Eureca – European Ecosystem Assessment Proposal 3 March 2008

MA follow-up Strategic goals Improving the knowledge base regarding ecosystem functioning and services Developing and applying tools for political decision making at European level Outreach to stakeholders Priorities for sub-global assessments Significant ecosystem degradation or risk of future degradation Demand from the country or region concerned Opportunities to influence a decision-making process Link to ongoing initiatives for environmental integration into policies Committed leader EURECA aims at getting formally acknowledged as SGA

Expert meeting 28/29 January Involve stakeholders as early as possible Add value to country initiatives Preference for storyline-based approach with biodiversity areas (option 1) or selected ecosystem services (option 2)as starting point) Yet comprehensiveness needed (not only focus on certain ecosystems)

Approach Storyline-based assessment Integrated accounting framework (long-term) Capacity building

Methods ‘Economic valuation techniques will be combined with dedicated scenario development and ecosystem accounting. The scenarios will describe alternative pathways into the future, leading to alternative uses of the selected ecosystem resources. The economic assessment will, on the basis of case studies, analyse the costs and benefits of the different use options provided by the scenarios. Ecosystem accounting will finally provide a spatial framework to extrapolate the case study findings to the European level and enable calculation of economic consequences of land use change (and alternative use of ecosystem resources). Models will play a synthesizing and integrative role throughout the eureca process, complementing the data collection, supporting the scenarios building and enhancing the valuation/accounting.’ EURECA project plan draft / background doc expert meeting January 2008

Methods (2) ecological analysis indicator-based (e.g. SEBI) distribution and trends of habitats and species threats / pressures ecosystem resilience scenario development alternative pathways into the future DPSIR modelling spatially explicit output (distribution habitats / species) economic valuation (NB: per scenario) identification of relevant ecosystem services value of marketed and non-marketed services costs of relevant policy measures cost-benefit analysis under discounting over the scenario period. ecosystem accounting stocks (land cover units, species) flows of related ecosystem services modelling economic parameters (upscaling / benefit transfer)

Modular setup Pathfinder Europe-wide background picture Status and trends of European biodiversity (SEBI-based) Pathways into the future (scenarios, prospective study) Methods handbook / matrix of ecosystems and services No integral economic valuation of change! Spotmeters Zooming in on areas/services of interest Analysing consequences of context changes (on basis of scenarios) Exploring resilience Exploring policy options Assessing economic costs and benefits Integrator Overall assessment / conclusion

Storyline based assessment Spotmeters Food for Thought Food, fuel and the fate of the landscape Fish Behind the Net Exploiting the marine environment Natura2morrow Significance and robustness of the Natura2000 network Peak performance Mountain ecosystems under pressure Breaking the waves Biodiversity and flood prevention (scheduled to start 2009)

Internal process Pathfinder Spotmeter Accounting Integral accounting (selected services) Partial story-line based analysis (selected issues / regions) Integrator CORINE SEBI

Stakeholder process Pathfinder framework Vulnerability maps Status and trends Methodology guideline Scenarios Storyline development Biodiversity assessment Spotmeter development Economic valuation Policy options Integrator Synthesis Recommendations Conclusions Stakeholders SEBI Countries Topic stakeholders countries Reachout event Startup event

Timetable Biodiversity Comm. 2nd progress report 4th pr. rep eval. 7th pr. report 6th EAP eval. Marine strat.Entry into forceInitial assessment CFPRevision WFDRiver basin rep. CAP Health Check Commission proposal Reg. policyEx post eval.Proposal Natura2000Art. 17 reportingPossible guideline art.10 coherence Poss. revision HD / BD Climate change Communication on adaptation BioenergySust. criteria CohesionGreen paper Budget rev.Budget ’14-’20 Alp./Carp. C PathfinderIntegrator Food for Thought Braking the waves Fish behind the Net Natura2morrow Peak Performance SEBI report SoER CC rep.Biofuels rep. CAP report

Links to MA follow-up strategy Improving the knowledge base regarding ecosystem functioning and services SEBI integration, Country contributions Developing and applying tools for political decision making at European level Close link to main policy frameworks and timetable (CAP, CFP, Energy, WFD, BAP) Outreach to stakeholders Spotmeter storylines as basis for outreach, can be combined with audiovisuals