1. Financing Natura 2000 GUIDANCE HANDBOOK

2. Financing Natura 2000 GUIDANCE HANDBOOK
Introduction
Structure & content
Example
Outlook

3. INTRODUCTION TO THE HANDBOOK:
Part I:
INTRODUCTION TO THE HANDBOOK:
Background
What is it for?
Who is it for?
Benefits

5. Background
The European Commission wishes to support all present and future Member States in using the options for Community co-financing of Natura 2000 in the period
Within this EU-wide tender project, two different types of support have been provided :
Guidance Handbook „Financing Natura 2000“ in 22 languages
Workshops in each Member State inc. Romania and Bulgaria (total of 36 workshops)

6. What is the handbook for?
Financing Natura 2000 Guidance Handbook
Points out funding possibilities across EU funds
Addresses all potential groups of beneficiaries
Identifies all categories of Natura funding needs
Links all these elements in an user-friendly way
Availability depends on national programming !
The handbook presents EU funding options that are, in principle, available in all Member States
However, concrete funding possibilities for Natura 2000 will be determined by the national and regional programmes that will be prepared by the Member States.

7. Who is the handbook for? The Guidance Handbook is intended for
authorities responsible for formulating national and regional programmes ( )
authorities involved in the implementation of Natura 2000, especially the development of management plans for Natura 2000 sites
stakeholders in potential target groups (beneficiaries, who carry out activities related to Natura 2000 sites)

8. Benefits of the handbook
The Guidance Handbook should help
To provide an overview on the opportunities for EU co-financing of Natura 2000 in the funding period.
To check whether all necessary Natura 2000 actions are provided for, and if all funding opportunities are being used to fully benefit from these possibilities
To support the future review of programmes
To give important background information for the development of management plans
First step in an ongoing process
Even if national programme planning for is almost finalised, the handbook could assist better understanding and implementation of the integration approach of Natura 2000 co-funding in the longer term.

9. STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE HANDBOOK:
Part II:
STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE HANDBOOK:
How to read the tables

10. ACTIVITY 18: RISK MANAGEMENT
Structure and content
Funding possibilites are presented in a series of tables for Natura 2000 management activities:
25 types of activities
determined by an Expert Working Group on the European level (so-called “Article 8 Working Group”)
Spread over 4 categories of funding needs:
Finalisation of sites
Management planning
Ongoing habitat management and monitoring
Investment costs
ACTIVITY 18: RISK MANAGEMENT

11. List of 25 types of Natura 2000 activities
Structure and content
Administration of site selection process
Scientific studies/inventories for the identification of sites
Preparation of initial information and publicity material
Pilot projects
Preparation of management plans, strategies and schemes
Establishment of management bodies
Consultation – public meetings, liaison with landowners
Review of management plans, strategies and schemes
Running costs of management bodies (maintenance of buildings and equipment)
Maintenance of facilities for public access to and use of the sites, interpretation works, observatories and kiosks etc.
Staff (conservation/project officers, wardens/rangers, workers)
Conservation management measures – maintenance and improvement of habitats’ favourable conservation status
Conservation management measures – maintenance and improvement of species’ favourable conservation status
Conservation management measures in relation to invasive alien species (IAS)
Implementation of management schemes and agreements with owners and managers of land or water for following certain prescriptions
Provision of services; compensation for rights foregone and loss of income; developing acceptability ‘liaison’ with neighbours
Monitoring and surveying
Risk management (fire prevention and control, flooding etc)
Surveillance of the sites
Provision of information and publicity material
Training and education
Facilities to encourage visitor use and appreciation of Natura 2000 sites
Land purchase, including compensation for development rights
Infrastructure needed for the restoration of habitat or species
Infrastructure for public access, interpretation works, observatories and kiosks, etc
List of 25 types of Natura 2000 activities

12. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
EU funds with references to the Articles of the EU Regulations :
European Social Fund (ESF)
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Cohesion Fund (CF)
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);
European Fisheries Fund (EFF);
Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE+);
The 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7).
(The Handbook also contains descriptions of the funds!)

13. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
Description of funding:
Article’s subject (title)
Article’s content (short description of co-funded measures)

14. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
Points out the potential beneficiaries (relevant to Natura 2000), that could have access to the funding option described :
Public administrations
Farmers
Foresters
Private landowners
Public landowners
Fishermen and Aquaculturalists
Land managers
NGOs
SMEs
Educational organisations
Others

15. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
Points out for which types of Natura 2000 sites the funding could be relevant :
Agricultural land
Forests
Other terrestrial land (including alpine areas, garigue)
Inland waters (lakes, rivers)
Wetlands (marshes, bogs, swamps, estuaries)
Coastal areas (sand dunes, beaches, mud flats, inshore waters)
Marine areas (offshore marine areas)

16. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
Points out possible area-related restrictions on eligibility, eg under the Funds related to regional development:
Convergence Regions (Objective 1 Regions)
Phasing-out Regions
Phasing-in Regions
Competitiveness and Employment Regions (Objective 2 and 3 Regions)

17. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
Points out any other restrictions or notes, eg:
References to other articles for details of funding requirements
Contextual information for funding
Exclusion criteria (eg for LIFE+ funding)

18. Notes / other restrictions
Structure and content
Fund
Description
Target groups
Land types
Area restrictions
Notes / other restrictions
Examples
Outlines possible examples of using the Article in managing Natura 2000 sites:
Examples of how Community funds could be used to assist in various aspects of management.
Several hypothetical large-scale conservation projects are described in the Handbook. Measures in the tables related to these projects are marked in this column, eg [bear], [agri-aqua], [river] .

19. EXAMPLE: How to use the Handbook from the practical point of view
Part III:
EXAMPLE: How to use the Handbook from the practical point of view

20. Example 3: [river]
Aim of the hypothetical Natura 2000 project: Conservation of the richness of habitats and species alongside a cross-border river basin.
Strategy: Sustainable river management by
Protecting and surveying of sensitive areas
Restoration of parts of the river
Developing sustainable tourism activities
Supporting awareness raising
Transnational co-operation between the two countries involved

21. Example [river] Planned measure:
Promotion of deadwood in the alluvial forest
Installation of fish ladder
Purchase of land for river restoration
Monitoring of the dragonfly and locust populations
Construction of a visitor centre
Production of a leaflet
Refers to activity:
[12] Conservation management measures for habitats
[24] Infrastructure needed for the restoration of habitats or species
[23] Land purchase
[17] Monitoring and surveying
[25] Infrastructure for public access
[20] Provision of information and publicity material

22. Example [river], activity [12]
Measure: Promotion of deadwood in the alluvial forest
ACTIVITY 12: CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT - HABITATS
Funding opportunity:
EAFRD

23. Example [river], activity [24]
Measure: Installation of fish ladder
ACTIVITY 24: INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR THE RESTORATION OF HABITAT OR SPECIES
Funding opportunity:
EFF

24. Example [river], activity [23]
Measure: Purchase of land for river restoration
ACTIVITY 23: LAND PURCHASE , INCLUDING COMPENSATION FOR DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS
Funding opportunity:
LIFE+

25. Example [river], activity [17]
Measure: Monitoring of the dragonfly and locust populations
ACTIVITY 17: MONITORING AND SURVEYING
Funding opportunity:
FP7

26. Example [river], activity [25]
Measure: Construction of a visitor centre
ACTIVITY 25: : INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PUBLIC ACCESS
Funding opportunity: CF

27. Example [river], activity [20]
Measure: Production of a leaflet
ACTIVITY 20: PROVISION OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY MATERIAL
Funding opportunity:
ERDF

28. Part IV: Outlook
Handbook from the European Commission With this handbook it is hoped that actors involved in conservation projects will recognise the diverse opportunities available through the new integrated funding approach, but also the need to actively seek funds from a diverse range of sources.
Support for national implementation However, concrete funding possibilities for Natura 2000 in will be determined by the national and regional programmes that will be prepared by the Member States. This Handbook is therefore not intended to be a replacement for carrying out local research on funding opportunities. But it should give managers a good starting point.

29. Part IV: Outlook
Many approaches possible As pointed out in the introduction, the handbook is not only intended to be used by Natura 2000 project-managers, but also by authorities responsible for formulating national and regional programmes as well as potential beneficiaries (eg farmers, foresters) whose land may be designated as part of the Natura 2000 network.
So: let us make the best of the Guidance Handbook !