The Natura 2000 Seminars First meeting of the Steering Committee of the Alpine Natura 2000 Seminar Brussels, 3 July 2012

Natura 2000: Is more than a network of protected areas ! It is also a network of people and sectors working together, experts exchanging knowledge, practitioners sharing experience and best practice.

Natura 2000 Seminars focusing on improving the management of Natura 2000 sites and aiming at FCS of selected habitats and species; directly linked to targets 1 & 2 of the EU biodiversity strategy; not an instrument to assess progress of MS, based on voluntary cooperation between all actors; strongly depending on active involvement of MS and stakeholders / NGOs. The New Biogeographic Process is

Natura 2000 Seminars the identification of barriers and bottlenecks that hamper habitat management; the shared formulation of practical management solutions and effective recommendations; knowledge management - not additional reporting ; no additional burden on Member States for information gathering (ref.: Article 17). Knowledge comes from MS experts, NGOs, expert groups and other habitat/species experts. The process includes

Natura 2000 Seminars networking and cooperation between experts and practitioners; the coordination and facilitation of cross boundary and in-country projects (LIFE nature and other projects); the exploration of opportunities & synergies (e.g. for cross-border cooperation); the pooling and dissemination of habitat management expertise. It also provides a Communication platform with free access to information The process enhances

l Working together & networking is a continuous process (with the ‘Background Document’ being a living knowledge base) l Working together requires permanent (and voluntary) engagement of actors (Lead MSs, NGOs, Stakeholders, experts…) l Natura 2000 Seminars and Workshops are periodic events for the formulation of practical management solutions and effective recommendations towards achieving FCS l There are many other networking activities and events in-between the seminars

The Communication Platform seminars l An internet-based instrument for communicating and exchanging information on conservation objectives and measures and their follow-up between all actors involved in the process, also during the period between the seminars. l It will also allow for informing the public on the work and results of the Seminars l It will be established using as a model the communication platform on Natura 2000 which was prepared in 2008 under a preparatory action (see: )

SeminarPreparatory workshop Seminar Boreal25/26 Jan /29 May 2012 Atlantic20/21 June 20123/4 Dec AlpineSpring 2013October 2013 Pannonian /Steppic/Black Sea (?) ???2014 ???? Continental (?)???2015 ??? Mediterranean / Macaronesian(?) ???2016 ??? Tentative C Tentative new planning Note: Dates for Alpine, Pannonian, Steppic, Black Sea, Mediterranean & Macaronesian are still open for change, as well as the proposed combination of regions

Natura 2000 Seminars Atlantic Biogeographic Region The Boreal Process (Lead Country: Finland)

SC WS Seminar JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec SC SC 04.7 Background document (BD) Seminar Document BD Consult Pre-Scoping Document BD Improve The Atlantic Process (Lead country: The Netherlands) Seminar Report

Basic questions to be discussed: 1.What are the common problems/issues in management of habitats over the biogeographical region? 2.What are the potential solutions to these problems? 3.Are there concrete possibilities for cooperation/cooperative action linked to the preferred solutions that could be launched at the seminar? 4.What special management measures are required to accommodate habitats and key associated species?

Working groups (Boreal process): and lead countries 1.Forests (Finland) 2.Grasslands & coastal meadows (Sweden) 3.Wetlands (Latvia) 4.Freshwater habitats (Estonia)

Working groups (Atlantic seminar) and Lead countries 1.Coastal and dunes (Germany/Belgium) 2.Grasslands (France) 3.Heaths and bogs (UK/Ireland) 4.Lakes and rivers (The Netherlands)

Examples of forest-related issues discussed at the Boreal Seminar –Management and restoration –Mimicking natural disturbances) –Non-intervention management: how much management can be accepted; sustainable use issues; etc –Connectivity issues outside N2K

Examples of freshwater-related issues discusssed at the Boreal Seminar: –Catchment approach –Ecological functionality eg Hydropower, etc –Cross sectoral cooperation (eg synergies with WFD, etc) –Complexity of habitat

More information is / will be available on: Natura 2000 CIRCA Website: Natura 2000 Seminars CIRCABC Website (Communication and Information Resource Centre for Administrations, Businesses and Citizens) : tainer.jsp and on the Nature & Biodiversity Homepage:

Next steps Alpine process (1) l by 6 July: Contractor will sent list of 89 habitat types to Steering Committee (SC) members l by 27 July: SC members send their list of TOP 20 (15 plus 5 habitats) and 3 species to contractor l by 3 August: Contractor works out TOP 20 list plus ca. 3 species and send it to ETC, with copy to SC members l by 26 September: ETC/BD prepares the revised pre- scoping document including the selected habitats and species and sends it to SC members

Next steps Alpine process (2) 3 October: Next meeting of the Alpine Seminar Steering Committee (Brussels) with discussion / agreement on: l The final list of selected habitat types and species, l The grouping of the habitats and species, l Further organizing the process: how to take into account the sub-regions, cross-cutting issues, who will lead which habitat / species group, etc.

Further tentative timetable Alpine Early 2013: Third meeting of the SC March April: Fourth meeting of the SC (tbc) Late May / early June 2013: Preparatory workshop Late June: Fifth meeting of SC (tbc) October 2013: Alpine Natura 2000 Seminar