Mediterranean Mountains: Climate Change, Landscape and Biodiversity A partnership for enhancing Sustainable Mountain Development in the Mediterranean EXPO Milan 2015 Bio- Mediterranean Cluster, 04 September 2015 EU Funds Programming Period : What opportunities for Mediterranean mountains? Focus on territorial cohesion and environment Giacomo Luciani DG Environment, Unit D.1 European Commission

Summary Legislation. Are mountain areas taken into account in the EU cohesion policy and environmental funds related legislation/implementation documents and how? ETC and LIFE Programmes. Can cooperation projects in Mediterranean mountains in the fields of climate change, sustainable tourism/landscape and biodiversity/mountain farming be financed within the ETC and LIFE Programmes and how? EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region. What advantages for the Mediterranean mountains?

Are mountain areas taken into account in the EU cohesion policy and environmental funds related legislation/implementation documents and how?

TFEU – Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Article 174 TFEU: "…the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least favoured regions. Among the regions concerned, particular attention shall be paid to rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition, and regions which suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density and island, cross-border and mountain regions."

Cohesion Policy- Examples CPR Regulation, Art. 121:"The co-financing rate from the Funds to a priority axis may be modulated to take account of…the coverage of areas with severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps defined as follows…mountainous areas as defined by the national legislation of the Member State" ERDF Regulation, Art. 10: "In operational programmes co-financed by the ERDF, covering areas with severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps as referred to in point 4 of Article 121 of Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, particular attention shall be paid to addressing the specific difficulties of those areas."

LIFE Programme - Example Life Work Programme (page 20): "…current and future EU policy could be supported by applications addressing the following areas…Support for implementation of adaptation strategies. This would include vulnerability assessments at regional or cross-border levels focusing on highly vulnerable areas as identified in the EU Adaptation Strategy such as urban, coastal, mountainous and islands areas, marine ecosystems, drought-prone areas or river- basins…"

Can cooperation projects in Mediterranean mountains in the fields of climate change, sustainable tourism/landscape and biodiversity/mountain farming be financed within the ETC and LIFE Programmes and how?

Cohesion policy – INTERREG VB Programmes Programmes specifically targeted to the Mediterranean, including Mediterranean mountains: MED Programme Balkan – MED Adriatic – Ionian (ADRION)

INTERREG VB – MED Programme Participating countries: France, Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom - Gibraltar, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro Budget: around 233 Mio € (85% co-financing) First Call: 1st September – 2nd November 2015 For further information: med.eu/en/home/

Relevant Specific Objectives SO 2.3: To increase capacity to use existing low carbon transport systems and multimodal connections among them SO 3.2: To maintain biodiversity and natural ecosystems through strengthening the management and networking of protected areas SO 4.1: To support the process of developing multilateral coordination frameworks and strengthening the existing ones in the Mediterranean for joint responses to common challenges

INTERREG VB Balkan – MED (not adopted yet) Participating countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Albania, fYRoM Budget: around 39,7 million Euros (85% co-financing) First Call: upon approval of the Programme For further information: for-project-proposals (preliminary info and docs.on 1st Call for Proposals) for-project-proposals

Relevant Specific Objectives: SO 2.1: Biodiversity: taking on the transnational challenge by promoting ecological connectivity and transnational ecosystems’ integration SO 2.2: Sustainable territories: fostering transnational cooperation for resource efficiency and climate change resilience

INTERREG VB Adriatic – Ionian (ADRION) (not adopted yet) Participating countries: Italy, Croatia, Greece, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia Budget: Around 99.1 million Euros (85% co- financing) First Call for Proposals: upon approval of the Programme For further information: europe.net/en/about_see/adriaticionianprogram me/ europe.net/en/about_see/adriaticionianprogram me/

Relevant Specific Objectives SO 2.1: Promote the sustainable valorisation and preservation of natural and cultural heritage as growth assets in the Adriatic-Ionian area (sustainable tourism) SO 2.2: Enhance the capacity in transnationally tackling environmental vulnerability, fragmentation, and the safeguarding of ecosystem services in the Adriatic Ionian area (biodiversity)

Environmental Policy – LIFE Programme Transnationality is an added value Non – EU countries can participate (under conditions) Focus on climate change and biodiversity (including Natura 2000 network)

Transnationality Art LIFE Regulation: "The Commission shall have special regard to transnational projects where transnational cooperation is essential to guarantee environmental protection and climate objectives, and shall endeavour to ensure that at least 15 % of the budgetary resources dedicated to projects are allocated to transnational projects" Projects selection: additional points to transnational projects if conditions listed above are fulfilled

Participation of non-EU countries/Activities outside of the EU It can be possible if: The Coordinating Beneficiary is established in the EU The activity is necessary to achieve Union environmental or climate objectives The activity is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of interventions carried out in the Member States’ territories to which the Treaties apply

Topics Climate Change: Sub – programme for Climate Change (both Adaptation and Mitigation plus Information and Governance) Biodiversity: Sub – programme for Environment – Priority Area Nature and Biodiversity

Overview

General features Applicants: SME, NGO, public administrations active in the field of environment and climate protection Emphasis on replicability/transferability, long-term sustainability, and an EU added value of the project results Not focussed on research (H2020) No large infrastructure; not focussed on rural or regional development (agricultural, structural funds) Support and monitoring: From Contracting Authority (EASME or Commission) and external monitoring team

Projects types and funding rates Traditional (Pilot, Demonstration, Best practice, Information, awareness and dissemination incl. governance), Integrated/Technical assistance, Preparatory, Capacity Building projects Funding rates: max. until % of eligible costs for all except priority species/habitats (75%) and capacity building (100% of eligible costs)

Integrated projects Implementing Union environmental and climate plans or strategies big scale (also transnational) significant involvement of stakeholders complementary actions with additional co- funding (INTERREG + LIFE?)

For further information on the LIFE Programme: For further information on the LIFE Programme in general: Main reference documents LIFE Regulation: LIFE multiannual work programme for : wp wp Contact person: Laszlo Becsy, DG ENV, LIFE Unit E.3 -

EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region. What advantages for the Mediterranean mountains?

EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) Participating countries: Italy, Croatia, Greece, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia Endorsed by the European Council in October 2015 and under implementation One of the main objectives: concentrate and combine available funds (EU but not only) on actions/projects which are strategic for the macro-region Main reference document: Action Plan ( eration/macro-regional-strategies/adriatic-ionian/library/#1 ) N.B. page 64: overview of relevant Fundshttp://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index.cfm/en/policy/coop eration/macro-regional-strategies/adriatic-ionian/library/#1

EUSAIR and Mediterranean mountains The EUSAIR covers also mountain areas (including Dinaric Alps and part of the Balkan) Actions/projects examples in the fields of climate change, biodiversity/agro-biodiversity and sustainable tourism. Examples: Nature, Biodiversity, Climate Change: Development of joint management plans for cross-border habitats and ecosystems (in order also to strengthen ecosystem resilience in preparation for potential impacts of climate change) including in Natura 2000 sites Agro-biodiversity: Awareness-raising activities on implementation and financial aspects of environmentally-friendly farming practices (e.g. organic farming, agrienvironmental measures) complementing restoration and preservation of biodiversity Sustainable Tourism: Expanding the tourist season to all year- round

Thank you Giacomo Luciani DG Environment, Unit D.1 European Commission