1. on the new biogeographic process
Expert Group on Natura 2000 Management
19/05/2011
Agenda item 5
Exchange of views
on the new biogeographic process
Working together to achieve favourable conservation status

2. March 2010 European Spring Council endorsed:
A 2050 VISION
European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides – its natural capital – are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity’s intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided.
A 2020 HEADLINE TARGET
Halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU and restore them insofar as feasible, and step up the EU's contribution to averting global biodiversity loss.

3. New Biodiversity Strategy 2011 Target 1 - Nature conservation
To halt the deterioration in the status of all species and habitats covered by EU nature legislation and achieve a significant and measurable improvement in their status so that, by 2020, compared to current assessments:
(i) 100% more habitat assessments and 50% more species assessments under the Habitats Directive show an improved conservation status;
(ii) 50% more species assessments under the Birds Directive show a secure or improved status.

4. New Biodiversity Strategy 2011 Nature target - Actions
Complete the establishment of the Natura 2000 network and ensure good management
Ensure adequate financing of Natura 2000 sites
Increase stakeholder awareness and involvement and improve enforcement
Improve and streamline monitoring and reporting

5. The new biogeographic process
a new process at the biogeographical level
to exchange and analyse information on measures necessary to achieving favourable conservation status of species and habitats of Community interest,
with special attention to the management and coherence of the Natura 2000network
involving Member States, key user groups, NGOs and independent experts

6. What would it entail in practice? (1)
Regular Natura 2000 seminars chaired by the European Commission, hosted and facilitated by ‘Lead Member States’
Preparatory workshops
A first round of seminars including one seminar for each biogeographical regions to be organised between 2011 and 2015 (linked to Article 17 reporting round of 2007)
A second round of seminars to be organised between 2015 and 2020 (linked to the Article 17 reporting round of 2013)
An internet-based Communication Platform facilitating the exchange of information and experience on the management of Natura 2000

7. What would it entail in practice? (2)
Preparation of the seminars by the Commission (with the help of a contractor), the lead Member State(s), the EEA-ETC/BD, with input from all Member States and other actors involved
One preparatory workshop to be held for each seminar about six month before the seminar with the active participation and involvement of all actors
First drafts of seminar documents to be discussed at the preparatory workshops
Second drafts of seminar documents to be discussed and endorsed at the seminars.

8. A Communication Platform for the Natura 2000 seminars
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.
It will also allow for informing the public on the work and results of the Seminars
It will be established using as a model the communication platform on Natura 2000 which was prepared in 2008 under a preparatory action (see: )

9. Provisional Calendar - First round
Seminar
Preparatory workshop
First seminar
November 2011
May / June 2012
2nd Seminar
Spring 2012
Late 2012
3rd Seminar
Spring 2013
4th seminar
Late 2013
5th seminar
Spring 2014
6th seminar
Late 2014
7th seminar
Spring 2015
8th seminar
Late 2015
Note: Possibly one or two seminars will cover two biogeographical regions

10. A first pilot seminar for the Boreal biogeographical region
The pilot seminar will be held in Finland in spring 2012
Preparatory workshop in Brussels in November 2011
First preparatory meeting with Boreal countries in Helsinki on 5 May 2011 (Seminar Steering Group: FIN, SE, EE, LV, LI, the EEA-ETC/BD, the Commission and DK): Initial discussions on the scope of the seminar and general organisational issues

11. Pre-scoping document
Identifying the species and habitat types considered to be priorities for discussion at a seminar, using existing data from the biogeographical region and the Article 17 reporting process, also having regard to the nature sub-target of the new EU biodiversity strategy.
A consultation phase to agree which criteria to use and to decide on the species and habitat types or clusters of species or habitat types that will finally be selected.

12. Pre-scoping document
the main source of information for the identification of criteria is the Article 17 data (
Other data sources are required to work on bird species
The EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline method is in the analysis in order to group species and habitat types under broad groups or ecosystems

13. Criteria for prioritisation in the pre-scoping phase
A. Number of MS where species/habitat types are present
B. Species and habitat types at unfavourable conservation status (U2 & U1 & XX)
C. Trend information

14. Filtering the species and habitat types and use of a priority index
Three different algorithms were examined, namely
A+B+C.
A(B+C)
A x B x C.
EEA/ETC-BD proposes to used the priority Index calculated from A(B+C) as it produces the clearest (but similar) ranking
This proposal ranks the broad ecosystems in the order where dunes, grasslands, wetlands and forests get the highest ranking (in principle this indicates that they have more problems with achieving favourable conservation status in five Boreal Member States compared to the other broad ecosystems)

15. Other supporting elements for prioritization
Threats and pressures
Positive trend (or possibilities for improvement)
Importance of the Natura 2000 network for the habitat types
Habitat types and their area & structure and functions/Species and their population & habitat for species
Habitat types and species in need for active management
Cross border issues
Particular conservation interest (‘hot issues’

16. Experts & expert networks
For a good preparation of the seminar, it is essential to benefit from the existing experience of experts already working in the field on selected issues.
Experts who might contribute to discussion (NGOs, scientists etc.) should be actively involved into process.

17. Some initial conclusions from the Helsinki meeting (1)
The first seminar is a pilot seminar and as such it should be seen as part of a learning process also with a view to future seminars (not necessarily full scale seminar)
The priority criteria and additional supporting elements proposed by EEA/ETC-BD were found appropriate.
The criteria of pre-scoping document will help only for the pre-selection of species and habitat types or clusters to be discussed at the seminar. The pre-scoping document and its conclusions will be further refined by the EEA-ETC/BD on the basis of the discussions at the Steering Group meetings.

18. Some initial conclusions from the Helsinki meeting (2)
Not to deal with birds specifically in the pilot seminar but to wait until they are reported in the same context as other species and habitats, after 2013
More analysis and discussion is needed on the question whether to include Annex IV species. A general feeling was that the pilot seminar should concentrate on Annex I habitats and habitats of Annex II
It was a general feeling that the pilot seminar should not include the “boreal” part of the Baltic Sea and that marine issues should rather be addressed in special 'marine' seminars.

19. Some initial conclusions from the Helsinki meeting (3)
As much clarity as possible on the scope of the seminar should be reached before summer so that preparations for the workshop can start
The opportunity of addressing to a limited extent also other regions (Alpine of Finland and Continental of Sweden) during the Boreal seminar will need to be further discussed.
Further discussion at a second meeting of the seminar steering group on 16 June in Copenhagen (incl. discussion of final seminar scope, a draft structure of the seminar document and a grid for information to be collected from the field)

20. General issues
Member States that are particularly interested or have particular experience on a selected ecosystem or cluster of habitats could take the role of “patronage” for that ecosystem or cluster during the preparation of a seminar.
Member States should identify the most relevant experts and expert networks in their country and to communicate the information to the Commission (after clarification of the selected Seminar subjects)

21. Issues on which views of the Expert Group are sought
The expected outputs of the Natura 2000 Seminars
The working method (seminars & preparatory workshops)
The participation and role of actors
The permanent Communication Platform
The timing
The initial conclusions of the Seminar Steering Group on prioritisation
Nature Directors and the other participants are invited to share their experience with the current integration approach and if it meets the provisions of Art 8 of the Habitats Directive, including on setting priorities for future financing
Other issuepoints that could be made are:
Increased investment in Natura 2000 which is clearly a public good of fundamental EU-wide importance, during the post 2013 period corresponds to the general principles underpinning the EU's budgetary spending, including:
As recognised under the Habitats Directive the policy cannot be achieved by the Member States alone
Funding is the most appropriate policy instrument to achieve the goal
The requested amount and form of EU funding is proportionate to the efforts needed to achieve this EU biodiversity goal
Financing Natura 2000 will not only come from public funding. Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) provide in some cases income which can be used for the management of protected areas. However, in the EU, such schemes are far from sufficiently developed to ensure adequate financing for the management of Natura 2000 sites.