1. Favourable Reference Values
16th Meeting Expert Group on Reporting under the Nature Directives
16 March 2015

2. Aim of this discussion on Favourable Reference Values
Improve current guidelines
(Further) harmonise approaches of Member States
Identify operational terms of reference for an ad hoc group
1st meeting of ad hoc: 2 June (Brussels)

3. Main points raised so far
Most difficult values to assess
General guidance not useful: too much variability across habitats & species and countries
Reaching FRV may be unattainable
Develop an EU-biogeographical approach to set FRVs?
Particularly for wide ranging species?

4. How to improve guidance?
More prescriptive?
Develop common rules to simplify assessments?
Develop ‘decision trees’? E.g. Favourable reference range (BE-Wallonie)
Further define role of potential / historical / actual range, area, population (see BE-Wallonie text)

5. How to improve guidance?
Develop EU biogeographical FRVs for certain species groups?
Wide-ranging: terrestrial & marine
Further guidance on use of population viability analysis, namely minimum viable population