1. The MAES pilot study on Natural Capital Accounting (NCA)
Jan-Erik Petersen, EEA

2. Main features of NCA pilot study
One of six ‘MAES’ pilot studies
Cooperative exercise between EU Member States & EU partners
To be finalised in a timeframe of 6 – 8 months
Resources: 4-6 person months plus Member State contributions

3. Starting point: Components of Natural Capital
Ecosystem capital:
(linked to ecological systems and processes)
Sub-soil assets:
(geological resources)
Minerals, earth elements,
fossil fuels, gravel , salts etc.
Non-renewable
& depletable
Abiotic flows:
(linked to geo- physical cycles)
Solar, wind, hydro, geo-thermal etc.
Renewable & non-depletable
Ecosystems as asset:
Structure and condition
Ecosystem service flows:
Provisioning
Regulation & maintenance
Cultural services
Renewable & depletable

4. Key challenges for NCA pilot study
Agree the concept of natural capital & its components
Evaluate methodological options for accounting for natural capital, both in physical and monetary terms
Review available EU and national data sets in relation to methodological options
Gather information on available experience and organisational set-up in EU Member States
=> Come up with a concrete methodological output that provides a clear guidance for implementation in EU MS

5. Key points arising from consultation of NCA pilot study members
Overall agreement with description of work in initial task description for NCA pilot study
Interest in a number of additional questions:
What can be valued and what not?
Include abiotic outputs .. ?!
NCA & project level impact assessment
How to harvest experience in already active MS?
Can we account for environmentally harmful subsidies?
Describe methodology for monetary valuation

6. Timeline for NCA pilot study
Develop a detailed annotated outline for output of NCA pilot study (brief main report + annexes; by end May)
Workshop to discuss key concepts and first outputs of NCA pilot study, hosted by EEA, on 27/28 June
Completion of draft output by mid-September and reporting back to full MAES working group
Finalisation of methodological guidance by Dec. 2013

7. Thank you for your attention!