1. Marine Expert Group meeting – Brussels, 6/11/2012
Progress in the designation of Marine Natura 2000 sites Synergies between marine/nature Guidance document on fisheries measures&N2000
Fotios Papoulias
Nature Unit
DG ENVIRONMENT
Marine Expert Group meeting – Brussels, 6/11/2012

2. Designation of Marine Natura 2000
N2000 largely complete on land – needs to be extended in the marine, esp. offshore
Applies to waters where Member States exercise sovereign rights: territorial waters, EEZ, other protection zones (environmental or fisheries), continental shelf
A major contribution to EU Biodiv. Strategy, implementing MSFD, preserving marine biodiv.
A priority since 2002 (Court rulings, political commitments, marine expert group, marine guidelines, LIFE projects, fisheries measures, biogeographical seminars…)
EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020:
Significant progress in site designations by 2012
Conservation status of marine features stabilised/improved by 2020

3. Article 17 monitoring and reporting

10. Marine N2000 - Status Total 26.406 Natura 2000 sites, of which:
2.341 sites with a marine component (= 9% of total sites),
km² (= 22% of total N2000 area, ~ 4 % of EU seas under national jurisdiction)
1.764 SCIs (~ km²), 863 SPAs (~ km²)
Offshore area ~ km²
81 sites with offshore component (>5%) - 61 SCIs, 14 SPAs, 6 both - of which
53 sites entirely (>90%) offshore – 45 SCIs, 3 SPAs, 5 both

11. Marine seminar conclusions
OLD
Habitats
Species
Conclusions
% SUF
Sea Region   
Atlantic 33
 21,2 71
33,8
Baltic 22
 36,6 34
35,3
Mediterranean
 30,3 35
17,1
Black Sea 8
 25,0 9
11,1
Macaronesian 6
 0,0
0,0
Note:
Scientific Reserves=unknown counted as not-sufficient
NEW PROGRESS
Habitats
Species
Conclusions
% SUF
Sea Region   
Atlantic 30
43,3 71
45,1
Baltic 21
38,1 34
47,1
Mediterranean 33
30,3 35
17,1
Black Sea 8
25,0 9
11,1
Macaronesian 6
0,0
12,5
Note:
Scientific Reserves=unknown counted as not-sufficient

12. Area of marine Natura 2000 sites per MS
Area (km2)
Area 0-12 nm (km²)
Area beyond 12 nm (km²) BE
1.263
804
459 BG
926 CY
132 DE
25.667
15.634
10.033 DK
18.789
13.132
5.657 EE
6.773
6.595
178 ES
10.193
7.843
2.350 FI
6.922
6.903 19 FR
41.625
30.645
10.980 GR
6.899
6.898 1 IE
6.828
4.285
2.543 IT
5.305 LT
686
684 2 LV
4.379
4.169
211 MT
191 NL
11.662
5.778
5.885 PL
7.248
5.623
1.625 PT
1.756
1.419
338 RO
1.707 SE
9.203
5.183
4.020 SI 3 UK
49.301
22.118
27.184
Total
71.484

13. Area of marine N2000 per MS

15. Area of National seas covered by Natura 2000

17. Progress in marine SCI designation

18. Coverage of natura 2000 in the Marine regions and subregions
Sea Surface area
(km²)
MSFD surface area EU
Number of Natura 2000 areas
Area covered by
Natura 2000
(km2)
Area covered by
(%)
Area 0-1nm
covered by Natura 2000
Area 1-12nm covered by Natura 2000
Area >12nm (within EEZ)
covered by Natura 2000 (%)
Baltic Sea
917
45.244
12,26
28,01
14,00
4,78
North East Atlantic Ocean
1.249
3,26
37,22
14,29
1,70
Celtic Sea
472
27.897
3,08
29,15
8,19
1,52
Greater North Sea
441
81.679
15,89
48,98
25,46
10,77
Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast
197
24.721
42,45
14,86
1,72
Macaronesia
149
2.458
0,13
15,20
2,31
0,02
Mediterranean
990
27.521
6,55
24,37
4,41
0,00
Western Mediterranean
553
18.768
11,81
41,28
8,71
Ionian and Central Mediterranean Sea
61.948
158
3.040
4,91
26,71
2,02
Adriatic Sea
25.347 81
705
2,78
12,69
1,77
Agean - Levantine Sea
201
5.008
2,88
12,30
1,63
Black Sea
55.304 43
3.429
6,20
72,10
27,69
Total
3.199
4,23
30,55
7,72
1,79

19. LIFE Projects that helped on the designation of marine Natura 2000 network sites
Project title
Project number
Comment
Distribution and abundance of the harbour porpoise and other small cetaceous in the North Sea
LIFE92 ENV/UK/000065
ICCI - Integral Coastal Conservation Initiative
LIFE96 NAT/B/003032
Caretta caretta - Conservation support project for North Atlantic Caretta caretta sea turtles
LIFE96 NAT/P/003019
UK marine SACS - To develop and promote the necessary conservation measures for UK marine SACS
LIFE96 NAT/UK/003055
Caretta/Tursiops Truncatus - Project to support the conservation of Caretta caretta and Tursiops truncatus in the Canary Islands
LIFE97 NAT/E/004151
One marine N2000 site enlargement
zonas costeiras/Açores - Integrated management of coastal and marine zones in the Azores
LIFE98 NAT/P/005275
cetáceos/Madeira - Project for the conservation of cetaceans in Madeira Archipelago
LIFE99 NAT/P/006432
Dolphins 30/6/ Conservation of the dolphins from the Romanian Black Sea waters
LIFE00 NAT/RO/007194
Cetáceos Mediterráneo - Conservation of cetaceans and turtles in Andalusia and Murcia
LIFE02 NAT/E/008610
Caretta - Reduction of mortality of Caretta caretta in the Greek seas
LIFE02 NAT/GR/008500
Cetáceos Gomera - Conservación de Tursiops y Caretta en La Gomera
LIFE03 NAT/E/000062
IBA MARINAS - IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS FOR SEABIRDS (Marine Ibas) IN SPAIN
LIFE04 NAT/ES/000049
SCANS-II - Small Cetaceans in the European Atlantic and North Sea
LIFE04 NAT/GB/000245
TARTANET - Tartanet, a network for the conservation of sea turtles in Italy
LIFE04 NAT/IT/000187
Proposed to enlarge one marine N2000 site
IBAMarinha - Important bird areas for seabirds in Portugal
LIFE04 NAT/P/000213
Baltic MPAs - Marine protected areas in the Eastern Baltic Sea
LIFE05 NAT/LV/000100
INDEMARES - Inventory and designation of marine Natura 2000 areas in the Spanish sea
LIFE07 NAT/E/000732
FINMARINET - Inventories and planning for the marine Natura 2000 network in Finland
LIFE07 NAT/FIN/000151
CETACEOSMADEIRA II - Identifying critical marine areas for bottlenose dolphin and surveillance of the cetaceans' con ...
LIFE07 NAT/P/000646
DENOFLIT - Inventory of marine species and habitats for development of NATURA 2000 network in the offshore ...
LIFE09 NAT/LT/000234
MARMONI - Innovative approaches for marine biodiversity monitoring and assessment of conservation status of nature values in the Baltic Sea
LIFE09 NAT/LV/000238
MarPro - Conservation of Marine Protected Species in Mainland Portugal
LIFE09 NAT/PT/000038
MALTA SEABIRD PROJECT - Creating an inventory of Marine IBAs for Puffinus Yelkouan, Calonectris diomedea and Hydrobate ...
LIFE10 NAT/MT/000090
SIMARINE-NATURA - Preparatory inventory and activities for the designation of marine IBA and SPA site for Phalacr ...
LIFE10 NAT/SI/000141
Project MIGRATE - Conservation Status and potential Sites of Community Interest for Tursiops truncatus and Caretta caretta in Malta
LIFE11 NAT/MT/001070

20. Evaluation of progress
Significant progress achieved over past few years. Most MSs actively engaged in surveys and research. Beneficial coordination with Regional Sea Conventions, NGOs, neighbouring countries. Role of LIFE and other EU funds, sometimes incl. fisheries measures.
Art. 17 assessment: only 10 % of marine habitats and 2 % of marine species in favourable status, significant knowledge gaps.
Conclusions of marine biogeographical seminars: large number of insufficiencies.
Considerable differences among MSs in area/% covered,
Uneven coverage of EU regional seas.
Overall, appx 4,2% of EU seas under N2000 (cf. 10% CBD target)
Vast majority of marine N2000 sites coastal, in the 0-1 nm zone, or within 12 nm. With a few exceptions, significant gaps offshore.

21. Synergies between marine/water/nature
Nature/Marine/Water Directors found the following areas relevant for cooperation:
The establishment and management of marine protected areas
Cooperation on an integrated approach in the implementation of the EU legislation on nature and water, including coherent interpretation of definitions
Joint efforts on EU fisheries issues, including the elaboration of common methodologies on e.g. assessing the impact of fisheries, involving relevant experts and national bodies responsible for fisheries
Streamlining and harmonisation of reporting under the directives in order to avoid duplication

22. Common methodology for Assessing Impact of Fisheries on Marine N2000
Need for a common methodology at EU level to ensure level-playing and consistent implementation of EU legislation
Non-legally binding methodology, developed in with assistance of marine expert group. Builds on existing practice.
Flexible methodology, moving from qualitative to quantitative analysis of habitats/species and fishing effort and related pressures
Results to guide preparation of fisheries measures
Applicable to other MPAs too