1. toitototototoot
Strengthening consistency, coordination & cooperation between nature, biodiversity, water & marine policy Some feedback from France Laurent Roy, water, marine & biodiversity Director / France Vilnius, 4 December 2013
Ministère de l'Écologie,
du Développement durable et de l'Énergie

2. Introductive messages (1/2)
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Introductive messages (1/2)
Thanks to the EU policies, significant progress has been achieved on environmental protection in Europe (higher standards, common rules, cooperation between MS on shared issues,…)
But acceptance remains an issue in any MS, we need to communicate more positively on the progress brought by the EU policies, on success stories

3. Introductive messages (2/2)
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Introductive messages (2/2)
Integration of the environmental objectives of the directives is a long term goal, what the MS need right now is a consistent & coordinated implementation of the EU legislation.
Coordination & streamlining is also needed beyond the 3 areas, with the different related EU sectoral policies.
The European Commission has a full role to play in making the EU policies easier to implement.

4. French experience (1/3): institutional changes enhancing coordination
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French experience (1/3): institutional changes enhancing coordination
Since 2008, the services in charge of water, nature & marine in the Ministry have merged into one directorate: « Direction de l’eau et de la biodiversité »
In 2015, France will launch a national agency gathering the technical competencies on water, marine & biodiversity issues: « Agence française de la biodiversité » 

5. French experience (2/3): exemples of coordinated approaches
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French experience (2/3): exemples of coordinated approaches
National instructions on WFD & MSFD common implementation
National instructions on MSFD & N2000 common implementation
Legislation on green & blue infrastructures
Strategy on Natura 2000 at sea / FR just hosted IMPAC3
National legislation on invasive alien species
+ national instructions on WFD / Marie Strategy Framework Directive implementation
- A common objective : the good environmental status and a partially overlapping scopes (waters)
- Coordinating governance bodies strategically and technically: cross participation to meetings, streamlining calendars, more “marine” stakeholders in the WFD governance and designing preferably “WFD” stakeholders in the MSFD governance
- Coordinating the implementation of the two directives:
-> coherence between methodologies to assess the state of the environment and for designing the monitoring programmes,
-> joint information for the development/update of environmental targets,
-> programmes of measures:
- same calendar and joint consultation process:
- clarifying who is leading the work and how (methodologies for impact assessments) depending on the localization of the sources of pressures to the environment and on the impacted waters
- streamlined reporting
+ national instructions on MSFD & N2000 common implementation
+ National policy regarding green – and blue – infrastructures:
- Provisions with a legal value
- Coherent network for terrestrial and water ecosystems
- Participative and multi level governance
+ Natura 2000 at sea:
A strategy for designation of the sites has just been endorsed
+ National legilsation on invasive alien species

6. French experience (3/3): trying to find synergies in the financing
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French experience (3/3): trying to find synergies in the financing
French 1st cycle PoM cost 27 billion euros
(>400 E/citizen), mainly financed through the Water agencies
Water agencies now dedicate 10% of their budgets to ecosystem restoration & management
Water agencies will also contribute to the marine measures in the MSFD PoM

7. Some cross cutting obstacles at EU level we need to address (1/3)
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Some cross cutting obstacles at EU level we need to address (1/3)
Obstacles when funding the environment:
Strong limitations met with State Aid rules:
-> MS funding the environment beyond the income foregone are risking infringment
-> MS have to systematically notify any State Aid when funding the environment
Obstacles met in the preparation of the next generation of European fundings:
-> DG Regio skeptical about funding the environment through Operational Programmes
-> DG Env limited weight in the PA & OP definitions

8. Some cross cutting obstacles at EU level we need to address (2/3)
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Some cross cutting obstacles at EU level we need to address (2/3)
Issues raised by data & information sharing
Transparency is essential and compliance checking needs to be done by the European Commission
We also need knowledge at EU level to adapt the policies
A gentleman’s agreement between the Commission & the Member States is needed so there is confidence when sharing information beyond legal requirements

9. Some cross cutting obstacles at EU level we need to address (3/3)
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Some cross cutting obstacles at EU level we need to address (3/3)
What we expect from the target 2 tools in preparation (EU biodiversity strategy):
We need tools to assess the status of the ecosystems. This is necessary to see where we are & if we reach goals.
MAES remains a conceptual framework which needs to be further developped with other concepts such as ecological continuity, restauration, compensation.
This is the approach we follow in our national tool in preparation (“EFESE”)
In any case, our position is that putting a price tag on nature won’t save us.

10. Thank you for your attention!
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Thank you for your attention!