Introduction New Biogeographic Process

Natura 2000 Seminars

An initiative of

Introduction to the

New Biogeographic Process

Natura 2000 Seminars 2

ECNC, ARCADIS Belgium, Aspen International, CEH, ILE SAS June 2012

Colophon Prepared by: ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation (NL) and its

consortium partners Arcadis Belgium (B), Aspen International (UK), Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UK) and ILE SAS (SK)

Author: Lawrence Jones-Walters

Copyright: © 2012 ECNC–European Centre for Nature Conservation

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of ECNC.

Funding: European Commission as part of contract number 07.0307/2011/60517/SER/B.3.



Introduction to the New Biogeographic Process The purpose of the New Biogeographic Process is to help Member States to manage Natura 2000 as a coherent ecological network, whilst exchanging experience and best practice, addressing objectives and priorities and enhancing cooperation and synergies. The process should make a significant contribution to the achievement of Favourable Conservation Status-FCS for those habitats and species of community interest (listed in Annex 1, 2 and 4 of the Habitats Directive)

that have been identified as having priority within the given biogeographic region, with a special focus on the contribution of the Natura 2000 network, but without ignoring horizontal measures where necessary. In the context of the viability of the Natura 2000 network it is also important to know how to ensure that habitats also achieve a level of favourable conservation status outside Natura 2000 site boundaries, and also how to address the major threats that occur there.

It is important to emphasise that the New Biogeographic Process: the “Natura 2000 Seminars” is

not another reporting cycle. Article 17 reporting captures progress on the current status of Natura 2000; the Natura 2000 Seminars are designed to capture expert and policy-maker’s knowledge in relation to issues, solutions and actions that can deliver improved conservation status on Natura 2000 sites. In this respect, as well as written knowledge, through facilitated workshops and consultation on the background document content the process aims to capture the tacit knowledge that is represented by the experience of the experts, policy makers and practitioners. From this

perspective the process is a unique opportunity to gather information within and between countries and to allow the establishment of dialogue between individuals and organisations. Each Biogeographic cycle is led by a Member State. Finland led the Boreal Seminar and The Netherlands took up the Atlantic. The Steering Committee of each cycle is composed of representatives of the Member States and the EEA, ETC/BD, and EC. Whilst one Member State is taking the lead for each cycle, the other MS should take an active role in the coordination of

habitat working groups that work on one of the priority habitats selected for the biogeographic region. The role of the stakeholders in the process is of great importance. Member States should play an active role in the process and the lead countries approach is important. Based on the scoping document and the discussions of the Steering Committee, a number of habitat groups are selected per biogeographic region.

Each biogeographic cycle consists of three milestone meetings: 1) Steering Committee (meetings): The Steering Committee has an essential role and each

cycle of the process starts with a meeting of the Steering Committee. It is composed of representatives of the Member States that fall in the biogeographic region and in addition the following organisations are also represented: European Commission (EC), European

Environment Agency (EEA), European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC/BD).

Observers from other MS are also allowed to attend upon invitation. The Steering Committee reviews the pre-scoping document, and makes the final decision about the priority habitats and species, and the habitat groups.

2) Preparatory Workshops: The workshops are used to prepare the seminar. The workshop is

a very informal working meeting that provides the basic material and preparation for the

Seminar. It is informed by the Background Document but does not consider the content or technical detail of the latter; rather it provides a set of themes (crosscutting or unique to the individual habitat groups) whose elaboration in terms of solutions and actions will form the basis of the seminar document. The role of the contractor regarding the preparatory workshops is to work with the European Commission and to assist MS in preparation, minutes, proceedings, organising, leading discussions, and to decide with MS on themes.

3) Seminars: The Seminars will be based on the Seminar Document whose contents will be

derived from the preparatory workshop. Central to this document are a list of habitat group related and crosscutting issues and problems whose solutions will directly contribute to achieving Favourable Conservation Status (FCS). The seminar should draw conclusions and make recommendations regarding management and actions in relation to selected habitat types (based on the habitat-specific and crosscutting issues). It is hoped that the

conclusion of the seminar should result in a jointly agreed list of actions on the part of MS.



As the seminar returns only once every five years, what happens in between is very important.

• Ad Hoc Expert Group Meetings can be held between the workshop and the seminar in

order to address specific issues (which may be raised during the workshop or may become clear after the workshop).

• A first draft pre-scoping document with complete lists of priority habitats and species is drafted by the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity (ETC/BD). The pre-scoping document explains the selection of habitats and is posted on CIRCA.

• For each biogeographic region the pre-scoping document (which can include well over 100 habitats) provides the basis for selection of a smaller and more manageable number of habitats and species: focusing on those habitat types where action is most needed. This

first list is discussed and agreed with the Member States inside the biogeographic region during a Steering Committee meeting.

• The second draft of the pre-scoping document is then produced, focussing on the selected habitats. This provides a description of each habitat together with a summary of the relevant Article 17 data (conservation status, pressures and threats, etc.). Annex 2 and 4 species linked to the habitat are also included, also with details of their status, etc.

• The second draft of the pre-scoping document provides the basis for the Background

Document. In preparing both documents there is no added burden to the Member States

as the information is gathered from pre-existing sources. As well as selected references there are lists of case studies provided as annexes to the document. The Background Document has a life beyond the seminar; it should therefore be continuously improved, modified and added to as each five-year cycle continues.

• The Seminar brings together key actors (including ministry and state Institute officials,

NGOs and stakeholders) from different countries for the exchange of practice and should

result in the creation of expert networks about similar habitats inside a biogeographic region. The Biogeographic Process is to be used to assess management practices and best practices and result in the formulation of recommendations based on the process.

• Internal Communication within the process for each biogeographic region is particularly

important; thus:

- CIRCABC is currently the main internal communication platform for the process; - In order to make the relevant documents easily accessible, special interest groups for

each Biogeographic Region (BGR) are created on CIRCABC; - An Interest Group for each Steering Committee has already been created and is

composed of representatives of the European Commission (EC), the European

Environmental Agency (EEA), the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity (ETC/BD) and member states (MS);

- It is planned that at the level of the Biogeographic Interest Groups there will be no active involvement of NGOs (at least in relation to the Boreal process);

- For the moment CIRCABC is to be used to store meeting agenda’s, minutes, documents.

An internet based communication platform will be developed as part of the project for external and internal communication. The wider target audience for the internet platform should include the

interested public; but also expert networks. The objectives of the Workshop are to discuss the key conservation issues for each group of selected habitat types and to prepare the ground for adopting conclusions and recommendations at the Pilot Natura 2000 Seminar. The process is given focus by the context provided by the EU

Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and the target to halt the deterioration in the status of all species

and habitats covered by EU nature legislation and to achieve a significant and measurable improvement in their status by 2020. The following diagram summarises the Biogeographic process and the points of input by different actors.



Main stages in the New

Biogeographic Process

Documents

Introduction New Biogeographic Process