1. Introduction to the EEA its work on biodiversity indicators and links to policy
Sophie Condé, MNHN, European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity
Ben Delbaere ECNC, on behalf of European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity

2. Table of Contents Institutional context Common language on indicators
EEA activities on indicators
Links to policy needs

3. 1. Institutional context
Table of Contents
1. Institutional context

4. What is EEA?
The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an agency of the European Union.
provide sound, independent information on the environment.
major information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public
European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity: 9 partners including MNHN and ECNC

5. Thank you for your attention
What is EIONET?
European Environment Information and Observation Network
Thank you for your attention

7. EIONET West Balkans activities
Extension of the main EEA topic areas to the West Balkan countries
funded by Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA)
CSI Core Set of Indicators
SOE State and outlook reporting
Sustainable consumption, production And Waste
Biodiversity
Inland, Coastal & Marine waters
Air emissions and air quality
Spatial Information and Analysis

8. 2. Common language on indicators
Table of Contents
2. Common language on indicators

9. What is an indicator? (1)
Several definitions according to the context, the needs and the goals
Biological indicator/evaluative indicator: presence of a species that reacts sensitively to changes in environmental conditions (Heink et al, 2010) plants and soil
Information based on measured data used to represent a particular attribute, characteristic, or property of a system (MA, 2005a)
oxygen in freshwater
A variable that describes the state of a system (Walz, 2000)

10. What is an indicator? (2)
Several definitions according to the context, the needs and the goals
An indicator in ecology and environmental planning is a component or a measure of environmentally relevant phenomena used to depict or evaluate environmental conditions or changes or to set/assess environmental goals. Environmentally relevant phenomena are pressures, states, and responses. OECD (2003)
Scientific indicator versus Policy Indicator

11. What is needed for a policy indicator?
Four basic functions:
Simplification
Quantification
Standardisation an indicator ‘d summarize complex, (disparate) sets of data an indicator ‘d be based on comparable scientific observations or statistical measures an indicator ‘d related on time-series data
Communication: an indicator ‘d provide a clear message

12. Criteria for selection of biodiversity indicators
Policy relevant and meaningful
Biodiversity relevant
Target relevant
Well founded methodology: clear, well defined, simple
Acceptance by stakeholders
Routinely collected data: regular collected, clearly defined and scientifically acceptable data
Cause-effect relationship: in order to link pressures, state and responses
Good spatial coverage according to the studied area
Temporal trend
Sensitivity towards change
Representative of the DPSIR model
Small in number
Aggregation & flexibility: ‘d be facilitated on a range of scales

13. 3. EEA activities on indicators
Table of Contents
3. EEA activities on indicators

14. EEA Core Set of Indicators
Started in 2000’s and aimed to
provide a manageable and stable basis for indicator reporting by the EEA on the web and in its indicators-based reports
prioritise improvements in the quality and geographical coverage of data flows, especially priority data flows of the European environment information and observation network (Eionet)
streamline EEA/Eionet contributions to other European and global indicator initiatives, e.g. structural indicators and sustainable development indicators.
In 2004, the EEA Management Board approved the Core Set of Indicators, a set of 37 environmental indicators with 3 biodiversity indicators.
In 2005, the Indicator Management System tool was launched to manage and put online a first version of the CSI.

15. EEA Core Set of Indicators: on-going revision

16. SEBI - Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators
Initiated in 2005 to select a set of indicators to monitor progress towards halting biodiversity loss by 2010 in Europe
Partnership between: EEA & ETC/BD, EC, UNEP-WCMC, PEBLDS and Czech Republic
SEBI built on the conceptual framework provided by the CBD, and worked with a set of headline indicators within the CBD focal areas
Involvement of nearly 150 experts allowed to develop a set of 26 indicators

17. 26 specific indicators STATUS AND TRENDS OF COMPONENTS OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Abundance and distribution of selected species
2. Red List Index for European species
3. Species of European interest
4. Ecosystem coverage
5. Habitats of European interest
6. Livestock genetic diversity
7. Nationally designated protected areas
8. Sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives
SUSTAINABLE USE
17. Forest: Growing stock, increment and fellings
18. Forest: Deadwood
19. Agriculture: Nitrogen balance
20. Agriculture: Area under management practices potentially supporting biodiversity
21. Fisheries: European commercial fish stocks
22. Aquaculture: Effluent water quality from finfish farms
23. Ecological Footprint of European countries
THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
9. Critical load exceedance for nitrogen
10. Invasive alien species in Europe
11. Impact of climatic change on bird populations
CROSS-CUTTING
24. Patent applications based on genetic resources
25. Financing biodiversity management
26. Public awareness
ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY, GOODS AND SERVICES
12. Marine Trophic Index of European seas
13. Fragmentation of natural and semi-natural areas
14. Fragmentation of river systems
15. Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters
16. Freshwater quality

18. Representation of countries in the SEBI set

19. SEBI indicators publicly available online on EEA IMS (Indicator Management System)

22. 2010 Assessments based on SEBI indicator set

23. SEBI support to EU policy
Input to monitor progress of the 6th Environmental Action Programme
Input into the 2010 assessment of Biodiversity Action Plan
Supported heavily the EU 2010 Baseline …

24. Assessment of role of SEBI in developing the national biodiversity indicator sets
Questionnaire sent in May 2011
22 countries answered
Questionnaire on the SEBI process, not on particular issues related to e.g. the indicator methodology

25. Some results

26. SEBI 2012 report 2 main purposes:
summarise and document the achievements of the SEBI process related to measuring progress towards the 2010 target
show strengths of both the process and the indicator set to underpin measurement of the 2020 targets as well as the challenges of making the proposed indicators a high quality, operational set.

27. Key strengths of SEBI mobilising existing data and expertise
developing a stakeholder process to identify policy-relevant biodiversity indicators
links to and anchoring in national, EU, pan‑European and global processes
streamlining the process of biodiversity indicator development and reporting at several levels – reducing the burden of reporting requirements
links to expert networks in Europe.

28. 4. Links to policy needs

29. CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020
At global level: CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets under 5 Strategic Goals
5th national reports, due by 31 March 2014, should focus on the implementation of the Strategic Plan and progress achieved towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

30. 2020 Pan European Strategy
A new 2020 Pan European Strategy adopted in 2012

31. EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020
HEADLINE TARGET: halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss;
Council Conclusions March 2010
Targets
Conserving and restoring nature
Maintaining and enhancing ecosystems and their services
Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and forestry
Ensuring the sustainability of fisheries
Combating invasive alien species
Addressing the global biodiversity crisis
In parallel with the development of global targets, Europe adopted its own 2020 target in March 2010.
That is underpinned by the EU Biodiversity Strategy, published in May It contains six targets and 20 actions.
Indicators to measure progress will also be needed, and one of the aims of the European members of the AHTEG was to achieve synergy between global and European work. To that end work is going on to map the targets and indicators against both the Aichi Targets and the EU targets.

32. EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020
‘The Commission will work with Member States and the European Environment Agency to develop by 2012 an integrated (coherent) framework for monitoring, assessing and reporting on progress in implementing the strategy.’
‘The EU 2010 biodiversity baseline and the updated EU biodiversity indicators will be key components of this framework…..’

33. SEBI for 2020 targets
Mapping SEBI indicators to new global and EU targets:
an exhaustive analysis of the alignment of the current SEBI indicator set with the 2020 biodiversity targets, complemented by indicators from other relevant sets
Further development of SEBI set for monitoring of implementation of the strategy to 2020
guided also by EEA indicator review

34. Measurement of progress towards 2020 targets
All SEBI indicators can be used to measure progress against the 6 new EU targets and the 20 Aichi targets
Gaps have also been identified – which will need to be further considered by thematic experts

35. EEA work on indicators continues
EEA indicator review and updating
Update of the EU 2010 baseline report
Support to the EU 5th CBD report mid 2014
2015 SOER report

36. More information, or comments?
Thank you!
SEBI:
Project SEBI in West Balkan: