1. The State of Nature in the EU
Expert Group on the Birds and Habitats Directives (NADEG)

2. The Commission composite report …
…is right now still a draft, planned to be adopted by the Commission 2nd half of May 2015
…for the first time covers information under both nature directives an therefore is based on Article 17 (Habitats Directive) and 12 (Birds Directive) for the period
…is severely restricted in length and therefore a brief summary of findings but still underpinned by examples demostrating conservation successes

3. The Commission composite report …
…is based on a detailed technical report by EEA (to be published at the same time).

4. Structure of the report
Introduction
Background / Why this report
Status Assessments – How they are done (methodology)
Habitats Directive / Birds Directive / Using Trends
Conservation Status and Trends (main results)
Data Completeness and Quality
All Bird Species / Species (Habitats Directive) / Habitat Types
Progress towards Target 1
Pressures and Threats
An Ecosystem Perspective (MAES)
Terrestrial / Marine
The Role of Natura 2000
Habitats Directive / Birds Directive
Conclusions

5. 1. Introduction Sets the scene by stressing
the major losses of nature that rtook place in the 20th century
the fact that many species and habitats were in a critical sate when listed and
the need for sufficient time to reverse negative trends
AND: the unique joint effort this data collection is based on

6. 2. Status Assessments – 2 methods
Conservation Status Class
Colour
Conservation Status Trend (period )
Favourable
Improving
Unfavourable - inadequate
Stable
Unfavourable - bad
Deteriorating
Unknown
Habitats Directive:
CS assessments on biogeo. level (national & EU)
status trends (6 years)
EU Population Status Class
Colour
Population Trend
Secure
Increasing
Near threatened, declining or depleted
Stable
Threatened (i.e. vulnerable, endangered, critically en-dangered, regionally extinct)
Fluctuating
Declining
Unknown or not evaluated
Unknown
Birds Directive:
red list based assessment (EU only)
population trends (short-term: 12 years)

7. 3.Conservation Status & Trends (results)
Major improvement in the availability, quality and standardisation of information (HD).
Number of ‘unknown’ EU-level assessments has been halved (from 18 % to 7 % for habitats and from 31 % to 17 % for non-bird species) (HD).
Knowledge of bird populations and trends has also significantly improved over the past decade.
BUT: national reports vary strongly and marine features remain the least known

8. Birds

9. Species (HD)

10. Conservation status & trends for species per taxonomic group

11. Habitats

12. Progress towards Target 1 of the Biodiversity Strategy
Back-casting for species became necessary
Overall picture:
Small improvements
Continued declines
Unless there is a significant improvement of trends, the target will not be achieved

13. 4. Pressures & Threats Frequency (%) of high ranked level 1 pressures and threats (together) — Terrestrial

14. 4. Pressures & Threats
Frequency (%) of high ranked level 1 pressures and threats (together) —
Marine

15. 5. Conservation status (CS) of and trends for habitats per ecosystem type (MAES)
(Number of assessments in brackets)
Grasslands and Wetlands on top of unfa.-bad and deteriorating status

16. 6. The Role of Natura 2000 (1)
Trends in the conservation status of Annex I habitats assessed by MS as unfavourable (for habitats with more than 75 %, % and less than 35 % of their area covered by Natura 2000)

17. 6. The Role of Natura 2000 (2)
Long-term (since 1980) breeding population trend (%) by Annex (Annex I versus non-Annex I species

18. 7. Conclusions (1) Significant improvement in knowledge
Some species and habitats show signs of recovery where necessary measures have been implemented on an adequate scale.
Indications that the Natura 2000 network is working
However, overall status of species and habitats has not changed significantly & there are continued deteriorations

19. 7. Conclusions (2)
Agriculture & man made hydrological changes are top pressures in the terrestrial, over-exploitation and pollution in the marine ecosystem
Insufficient progress in introducing conservation objectives and measures for the Natura 2000 sites (only 50% have management plans)
The report will feed into REFIT of nature directives

20. Thank you for your attention!!