requested the Member States to prepare and submit Prioritised Action
Frameworks (PAFs) PAFs are planning tools aimed at identifying required Natura 2000 conservation priorities and management measures as well as their related costs and potential financing sources matching the former with the latter PAFs are therefore useful to identify funding opportunities provided from all relevant eU funds and to ensure better use of these opportunities during the preparation of the various operational Programmes under each of the funds As an example the following scenario for an integrated and complementary approach to financing Natura 2000 on a national or regional scale can be envisaged the eAFRD could finance the management of traditional rural landscapes with possible links to tourism and recreation the eMFF could focus on supporting the maintenance of marine and coastal sites with co-benefits to sustainable fisheries and marine wildlife tourism the eRDF andor the Cohesion Fund could finance restoration of wetlands with possible links to creating green infrastructure for
water purification andor carbon storage while the european Social Fund (eSF) could be used to cover the costs of acquiring new skills and knowledge related to the socio-economic opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 network Finally LIFe projects could then focus on management priorities that cannot be covered under any of the other eU funds
new Commission guidance on financing natura 2000The Commission has also published a new Guidance Handbook which analyses in detail the opportunities for financing investments as well as day-to-day management activities in relation to Natura 2000 under the eU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014ndash2020 The Handbook offers a detailed measure-by-measure and fund-by-fund analysis of the opportunities available under each fund and provides practical advice on how to incorporate these opportunities into the various national and regional operational Programmes (oPs) that are
currently under development in each Member State The document also provides 10 examples of successfully using eU co-financing to support Natura 2000 management in different Member States These examples showcase efficient and innovative use of funds for Natura 2000 in the 2007ndash2013 programming period and highlight links to different social and economic benefits resulting from the investment Lastly bearing in mind the limited eU co-financing for investments in Natura 2000 the Handbook also provides guidance on other sources of available funding which could supplement the eU funding including innovative financing instruments such as payments for ecosystem services (PeS)
next stepsMost of the eU funds (except LIFe and Horizon 2020) are under a form of shared management This means that for each fund the Member States must prepare national or regional operational Programmes to explain how they intend to make use of the funds on their territory
copy N
ick Turner natureplcom
copy Chris G
omersall natureplcom
Farm advisory services can advise on how to access EAFRD funds for farming in Natura 2000 sites
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
12 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 20141212
european Regional Development Fund (eRDF) and Cohesion Fund
Under ErDf and the Cohesion fund 2014ndash2020 dedicated support is possible for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services including Natura 2000 In addition support is also made available for a range of activities and wider green infrastructure intiatives supporting broader sustainable regional development with possible indirect links to Natura 2000 management
Such indirect measures include for example supporting investment in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change (eg nature-based solutions for carbon storage and sequestration mitigating risks of climate change) protecting promoting and developing cultural heritage (eg Natura 2000 sites) and integrating Natura 2000-related socio-economic opportunities into broader plans to regenerate deprived urban and rural communities
european Maritime and Fisheries Fund (eMFF)
Under the Emff dedicated support is available for the management restoration and monitoring of coastal and marine Natura 2000 sites and for limiting the impact of fishing on the marine environment for instance by investing in equipment to improve species selectivity protect catches from mammals and birds protected under eU nature legislation or limit the impact of fishing on marine habitats or the seabed Schemes to compensate for the damage to catches caused by eU protected mammals and birds are also eligible
In addition support is foreseen for the preparation drawing-up monitoring and updating of protection and management plans for fishery-related activities relating to Natura 2000 sites and for increasing environmental awareness involving fishermen with regard to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity on land support is also provided for the uptake of aquaculture methods compatible with biodiversity conservation and subject to the specific management requirements of Natura 2000 sites
biodiversity conservation across europe But it will not happen on its own it requires all those involved in Natura 2000 across europe to develop lobby for and implement practical initiatives that are well integrated with wider socio-economic interests and policy priorities The stage is set let the play begin hellip
For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000financingindex_enhtmguidancehandbook
The draft operational Programmes are then submitted to the Commission for scrutiny to ensure they are in line with the eUrsquos overall thematic priorities and the individual Partnership Agreements (PA) agreed with each country This also provides a unique opportunity for the Commission services to check the relevant oPs against the PAFs to see whether funding for Natura 2000 related measures have been adequately integrated where appropriate once the operational Programmes are adopted it will be time to start implementing the different measures on the ground through a variety of initiatives schemes and projects Natura 2000 managers be they public bodies private landowners or users or
NGos can play an important role here by promoting their project ideas and schemes in favour of Natura 2000 and other wider biodiversity initiatives to the different management authorities responsible for these funds in their respective countries In this context good project preparation is crucial It is vital that the project is designed with the main (often socio-economic) objective of the fund in mind For instance it is useful to ask oneself how in addition to supporting Natura 2000 the project will also support other key objectives such as rural diversification employment climate adaptation or social inclusion The initiatives must also be realistic with measurable
objectives and indicators and a strong emphasis on practical on-the-ground actions in order to facilitate their approval by the relevant authorities It is also useful to be proactive and enlist the support of the relevant decision makers rather than wait to be approached The next seven years will be crucial if the Natura 2000 network is to become an operational success In addition to the national funds several eU funds can also be used to help support and manage Natura 2000 and promote
copy John M
acPhersonnatureplcom
copy Toby Roxburghnatureplcom
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
EMFF and ERDF funds can be used to promote wildlife tourism and encourage more sustainable fishing in Natura 2000 sites
copy D
e MeesterARCo
natureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
13 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 13
Programme for environment and Climate Action (LIFe)
status of species (including birds) or habitat types of Community interest in support of the Natura 2000 network
bull Projects addressing the marine component of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives in particular where such projects focus on one or several of the following actionsndash completing and finalising national inventories for setting up the
offshore marine Natura 2000 network of sites ndash restoration and management of marine Natura 2000
sites including the preparation and implementation of site management plans
ndash actions addressing species- habitat- or site-related conflicts between marine conservation and fishermen or other ldquomarine usersrdquo as well as actions which combine conservation measures with a sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites
ndash demonstrative or innovative approaches to assess or monitor the impact of human activities on critical marine habitats and species as a tool to guide active conservation measures
Under the ldquoenvironmental Governance and Informationrdquo priority
Information communication and awareness-raising campaignsbull National or transnational awareness-raising campaigns with the
objective of raising public awareness on Natura 2000 These campaigns should be conceived in a way to ensure a significant change in awareness of the natural values (including ecosystem services) for which Natura 2000 has been set up and possibly lead to positive behavioural changes in a large part of the target public andor specific social administrative or economic sectors
Sharing of best practice bull Projects supporting the exchange of best practice and development
of skills of Natura 2000 site managers following recommendations from the new Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects aimed at developing and supporting the role of networks of volunteers with the aim of ensuring their long-term contribution to the active management of the Natura 2000 network
LIFE projects supports a wide range of activities to restore Natura 2000 sites
a new LifE instrument was agreed in January 2014 It is split into two distinct sub-programmes one for environment (around euro259 billion) and one for climate action (around euro864 million) Just over half of the budget under the environment sub-programme is earmarked for nature and biodiversity action grants with a particular emphasis on Natura 2000 This translates into around euro115 billion in total for the seven-year period
Financing via action grants is available for pilot projects demonstration projects best practice projects integrated projects (IPs) technical assistance projects capacity building projects preparatory projects information awareness and dissemination projects The integrated project is new It is intended to encourage a more strategic programmatic approach by helping to implement a whole suite of priority actions identified in a Member Statesrsquo Prioritised Action Frameworks (PAFs) across a broader geographic area or entire region
A first multiannual work programme was adopted in March 2014 It identifies certain priority areas for funding over the next three years under each of the key thematic priorities The following are particularly relevant to Natura 2000
Under the ldquoNaturerdquo prioritybull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat
types or species (including bird species) of Community interest targeting the Natura 2000 sites proposed or designated for these habitat types or species
bull Projects aimed at improving the conservation status of habitat types in Natura 2000 sites or species (including bird species) of Community interest provided their status is not lsquofavourablesecure and not decliningrsquo or lsquounknownrsquo according to the most recent overall assessments under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive
bull Projects implementing one or several actions foreseen in the relevant Prioritised Action Framework or concrete actions identified recommended or agreed in the framework of the Natura 2000 bio-geographical seminars
bull Projects for improving the conservation status of habitat types or species of Community interest (including bird species) the actions of which correspond to the actions identified in the relevant national or eU-level species or habitat action plans
bull Projects targeting invasive alien species where these are likely to deteriorate the conservation
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy Paul H
arrisnatureplcom
copy iStock
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
14 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
bull NeWS bull PUBLICATIoNS bull eVeNTS
first article 17 reporting results availableThe european environmental Agency (eeA) and its european Topic Centre for Biological Diversity (eTC-BD) are currently analysing the six-yearly reports submitted by Member States in 2013 according to Article 17 of the Habitats Directive and Article 12 of the Birds Directive The preliminary findings of the Article 17 report are now available on-line The published information includes summary assessments of the conservation status of each species and habitat type listed in the Habitats Directive at both a national-biogeographical and eU-biogeographical level as well as distribution maps on a 10 km x 10 km scale Following a public internet consultation in JunendashJuly the eeA will update and finalise its assessments for the end of 2014 The results will be published in a consolidated eU report in early 2015 Please consult httpbdeioneteuropaeuarticle17reports2012
The iaS regulation is nearing adoption The new eU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS ndash see issue 35) is close to adoption The Regulation will establish a coordinated eU-wide legal framework for action to prevent minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services and limit their damage to the economy and human health one of the main elements of the Regulation is the creation of a list of lsquoIAS of Union concernrsquo so that eU level action can be targeted towards those species that are deemed to be the most problematic within the eU The Regulation will require Member States to take measures to ensure their prevention early detection and rapid eradication as well as the management of those that are already widespread in the eU To follow progress go tohttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinvasivealienindex_enhtm
fitness check of EU legislation As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has decided to carry out a systematic fitness check of eU legislation (the ReFIT initiative) These comprehensive policy evaluations are designed to assess whether the regulatory framework for a policy sector is lsquofit for purposersquo Their findings will serve as a basis for drawing policy conclusions on how well eU policies have been performing and feed into possible considerations for the future
The fitness check for the Habitats and Birds Directives was launched earlier this year and will accompany the Article 17 and Article 12 reporting exercise The main focus will be on Natura 2000 but other aspects of the two directives will also be examined as appropriate The accompanying mandate sets out key questions to be addressed in relation to each of the fitness check criteria
bull Effectiveness have the objectives been met
bull Efficiency were the costs involved reasonable
bull Coherence does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions
bull Relevance is eU action still necessary
bull EU added value could similar changes have been achieved at nationalregional level or did eU action provide clear added value
In this context the fitness check will examine among other things
bull Implementation and integration successes and problems
bull The costs of implementation and of non-implementation of the legislation
bull opportunities for improving implementation and reducing administrative burden without compromising the integrity of the purpose of the directives
bull The situation of implementation in different
eU countries
bull The views of key stakeholder groups
The Commission has launched a study contract to provide support in collecting and assessing evidence for the fitness check once the first results are in it will carry out a public internet consultation most likely in early 2015 The aim is to report on the overall findings of the fitness check in early 2016 To follow progress go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturelegislationfitness_checkindex_enhtm
The no net Loss initiative The eU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy foresees that by 2015 the european Commission will propose an initiative to ensure that there is no net loss of ecosystems and their services in the eU (action 7b) The Commission has begun by assessing the various policy options available and evaluating the potential effectiveness and efficiency of each The first results were submitted for public consultation in June in order to gather views on issues such as the scale and scope of the No Net Loss (NNL) Initiative and
Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha ndash an invasive species
Dorycnium spectabile ndash an Annex II species
copy N
oA
A
copy Benoit Bock
15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
copy LIFe02
_SLo_0
08585
months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
copy H
ans van Gossum
copy Francois Krem
er
copy european Com
mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
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15 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014 1515 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014
the economic sectors it should address The consultation round also sought feedback on the challenges of compensation and offsetting such as the importance of lsquoadditionalityrsquo providing lsquolike for likersquo or lsquotrading uprsquo The consultation is open until September For more information go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturebiodiversitynnlindex_enhtm
Launch of a European Platform on Large Carnivores In 2012 the Commission set up a eU Large Carnivore Initiative (see issue 34) to facilitate a constructive stakeholder dialogue on ways of achieving successful coexistence between humans and large carnivores in the eU After two years of often difficult consultative meetings and workshops with the main european stakeholder organisations the scene is finally set for the formation of a european Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores The Platform was officially launched on 10 June in the presence of the european Commissioner for the environment Janez Potočnik The buy-in of the major european stakeholder organisations was secured in advance with each member signing an agreement setting out the key principles
underpinning the future work of the platform Supported by the Commission the Platform will help to assemble knowledge and good practices as well as exchange experiences among different stakeholders with a view to finding commonly agreed solutions to existing conflicts It also aims to facilitate voluntary partnerships for possible joint projects on key actions at the population level A dedicated website will be set up to report on progress and to establish a resource centre on humanlarge carnivore coexistence issues httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureconservationspeciescarnivoresindex_enhtm
The mediterranean natura 2000 SeminarThe Kick-off Seminar for the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process in the Mediterranean region was held in Thessaloniki from 26ndash28 May over 70 experts from nine Member States attended the Seminar which was hosted by the Greek Ministry of environment under the auspices of the Greek eU Presidency and the Axios Loudias and Aliakmonas Management Authority The Seminar launched a continuing process of networking information sharing and knowledge building across the Mediterranean region It is the first in a series of themed workshops and seminars that will be developed in the
Official launch of the European Platform on the Coexistence between People and Large Carnivores
above Grasslands in the Axios Delta Natura 2000 site near Thessalonikileft Participants at the Mediterranean biogeographic seminar
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months and years ahead to improve management know-how in habitats across the Mediterranean region The Seminar focused on practical habitat management issues and identified common concerns shared priorities and possible areas for future collaboration on four groups of habitat types coastal freshwater and wetlands grasslands and forests This was also the first Natura 2000 Seminar to introduce the new approach to the Biogeographical Process which aims to ensure greater focus on strategic priorities and targets while building upon the evidence from Article 17 and Article 12 reports Full details available on the Natura 2000 Communication Platform httpeceuropa euenvironmentnature natura2000platformindex_ enhtm
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ans van Gossum
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mission
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom
16 natureandb iod ivers i tynewsletter | Ju ly 2014KH
-AA-14-001-EN-C
TheNatura2000NewsletterisproducedbyDGEnvironmentEuropeanCommission
AuthorKerstinSundsethEcosystemsLTDBrusselsCommissionEditorSylviaBarovaDGEnvironmentDesignNatureBureauUK
ThenewsletterisproducedtwiceayearandisavailableinEnglishFrenchGermanSpanishItalianandPolish
Tobeaddedtothemailinglistortodownloadtheelectronicversionvisithttpeceuropaeuenvironmentnatureinfopubsnatura2000nl_enhtm
ThenewsletterdoesnotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialviewoftheEuropeanCommission
PrintedonrecycledpaperthathasbeenawardedtheEUEcolabel(httpeceuropaeuecolabel)
copyEuropeanUnion(2014)Reproductionofcontentotherthanphotographsisauthorisedprovidedthesourceisacknowledged
Photo credits Cover David Pattynnatureplcom p2 copyJana Marešovaacute copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom copyBenoit Bock copyEuropean Commission p3 copyEuropean Commission p4 copySvetoslav Spasov copyN Terziev copyFundatia ADEPT Transilvania p5 copyJana Marešovaacute copyArne vanden Bogaerde copyDaniel Mihalca copyPaco Pantildeos (GEACAM) p6 copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom copyEuropean Commission p7 copyAdrian Daviesnatureplcom copywwwinbobe p10 copyMark Hamblinnatureplcom p11 copyNick Turnernatureplcom copyChris Gomersallnatureplcom p12 copyToby Roxburghnatureplcom copyJohn MacPhersonnatureplcom copy De MeesterARCOnatureplcom p13 copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyPaul Harrisnatureplcom copyiStock p14 copyBenoit Bock copy NOAA p15 copyFrancois Kremer copyHans van Gossum copy uropean Commission copyLIFE02_SLO_008585 p16 copyJuan Carlos Muneznatureplcom
new Commission guidance on farming and natura 2000 A new Commission guidance document has been prepared to assist Member State administrations and key stakeholder groups who are responsible for agriculture and nature conservation in developing and promoting farming systems and practices that are compatible with the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites The guide provides an overview of the main issues to consider as regards the relationship between farming and Natura 2000 and offers a range of practical ideas examples and recommendations on managing farmland in Natura 2000 sites based on
good practice experiences from across the eU Particular attention is given in this respect to the integration of Natura 2000 management measures into the new Rural Development Programmes for 2014ndash2020 Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentnaturenatura2000managementguidance_enhtm
Business and Biodiversity ndash second phase Phase 2 of the european Business and Biodiversity Platform has been up and running since April 2014 It is open to all sectors and aims to engage businesses more actively in working directly with the european Commission to reach the objectives of the eU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 It
also helps coordinate and raise awareness of other national and international Business and Biodiversity initiatives In order to deliver tangible results the Platform allows the Commission to work with businesses on three workstreams Natural Capital Accounting Innovation for Biodiversity and Business Access to Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms So far over 100 organisations have joined including over 50 businesses and over 20 multinationals from numerous sectors ranging from construction and energy to retail and finance Member companies have already started delivering on the workstreams Go to httpeceuropaeuenvironmentbiodiversitybusiness
copy Juan Carlos M
unoznatureplcom