1. Assessment of Conservation Status for Large Carnivores
Expert Group on Reporting under the Nature Directives, 25 March 2014

2. Relevance of FCS concept
Achievement of the objectives of the Habitats Directive (Art. 2)
Monitoring and reporting (Artt )
EU Biodiversity Strategy: targets 1 and 3
Use of derogations under Art. 16 ("not detrimental to the maintenance of FCS")
Link with Natura 2000 conservation objectives 2

3. Why focusing on Large Carnivores?
Populations occurring at low densities over large cross-border areas
Big management challenges and potential conflicts
High profile and political sensitivity
Media attention 3

4. Guidance Guidelines for assessment and reporting under Article 17
Guidelines for Population Level Management Plans for Large Carnivores
"In case of conflicting advice, art. 17 guidelines take priority" 4

5. Guidance Article 17 Guidelines:
"Range and population require the setting of threshold values to determine if the parameter is favourable or unfavourable" (to assess conservation status of species)
"For species with a population shared between two or more Member States, these are encouraged to undertake a common assessment and to agree on data and assessment" 5

6. Possible issues to discuss
Use of Favourable Reference Values
Difficulties in assessing FCS and applying the Guidelines to Large Carnivores
Potential inconsistencies in the assessments of Large Carnivores
Possible needs for further clarifications in the art. 17 Guidelines 6

7. Possible issues to discuss
Possible difficulties with joint assessments of transboundary populations
Inconsistencies between a population approach and a national/biogeographic region approach 7