1 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

Health benefits of nature and biodiversity

NATURAN u m b e r 4 0 | J u l y 2 0 1 6N a t u r e a n d B i o d i v e r s i t y N e w s l e t t e r

2000

Environment

ISSN

24

43-7

727

©M

errynThomas/naturepl.com

2 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

IamdelightedtopresentthewinnersoftheEU’sNatura2000Awardfor2016inthissummerissueofthenewsletter.Inthespiritof‘givingtherecognitionthattheydeserve’thisAwardisdesignedtoshowcaseremarkableconservationachievementsandraiseawarenessaboutthemanyinitiativesthatarehelpingtoprotectEurope’suniquenature,whileatthesametimepromotingsocialandeconomicwellbeing.Asinpreviousyears,aninspiringrangeofactivitieswerepresentedtousundereachoftheAwardcategories.Incompetitionsthetrophyonlygoestoone,butweshouldallfeelwinners,becausewhennatureisvaluedandprotected,thebenefitsaren’tjustforthespeciesandhabitats,butalsoforus.

AlsofeaturedinthisissuearethefindingsofanewCommissionstudyonthehealthandsocialbenefitsofnature(pages6–7).Thevalueofnatureislargelyoverlookedbutbecomesincreasinglyrelevantwithincreasingproblemsofobesityandstressinoursociety.ThisstudyprovidescompellingevidencetoshowthatNatura2000areasandothergreenspaces–our‘greeninfrastructure’–provideinnovativesolutionstoaddressingsomeofthekeyhealthchallengesthatwearefacinginEuropetoday.ThevalueofNatura2000isalsounderlinedinanotherCommissionstudy.ThenetworknotonlyprotectsspeciesofEU’sconservationconcernbutalsosafeguardsmanyotherspeciesandthussignificantlycontributesmoregenerallytotheattainmentoftheEU’s2020BiodiversityStrategy.

Natura2000continuestoshowusthatwiththerightapproachournaturalcapitalcanbemanagedforthebenefitofpeopleandnature.Thewinnersofthisyear’sAwardsarecutting-edgeexamplesofhowwecanhelpbiodiversitytodoitsjob.Letuscontinuetolearnandbuildonthesesuccesses.

Karmenu VellaEuropean Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Natura2000natureandbiodiversitynewsletterJuly2016CoNTENTS3–5 HowmuchbiodiversitydoesNatura2000cover?

6–7 Healthbenefitsofnatureandbiodiversity8–9 Natura2000Barometer–update2015

10–13TheWinnersofthe2016Natura2000Awards

14–16 NewsRound-up

Cover: Outdoor activities in Natura 2000 sites can have multiple health benefits. ©ljubaphoto/nature/iStockphoto.com

2

©W

WFD

CP,FoAB

.,APB,BSPB,BBF©

Lundgre/naturepl.com©

MarkH

amblin/naturepl.com

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

©M

errysThomas/naturepl.com

©JenniferJacquem

art/EU

Editorial

3 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016 3333 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

TheultimategoaloftheHabitatsandBirdsDirectivesistoensurethelong-termsustainabilityofaround230habitatsand2,000speciesofanimalsandplantsthatarenaturallyoccurringintheEU.ButhowmuchofacontributiondothetwoNatureDirectivesmaketotheconservationofEurope’sbiodiversityasawhole?Inordertoanswerthisquestion,theCommissioninitiatedaresearchprojectlastyeartoassessthesignificanceofthepresumed‘umbrellaeffect’oftheNatura2000network. Theresearchsoughttoshedlightonthefollowingaspectsinparticular:

•AmongstthespeciesregularlyoccurringwithintheEU-28MemberStates(commonspecies),whichones

HowmuchbiodiversitydoesNatura2000cover?

significantlybenefitfromNatura2000-relatedsiteconservationrequirementsundertheEUBirdsandHabitatsDirectives?

•WhatistheshareofEUspeciessignificantlybenefittingfromNatura2000,forinstanceinterms

ofpercentageofallspeciesoccurringinthewildin

theEU?

•HowsignificantisthiscontributionofNatura2000inrelationtotheobjectiveofhaltingandreversingbiodiversitylossinEurope,asforeseenintheEU2020BiodiversityStrategy?

Thestudyusedexistingdataforterrestrialplant,mammal,bird,reptile,amphibianandbutterflyspeciesandbasedtheanalysis

mostlyonprocessingGISspeciesdistributiondatainrelationtotheirpresencewithintheNatura2000network. Ascertaingroupsarebetterrecordedandsomecountriesarebetterinvestigatedthanothers,abiascorrectiontechniquehadtobeappliedtothemethodologydeveloped.Thisreducedthedegreeoferrorcausedbypredictingapresencewherealotofdatawasavailableascomparedtowheredatawassparsebutthespeciescouldstillbepresent.

Results ThecombinedresultsshowthatallanimalgroupsbenefitfromtheNatura2000network.IfspecieswereevenlyspreadacrosstheEUthenitwouldbelikelythat

Natura 2000 sites offer important additional value for common biodiversity.

©PaulH

arcourt-Davies/naturepl.com

A water vole, Arvicola terrestris, foraging by a stream, Kent, UK.

©TerryW

hittaker/naturepl.com

4 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

Mammals Birds Amphibians Reptiles Butterflies

Threatened Not evaluatedNot threatened50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

444

18%oftheirdistributionwouldfallwithintheboundariesofNatura2000sites,asthispercentagecorrespondstothecurrentcoverageoftheEUnetwork.Yetaccordingtotheresults,foreveryanimalgroup,commonspeciesandother‘non-annex’speciesoccuringreaterproportioninsideNatura2000thanoutside. ThisindicatesthatNatura2000sitesnotonlyservetheirpurposeinprotectingtheAnnexI(BirdsDirective)andAnnexII(HabitatsDirective)speciesbutalsoprovidesignificantaddedvaluetonon-annexspecies. ThepresenceofthreatenedspeciesinandoutsideNatura

2000wasalsocompared.Theanalysisshowsthat:

•manyRedListspecieshaveanimportantshareoftheirpopulationwithintheNatura2000network.Threatenedbirds,reptilesandbutterfliesinparticularbenefitfromNatura2000areas;

•threatenedspeciesbenefitmorethannon-threatenedspecies.onaverage35–40%oftheoccurrenceofathreatenedspeciesisfoundwithinNatura2000;and

•speciesclassifiedas‘datadeficient’,or‘notevaluated‘,ontheotherhand,haveasignificantlylowerpresenceinNatura2000.

Birds ThetablebelowliststhebirdspeciesthatbenefitmostfromNatura2000.TheyshowconsistentlymorethantwicetherelativepercentagedistributionwithinNatura2000thanexpected. Thesespeciesareassociatedwithhabitatsforwhichthebestexamples(themostcharacteristic,completeand,often,thelargest)arenowfoundmostlyinNatura2000sites. However,AnnexIforestspeciesareoftenunder-representedwithinthenetwork.Inmanycasestheseareborealspecies.Thismaybebecauselargeareasofborealforest

habitatofsufficientqualitytosupportthesespeciesoccuroutsideNatura2000. SpeciessuchastheCorncrake,Crex crex,Eurasianskylark,Alauda arvensis,andNorthernlapwing,Vanellus vanellusarecharacteristicofopencountry,andshowastrongassociationwithcultivatedland,particularlycrops,forbreedingandforaging.Populationsofthesespeciesarealsounder-representedbecausethisrelativelyintensivelymanagedhabitatiswidespreadoverlargepartsofEurope,butpoorlycoveredbytheNatura2000network.Thesespeciesarestillwidespreadbutsuffering

Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus, in breeding habitat on an upland plateau in the Cairngorms, Scotland.

Species Annex I EU Red List Habitat

Clangula hyemalis VU Coastal/marine

Gypaetus barbatus x VU Open natural habitat

Falco rusticolus x VU Open natural habitat

Lagopus mutus VU Open natural habitat

Charadrius morinellus x LC Open natural habitat

Calidris maritima NT Open natural habitat

Limosa lapponica x LC Marshlands/wetlands

Stercorarius longicaudus LC Open natural habitat

Larus genei x LC Marshlands/wetlands

Eremophila alpestris NT Open natural habitat

Anthus cervinus NE Marshlands/wetlands

Prunella collaris LC Open natural habitat

Monticola saxatilis LC Open natural habitat

Pyrrhocorax graculus LC Open natural habitat

Calcarius lapponicus NT Marshlands/wetlands

Plectrophenax nivalis LC Open natural habitat

Bird species which benefit in particular from Natura 2000.

Average share of the occurrence of annex versus non-annex species occurring inside Natura 2000 areas in the EU-28 countries. Results are based on masking analysis. Note: bird species are Annex 1. Dashed line indicates the 18% baseline for Natura 2000.

Average share of the occurrence of threatened, non-threatened and not evaluated species occurring inside Natura 2000 areas in the EU-28 countries based on the European Red Lists. Threatened = CR, EN and VU.

Mammals Birds Amphibians Reptiles Butterflies

Annex II Other50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

©M

arkHam

blin/naturepl.com

5 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016 55

significantdeclinesfromagriculturalintensification. Thestudyalsorevealsthatforbirds:

•specieswithsmallerrangesandrestricteddistributionshavebettercoverageintheNatura2000networkascomparedtospecieswithlargerangesandwiderdistributions;

•speciesassociatedwithnaturalhabitats,inparticularmountainousareas,wetlandsandothernaturalopenareas,arealsobetterrepresentedintheNatura2000network;and

•thecountrieshavingthehighestcoverageofspecies’distributioninNatura2000aregenerallyinthesouthoreastoftheEU,forinstanceinBulgaria,Croatia,Slovakia,Hungary,Slovenia,Romania,GreeceandSpain.

•Ingeneral,speciesforwhichNatura2000siteshavebeendesignated(AnnexIspecies)havealargerproportionoftheirdistributioninthenetworkthannon-AnnexIspecies.

ButterfliesThebeneficialeffectsoftheNatura2000networkarealsoseenwithbutterflies.Non-annexbutterfliesoccurmuchmorefrequentlyinsideNatura2000thanoutside.ThisismainlybecausebutterfliesingeneralshowaparticularpreferenceforspecifichabitattypeswhicharenowadaysmainlyonlyfoundinsideNatura2000.Elsewhere,thesehabitatshavelargelybeenlostasaresultofarangeofmodernpressuresandthreatsandcompetinglanduses,suchasagriculturalintensificationorurbansprawl. Remarkably,allofthespeciesthatwereconsideredoccurinNatura2000,evenifatalowpercentage.ThebutterflyspeciesthatprofitmostfromNatura2000arethosewithaverylimiteddistributionandforwhichmost(orevenall)oftheremaininghabitatisinsideNatura2000.EuropeanendemicandthreatenedbutterflyspeciesalsooccurmoreinNatura2000areasthanoutside.

Other animal speciesMostmammalspeciesshowedsimilarbutlessmarkedtrendstothebirds.However,adifferentpatternemergedforlargemammals.TheyshowlessofanassociationwithNatura2000,probablybecausetheytendtoliveatrelativelylowdensitiesandhavelargeterritorieswhichwilloftenextendfarbeyondtheNatura2000boundaries. Asforamphibiansandreptiles,itcanbeconcludedthatwhileamajorityofEuropeanspeciesbenefitfromNatura2000,thereishardlyanydifferenceinthelevelofprotectionforAnnexIIspeciesascomparedtonon-AnnexIIspecies. Furthermore,therewasaclearnorth–southgradientinthelevelofcoveragebyNatura2000.ReptilesandamphibiansarenotevenlydistributedacrossEuropeancountries.Northerncountrieshavefewer,commonandwidelydistributedspeciesthatoccurproportionatelylessinNatura2000.Southerncountries,ontheotherhand,havemorespeciesthatareoftenrestrictedintheirdistributionandwhichhavehighercoveragebyNatura2000becausetheirpreferredhabitatsoccurmorefrequentlyinNatura2000.

PlantsBasedontheanalysesundertakenofplantspeciesdistributionitwasconcludedthatRedListspeciesandsomeotherrarespeciesoccursignificantlymoreinsidethanoutsideNatura2000sites.However,unlikesomebirdspecies,noneoftheplantsthatwerestudiedwerefoundtooccursignificantlymoreoutsideNatura2000sitesthaninside.ThisindicatesthatNatura2000sitesarecurrentlyprotectingthemajorityofthemostdiverseandspecies-richhabitatswithintheEUandarethereforehavingasignificantumbrellaeffectintermsofsafeguardingtherestofEurope’sbiodiversity.

The ‘buffer’ effectNatura2000sitesappeartoexertastrong‘bufferzone’effectforbothplantsandanimalspecies.Theanalysisshowedthatbiodiversitywasgenerallyricherandmorediverseinthe500mbufferzonearoundsites(measuredintermsofnumberof‘hotspots’)thantheareasbeyondthebufferzone,atleastforthecountriescoveredbythestudy.TheNatura2000networkthereforeseemstoofferbettersecuritytobiodiversitynotonlywithin,butalsoaroundthesites–withimplicationsforbothpolicyandpractice.Concluding remarksTheresultsconfirmthatNatura2000sitesofferimportantadditionalvalueforcommonbiodiversity.Amongthegroupstested,thebutterfliesandbirdsbenefitthemost.ThestudyalsoconfirmedthattheyarefulfillingtheirprimarypurposeofprotectingthespeciesinAnnexIoftheBirdsDirectiveandAnnexIIoftheHabitatsDirective. Italsoseemsclearthatthemajorityoftheremainingspecies-richhabitatsarealreadyinorimmediatelyaroundNatura2000sites.ThisemphasisestheimportanceofpolicyandfinancialinstrumentsandtheassociatedmanagementmeasureswhichcontinuetomaintainortorestorehabitatsinNatura2000sitesinaconditionthatisfavourableforalloftheirassociatedspecies. TheexceptiontothismaybeborealhabitatsandsomeareasoftraditionallymanagedagriculturallandineasternandsouthernEurope.Whilstthisshouldbefurtherinvestigated,theresultspresentlysuggestthatmoreforestandtraditionalagriculturallandcouldbeincludedwithinNatura2000or,atleast,shouldbeconsideredforsympatheticmanagement. See: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/index_en.htm

Male sand lizard, Lacerta agilis, with common blue butterfly, Polyommatus icarus, resting on its head.

©Edw

ardGiesbers/naturepl.com

6 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July201666

Nature-basedsolutionscanofferdecision-makersanewandinnovativeapproachtoaddressingsomeofthekeyhealthchallengesthatEurope’ssocietyisfacingtoday.Urbanparks,Natura2000sites,greenspaces,tree-linedstreetsandgreenroofsarejustsomeofthemeasuresthathavebeenusedsuccessfullytoimprovethehealthandwell-beingofEuropeans. Inanewstudy,publishedbyDGEnvironment,therelationshipbetweenpublichealthandnatureisexploredindetail.Thefinalreportpresentstheevidenceavailableonthesocio-economicbenefitsofnatureandbiodiversityprotectionandoffersaseriesofcompellingcasestudies

Healthbenefitsofnatureandbiodiversity

6

showcasingthedifferentapproachesbeingusedacrosstheEU. Thisreviewisfollowedbyadedicatedanalysisoftoolsformanagingandplanningprotectedareas,suchasNatura2000,whichcanbefoundinurban,peri-urbanandruralenvironments,butalsocoveringwidergreeninfrastructure.Theanalysisiscomplementedbyareviewofgovernanceaspects,includingstakeholderengagementandcollaborationacrossthenature,healthandsocialcommunities. Whileitisclearthatnaturecannotbearemedytoallthechallengesofsociety,thestudyconcludesthatthereareneverthelessawiderangeofuntappedopportunities

availablefornature-basedhealthinitiativesthatcanofferaffordable,sustainableandreproduciblebenefitsacrossarangeofareasaffectinghealthandsocialwell-being. Thestudyfocusesonninethematicareas,including,forinstance,nature’sabilitytoreduceexposuretopollutants,mitigatenoiseorheatstress,aswellascreateanattractivelivingenvironment.Someoftheseareexploredbelow.

Tackling pollutantsInthecaseofairpollution,theEuropeanCommissionestimatedthat420,000peoplediedprematurelyin2010asaresultofpoorairqualityinEurope.Naturalspacescanplayanimportantroleinreducing

Healthandsocialbenefitsofbiodiversityandnatureprotection

Healthbenefits

Improvedairquality

Improvedclimaticconditions

Noisereduction

Attractivelivingenvironment

Healthierlifestylesandphysicalactivities

Socialbenefits

Reducedsocialtension

Societalengagement

©M

errynThomas/naturepl.com

6 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

People picnicking in Ashton Court wildflower meadow nature reserve, Bristol, England, UK.

7 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016 7

suchhealthrisksthankstotheabilityofplantstoabsorbpollutants.Inaddition,theyprovideoasesofcleanairawayfromroads,carsandindustrialsites. Denselypopulatedcitiesalsooftenhavemarkedlyhighertemperaturesthantheirsurroundings.Protectedareas,greenopenspacesaswellasvariousformsofgreenurbaninfrastructure,suchasgreenroofs,canhelpmitigatetheheat-islandeffectbygeneratingcool-aircorridors.Twoprocessesareatworkhere:ontheonehand,greenstructuresprovideshadingwhichreducestheextenttowhichhardsurfacessuchastarmackedroadsheatup.ontheother,greenstructurescooltheirenvironmentthroughevapo-transpiration. Naturalvegetationcanalsosignificantlyreducenoiselevelsaswellasnoiseperceptions.Vegetationalongroads,forinstance,increasestheeffectivenessoftraditionalnoisebarriersandimprovestheirintegrationintothelandscape.Greenwallsandgreenroofshavebeenshowntoreducenoiseexposureforpedestriansandresidentslivingcloseby.

Reducing stress and promoting physical exerciseAcuteandchronicstressisanotherimportantpublichealthconcern.Prolongedstressislinkedtoseveraldiseasessuchasinfections,cardiovascular,gastro-enterologicalandimmunologicaldiseases,diabetes,depressionandaggression.Naturehasarestorative,stress-reducingeffectandeventakingashortwork-breakinagreenareacanhavepositiveeffectsonone’smentalandphysicalwell-being.Livingclosetoagreenareahasalsobeenshowntohaveabeneficialeffectonmoodandconcentration. Takingmoreexerciseinnaturealsoleadstoawhole

rangeofpositiveshort-andlong-termhealthbenefits,includinghighervitalitylevelsandimprovedphysicalandmentalhealth.Itcanalsohelptacklehealthrisksassociatedwithobesityandotherlifestyle-relatedillnessessuchasdiabetes. Theevidenceshowsthatpeopletendtospendmoretimeexercisinginagreenspaceascomparedtootherenvironments.Variousstudieshaveillustratedthatpeoplelivingmorethan1kmawayfromthenearestgreenareatendtosuffergreaterhealthproblemsthanthoselivingclosertoagreenspace.

Encouraging greater social cohesionFinally,thestudyexamineshowhavingaccessto,andsharinggreenpublicspacescancontributetoincreasedsocialcohesion.Engagementinthenaturalenvironment,suchasurbangreenspaces,woodlandsorprotectedareas,cantakevariousforms–includingvolunteering,trainingandemploymentandothercommunalactions,suchasmaintainingcommunitygardensandallotments. Volunteeringinthenaturalenvironmentinparticularhasbeenshowntohelpbuildastrongersenseofcommunitybyenablingpeopletostrengthenexistingsocialrelationshipsanddevelopnewones.Studiesindicatethatvolunteeringalsoincreasessocialsupportandreducessocialisolation,andcanenhancepeople’spersonaldevelopmentandself-esteem.

The study is available on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/intro/index_en.htm

The heat wave in 2003 increased the mortality rate in Lyon by 80% above the average for a French city. To prevent this from happening again, the authorities adopted a new climate adaptation plan to increase access to cool and shaded areas. A €42-million redevelopment programme was subsequently launched to implement the new strategy. In 2007, the banks of the Rhône River, which runs through the heart of the city, were re-opened for the first time, providing citizens with 5 km of attractive riverside pathways and green spaces.

In 2001, a rehabilitation garden was built on the university campus of Alnarp. The aim was to pilot the effectiveness of nature-based rehabilitation on individuals recovering from stress-related disorders and stroke. The garden has proven to be a success. Just one year after rehabilitation, the costs for primary care dropped by 28% for those participating in the scheme, and the number of days spent in hospital fell by 64%. The local municipality has since expanded the scheme to a further 11 rehabilitation gardens in and around the town.

River redevelopment scheme – Lyon, France

The Alnarp Rehabilitation Garden – Skåne, Sweden

©JennySvennås-G

illner,SLU

CaSeStudieS

©W

ikimediaCom

mons

8 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

Member States

Natura 2000 network (terrestrial and marine)

TERRESTRIAL MARINE

SCI SPA Natura 2000 network SCI SPA Natura 2000 network

Total N° Natura 2000 Sites

Total area Natura 2000 km2

SCI area(km2)

SPA area(km2)

Natura area(km2)

% land area covered

SCI area(km2)

SPA area(km2)

Natura area(km2)

AUSTRIA 294 12691 9191 10169 12691 15.13% n.a. n.a. n.a. AT

BELGIUM 310 5158 3277 3181 3887 12.73% 1128 318 1271 BE

BULGARIA 340 41048 33258 25226 38222 34.46% 2482 550 2827 BG

CYPRUS 63 1784 752 1534 1653 28.82% 131 110 131 CY

CZECHREPUBLIC 1116 11061 7856 7035 11061 14.03% n.a. n.a. n.a. CZ

GERMANY 5206 80773 33514 40248 55170 15.45% 20938 19718 25603 DE

DENMARK 350 22647 3178 2605 3594 8.34% 16492 12184 19053 DK

ESToNIA 568 14837 7785 6182 8083 17.87% 3884 6480 6754 EE

SPAIN 1863 222142 117395 100972 137757 27.29% jj 54874 52060 84386 ES

FINLAND 1865 55988 48556 24655 48847 14.45% 6800 6425 7140 FI

FRANCE 1756 111677 47666 43544 69974 12.74% 27919 35543 41703 FR

GREECE 419 42946 21388 27622 35747 27.09% 6689 1905 7199 GR

CRoATIA 779 25690 16040 17034 20704 36.58% 4668 1112 4986 HR

HUNGARY 525 19949 14442 13747 19949 21.44% n.a. n.a. n.a. HU

IRELAND 595 19486 7164 4312 9227 13.13% 9786 1584 10259 IE

ITALY 2589 63965 42827 40108 57172 18.97% 5734 4005 6793 IT

LITHUANIA 485 9248 6138 5529 7938 12.16% 527 1056 1310 LT

LUXEMBoURG 66 702 416 jj 418 702 27.03% n.a. n.a. n.a. LU

LATVIA 333 11833 7421 6609 7446 11.53% 2664 4280 4387 LV

MALTA 39 234 41 13 41 12.97% 192 3 192 MT

NETHERLANDS 194 17315 3135 4766 5518 13.29% 11676 5736 11797 NL

PoLAND 987 68401 34187 48394 61165 19.56% 4339 7223 7236 PL

PoRTUGAL 165 50895 15680 9204 19010 20.67% 24101 8747 jjj 31885 PT

RoMANIA 531 55674 39765 35348 53781 22.56% 1703 1630 1894 Ro

SWEDEN 4082 64578 54745 25330 55250 13.32% 9258 4744 9328 SE

SLoVENIA 354 7684 6636 5068 7674 37.85% 4 10 11 SI

SLoVAKIA 514 14442 5837 13106 14442 29.57% n.a. n.a. n.a. SK

UNITEDKINGDoM 924 95106 13103 16022 20901 8.54% 67087 12029 74205 UK

EU28 27312 1147956 601393 537981 787606 18.12% 283076 187452 360350 EU28

barometertHiSNaturaBarometer isproducedbyDGEnvironmentwiththehelpoftheEuropeanEnvironmentAgency.ItisbasedoninformationofficiallytransmittedbyMemberStatesuptoDecember 2015.

TheNatura2000networkiscomposedofsitesundertheHabitatsDirective(pSCI,SCIsorSACs–labelled‘SCIs’inthebarometer)andsitesundertheBirdsDirective(SPAs).ThefiguresrelatingtothetotalareaofNatura2000sites(i.e.SPAs+SCIs)havebeenobtainedthroughGISanalysis.ThisavoidsanyriskofdoublecountingsiteswhichhavebeendesignatedunderbothDirectives.ThemethodologyforproducingtheBarometerhasrecentlybeensimplified,whichexplainswhymanyofthefiguresareslightlydifferentfromthepreviousBarometerupdates.

thesufficiencyofsitesundertheHabitatsDirectiveisdeterminedbyDGEnvironment,withtheassistanceoftheEuropeanTopicCentreforBiologicalDiversity.ItreflectsthesituationupuntilDecember 2013.

ForeachMemberState,theCommissionassesseswhetherthespeciesandhabitattypesonAnnexesIandII,whicharepresentinthecountry,aresufficientlyrepresentedbythesitesdesignatedtodate.Thisisexpressedasapercentageofspeciesandhabitatsforwhichfurtherareasneedtobedesignatedinordertocompletethenetworkinthatcountry.Ascientificreserveisgivenwhenfurtherresearchisneededinordertoidentifythemostappropriatesitestobeaddedforagivenspeciesorhabitat.

ThenumberofsufficiencyassessmentsforagivenMemberStatedependsbothonthenumberofbiogeographicalregionstowhichthatMemberStatebelongs,andonthenumberofhabitatsandspeciesoccurringonitsterritoryineachoftheseregions.

j Smallincreasein2015jj Moderateincreasein2015jjj Substantialincreasein2015

9 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

Member States

Natura 2000 network (terrestrial and marine)

TERRESTRIAL MARINE

SCI SPA Natura 2000 network SCI SPA Natura 2000 network

Total N° Natura 2000 Sites

Total area Natura 2000 km2

SCI area(km2)

SPA area(km2)

Natura area(km2)

% land area covered

SCI area(km2)

SPA area(km2)

Natura area(km2)

AUSTRIA 294 12691 9191 10169 12691 15.13% n.a. n.a. n.a. AT

BELGIUM 310 5158 3277 3181 3887 12.73% 1128 318 1271 BE

BULGARIA 340 41048 33258 25226 38222 34.46% 2482 550 2827 BG

CYPRUS 63 1784 752 1534 1653 28.82% 131 110 131 CY

CZECHREPUBLIC 1116 11061 7856 7035 11061 14.03% n.a. n.a. n.a. CZ

GERMANY 5206 80773 33514 40248 55170 15.45% 20938 19718 25603 DE

DENMARK 350 22647 3178 2605 3594 8.34% 16492 12184 19053 DK

ESToNIA 568 14837 7785 6182 8083 17.87% 3884 6480 6754 EE

SPAIN 1863 222142 117395 100972 137757 27.29% jj 54874 52060 84386 ES

FINLAND 1865 55988 48556 24655 48847 14.45% 6800 6425 7140 FI

FRANCE 1756 111677 47666 43544 69974 12.74% 27919 35543 41703 FR

GREECE 419 42946 21388 27622 35747 27.09% 6689 1905 7199 GR

CRoATIA 779 25690 16040 17034 20704 36.58% 4668 1112 4986 HR

HUNGARY 525 19949 14442 13747 19949 21.44% n.a. n.a. n.a. HU

IRELAND 595 19486 7164 4312 9227 13.13% 9786 1584 10259 IE

ITALY 2589 63965 42827 40108 57172 18.97% 5734 4005 6793 IT

LITHUANIA 485 9248 6138 5529 7938 12.16% 527 1056 1310 LT

LUXEMBoURG 66 702 416 jj 418 702 27.03% n.a. n.a. n.a. LU

LATVIA 333 11833 7421 6609 7446 11.53% 2664 4280 4387 LV

MALTA 39 234 41 13 41 12.97% 192 3 192 MT

NETHERLANDS 194 17315 3135 4766 5518 13.29% 11676 5736 11797 NL

PoLAND 987 68401 34187 48394 61165 19.56% 4339 7223 7236 PL

PoRTUGAL 165 50895 15680 9204 19010 20.67% 24101 8747 jjj 31885 PT

RoMANIA 531 55674 39765 35348 53781 22.56% 1703 1630 1894 Ro

SWEDEN 4082 64578 54745 25330 55250 13.32% 9258 4744 9328 SE

SLoVENIA 354 7684 6636 5068 7674 37.85% 4 10 11 SI

SLoVAKIA 514 14442 5837 13106 14442 29.57% n.a. n.a. n.a. SK

UNITEDKINGDoM 924 95106 13103 16022 20901 8.54% 67087 12029 74205 UK

EU28 27312 1147956 601393 537981 787606 18.12% 283076 187452 360350 EU28

update 2015

3010 20 40 50 60 70 80 90 3010 20 40 50 60 70 80 90

Noseaarea

Noseaarea

Terrestrial % (up to end 2014) Marine % (up to end 2014)

SCI SUffICIENCy ASSESSMENT (SITUATIoN DECEMbER 2013) No additional areas required Scientific reserve (unknown) Additional areas required

Noseaarea

Noseaarea

Noseaarea

10 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July20161010

TheWinnersofthe2016Natura 2000 Awards

AjurymadeupofinfluentialmembersoftheCommission,theEuropeanParliament,theCommitteeoftheRegions,theNGoandUsersCommunityselectedthefirstfivewinnersfromthefollowingcategories:Conservation;Socio-economicBenefits;Communication;ReconcilingInterests/Perceptions;andCross-borderCooperationandNetworking. Thesixthwinnerwaschosenbythepublic.KnownastheEUCitizens’Award,thiscategoryallowsthepublictovotefortheirfavouritefinalist.Almost40,000peoplecasttheirvotethistimearound.

The awards websiteThisyear,theNatura2000awardswebsitereceivedover85,000visitswhichreflectstheincreasinginterestin,andpopularityof,theawardscheme.Inaddition,applicantscouldseekinspirationfromaseriesof

The application processForthethirdyearrunning,theEuropeanCommissionhaslaunchedaNatura2000AwardtocelebrateandpromotebestpracticesfornatureconservationinEurope. TheAwardisdesignedtorewardexcellenceinthemanagementofNatura2000sitesandshowcasetheaddedvalueofthenetworkforlocaleconomies.Inaddition,itpaystributetoallthosewhoareworkingtirelesslyonmakingNatura2000anoperationalsuccesswhilstdrawingpublicattentiontothesubstantialachievementsoftheNatura2000networksofar. Thisyear’swinnerswereannouncedbyCommissionerVellaonthe23Mayatahigh-profileceremonyinBrussels.Theywereselectedfromashortlistof24finalists,outofatotalof83applicationsreceived.

benchmarkingreportsfromthetwoprevioustwoeditions.ThesereportsshouldalsoprovideausefulsourceofideasforallthoseworkingonNatura2000intheEU.

The future InlightoftheinitialsuccessoftheAwardstheselastthreeyears,theCommissionhaslaunchedanewcallforatendertocontinuetoadministertheschemealongsimilarlinesinthefuture.TheonlymajorchangewillbethattheAwardswillbegivenouteveryotheryear.ThisisinordertogiveapplicantsmoretimetopreparetheirproposalsandforthepublicityabouttheAwardstocirculatefarandwide. For more information go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/awards/index_en.htm

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016©

WW

FDCP,Fo

AB.,APB,BSPB,BBF

11 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

CONSERVATION

Demonstrating success in blanket bog restoration at the RSPB/United Utilities Partnership – UK

TheblanketbogsoftheSouthPennines,innorthernEngland,havebeendegradedbycenturiesofatmosphericpollutionfromthenearbyindustrialtownsandcities,leadingtoacompletelossofpeat-buildingSphagnummossesandwidespreadpeaterosion. Airqualityhasimprovedsincethe1980s,buttheextensiveerodedplateausneedenormousrestorationeffortstore-vegetatebarepeat,raisewatertables,and,so,moveonceagaintowardaSphagnum-richvegetationcommunity.

AtDoveStone,theRSPBinpartnershipwiththelandownerUnitedUtilities,isdeliveringanambitiousprogrammeofrestorationwork,withtheaimofrestoringbiodiversity,improvingwaterqualityandsupportingviablewildlife-friendlyfarmingonthisimportantNatura2000site.TheRSPB–UnitedUtilities(UU)partnershipcovers4,000haofmoorland,muchofitpriorityblanketbog. Restorationbeganin2008,andfollowingthesuccessfulre-vegetationofbarepeatthroughUU’sSustainableCatchmentManagementProgramme,thousandsofstoneblocksandheatherbaleswereplacedinthelargergulliestoraisethewaterlevel.Thiscouldnothavebeenachievedwithouttheinvaluablehelpofconservationvolunteers.Furtherbarepeatareaswerelimedandseededtore-establishthevegetationcoveranda‘noburning’policywasadoptedondeeppeat.Tenantfarmersalsoagreedtoreducetheiranimalstockingdensitieswiththehelpofagri-environmentschemes. Thisiscompellingevidencethatrestorationworks.TheexperienceatDoveStoneprovidesstrongevidenceofthepotentialtotransformdamageduplandecosystemstoimprovebiodiversity,whileachievingwiderbenefitsforwater,carbonmanagement,anddevelopingamorenaturalanddiverselandscape.Sincethestartoftheworks,goldenploverandcurlewpopulationshaveimprovedsignificantly,anddunlinshavetripledinnumberinthefirstfiveyears.■ For more information go to: http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/412147-new-228k-bog-restoration-project-launches-at-dove-stone

COMMUNICATION

Nature Concerthall – a collaboration between artists and scientists – Latvia

NatureConcerthalloffersaninnovativeapproachtoraisingpublicawarenessofnatureconservation.Theideaoriginallystemmedfrommusicianswishingtobreakoutoftraditionalconcertvenues,andscientistswantingtofindnewwaystointerestthepublicinbiodiversity.Bothfeltthatmobilisingpeople’sempathytowardsnaturewouldnotonlystrengthentheircapacitytoabsorbtheinformationpresentedtothembutalsomotivatethemtodosomethingfornature. Eachyear,aparticularspeciesorhabitatisselectedasthethemefortheevent.Thechoicedefinesthelocationofthevenuesothatparticipantscanhavefirst-handexperienceofthatspeciesorhabitat.TheeventssofarhavetakenplaceonorneareightdifferentNatura2000sites,focusingonlowlandhaymeadows,coniferousforests,reefs,andthefire-belliedtoad.Themusicisalsospeciallycomposedeveryyeartoreflectthespecies’orhabitat’sparticularities. Atypicaleventconsistsofthreecomponents:1)aninteractiveexhibitonthesurroundingnature;2)anon-stagediscussionbetweenapoetandascientisttoshareinterestingfactsandviewsonthethemeoftheevent;and3)aone-hourconcertwithsongsandlight/videoshows. overtheyears,theNatureConcerthallhasproventobeagreatsuccess,withupto10,000participantseachyear.Arecentsurvey

showedthat80%ofrespondentsconsideredtheyhadincreasedtheirknowledgeaboutnatureand43%thoughtthattheeventhadmotivatedthemtotakeuppracticalmeasuresforthebenefitofnature. overhalfoftherespondentsalsosaidthattheywouldnothaveattendedsuchaneventifithadnotcombinedthenatureexhibitsandtalkswithaconcertandasoundandlightshow.Theinnovativeapproachhasthussucceededindrawingthousandsofpeoplefromdifferentbackgroundswhowouldnotnormallybeinterestedinnatureconservation.■ For more information go to: http://www.natureconcerthall.com/

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016 11

©RSPB

©N

atureConcerthallAssociation

12 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July20161212 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July201612

SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS

For the Balkans and the people: nature protection and sustainable rural development – Bulgaria

Bulgaria’sBalkanMountainregionisofexceptionalnaturalvaluebutitisalsooneofthepoorestregionsintheEUwithhighunemploymentratesandanagingpopulation.Thelackofworkopportunitiesiscausingyoungpeopletoleavethearea,resultinginextensiveruraldepopulationandanabandonmentoftraditional

farmingpractices.Farmsaregenerallyverysmallandarenotabletoinvestinimprovingthequalityoftheirproduce.TheyalsolacktheskillsandcapacitytomakethemostoftheopportunitiesofferedbyEUfunds,despitethebenefitstheirfarmingprovidesforbiodiversity. Toaddresstheseissues,acoalitionofseveralpartnerswassetupinvolvingtheWWFDanube–CarpathianProgrammeBulgaria,theFoundationfororganicAgriculture,Bioselena,theAssociationofParksinBulgaria,theBulgarianSocietyfortheProtectionofBirds,andtheBulgarianBiodiversityFoundation.WiththefinancialsupportofBulgarian–SwissCooperation,thiscoalitionworkeddirectlywithfarmers,micro-enterprisesandsmallenterprisesinsixNatura2000sitesintheWesternandCentralBalkanmountainrange. Theprojectalsosetouttocreateabetterbusinessenvironmentforfarmersandlocalbusinesses.Fourinnovativeschemeswereintroducedtopaybusinessesfortheecosystemservicestheyprovideandtohelpprotectover15,000haofkeysemi-naturalhabitats.Theirproductswerepromotedandsoldatfairsandfarmers’marketsinSofiaandelsewhere.Additionally,toencourageinterestfromtheyoungergeneration,aChildren’sNatureAcademyhassofareducatedover3,500localkidsonextensivefarmingfornatureprotection. ThesecreativewaysofpayingforthebenefitsofnaturehelptodemonstratethatNatura2000isnotautomaticallyanobstacletobusiness,butinsteadoffersarealopportunitytosellproductsandservicesofahighqualityandenvironmentalvalue.SomeoftheprojectmeasureshavealsosincebeenincludedintheBulgarianRuralDevelopmentProgrammefor2017–2020.■ For more information go to: http://www.bioselena.com/en/projects/view/36/

CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION AND NETwORKINg

Europe’s rarest waterbird benefits from a team effort in conservation – greece

ForanumberofyearsnowtheFennoscandianpopulationofthelesserwhite-frontedgoosehasdeclinedatanalarmingrateinsouth-easternEurope.Whereasinthefirstdecadesofthe20thCenturyitwasestimatedatmorethan10,000individuals,by2011itheldnomorethan15–20breedingpairs. Thispromptedacoalitionoforganisationsfromfourcountriestocombinetheireffortsincarryingouturgentpracticalconservationactionsinthespecieswinteringandstaginggrounds.Throughanextensivenetworkofinternational,nationalandlocalexpertsandstakeholders,thepartnershaveimplementedasuccessful‘flywayapproach’spanningtheentireEurasianmigrationpathofthespecies. Awiderangeofactorsareinvolvedintheinitiative,includingtwopublicnationalauthorities(MinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy/GreeceandMetsähallitus/Finland),threeNGos(HoS/Greece,BSPB/BulgariaandWWF/Finland),theForestResearchInstitute/Greece,HortobágyNationalParkDirectorate/HungaryandtheUNEP/AEWASecretariat. WiththesupportoftheEULIFEprogrammeandtheNorwegianEnvironmentFund,theprojectisbeingimplementedsimultaneouslyinsevenNatura2000sitesacrossEurope.KeyactionsincludetheintroductionofastandardisedmonitoringprogrammeandhabitatrestorationworkincoreareassuchastheEvrosDeltainGreeceandtheHortobágyNationalParkinHungary.

Newgoosesurveillanceandanti-poachingschemeswerealsodesignedandimplementedinseveralsitesinBulgariaandGreece. Theproject’sflywayapproachisalreadyyieldinggoodresults.Sincethestartoftheprojectthetargetpopulationhasincreasedto110.Theprojecthasalsoraisedawarenessforthespecies’plight.Around2,000peoplerangingfromschoolchildrenandlocalhunters,tointernationalexpertsandseniorpolicymakers,havebeenengagedthroughtheproject.Around50peopleinGreeceandBulgariahavebeentrainedinapplyingnovelpatrollingschemesandtherearenowover100peopleengagedinmonitoringthespeciesin18countries.■ For more information go to: http://www.wwf.fi/lwfg

©TheodorosN

azirids

©M

anoliaVougioukalou

©W

WFD

CP,FoAB

.,APB,BSPB,BBF

13 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

RECONCILINg INTERESTS/PERCEPTIONS

Creating green corridors for biodiversity under high-tension lines in Belgium and France – Belgium

Intoday’ssociety,everyoneexpectsasteadysourceofenergytopowerourcomputers,lights,householdappliancesandentireindustries.ForaTransmissionSystemoperator(TSo),thisisabigchallengeinforestareas,sincetreescomingnearortouchingoverheadlineconductorscouldtriggerapowerfailure.Toensureasafeelectricitysupply,theTSoregularlydestroysvegetationunderhigh-tensionlines.Thisisnotonlycostlyfortheoperators,italsoaffectsspeciesandnaturalhabitats,andisunpopularwiththelocalpeople. Twosystemoperators–ELIAandRTE–incooperationwithgovernmentauthorities,environmentalconsultanciesandNGoshaveundertakenaninitiativetotestalternativemethodsformaintainingthestripsoflandunderthepowerlinesandcreatinggreencorridorsinwoodedareas.ActionsaretakingplaceinandaroundaseriesofNatura2000sitesacrossBelgiumandFrance,withthehelpofco-financingfromtheEULIFEprogramme. Theprojectimplementedseveninnovativealternativemethods,andhasgivenasignificantroletolocalstakeholders.Actionsunderhigh-tensionoverheadlinesincludeplantingorrestoringforestedges,plantingorchards,restoringnaturalhabitatslikepeatlands,calcareousmeadowsandmoors,usingtraditionalbreedsofcattleto

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016 13

THE EU CITIzENS’ AwARD

Collaboration between public and private bodies saves the Iberian lynx from extinction – Spain

TheIberianlynxisthemostendangeredwildcatintheworld,in2002therewerejust100individualsleftinSpain.Thespecieshasbeendecimatedbyhabitatlossthroughoutitsterritory.overtheyears,naturalwoodlandsandmaquiswereconvertedtoagricultureorpineandeucalyptusplantations,andfurtherfragmentedbyhumandevelopmentsuchasdams,motorwaysandrailways.Habitatchangesandoverhuntinghavealsoreducedpopulationsofthelynx’smainfoodsource–therabbit.Nowadays,onlytwoisolatedbreedingpopulationsofIberianlynxremain,furtherincreasingitsvulnerabilitytoextinction. Since2002,theGovernmentofAndalusiahasundertakenseveralprojectswiththesupportoftheEULIFEfundtostopthespeciesfromgoingextinctandtopavethewayforitsrecovery.Habitatmanagementandrabbitrestockingprogrammeswerelaunched,

alongwithsupplementaryfeedingstations,andactionsweretakentoreducetherateofroadkillsandpoaching.Acaptivebreedingprogrammewasalsolaunchedtoallowindividualstobereintroducedintothewildatnewlocationswithinitsexistingrange. Thedesignandexecutionoftheseinitiativesreliedontheclosecollaborationofallrelevantpublicandprivatestakeholders.Theparticipationofthelandownersandmanagersofprivatehuntingestates,inparticular,wasessentialforthesuccessoftheseactivities.Stewardshipagreementsandvoluntarycontractshavebeensignedwith132privateowners,managersandhuntingclubsinsixNatura2000sites,inordertoreducethehuntingpressureonrabbitsandsecurelynx-friendlylandmanagementacrossmorethan95,000ha. TheseconservationinitiativeshaveledtoamajorrecoveryamongtheIberianlynxpopulation(from52matureindividualsin2002to327in2014),enablingIUCNtoloweritsthreatcategoryfrom‘criticallyendangered’to‘endangered’.Inaddition,thecollaborationestablishedthroughtheprojectswillensurethatthisimportantworkcontinuesinthefuture.■ For more information go to: http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/site/portalweb

maintainpasture,sowingwildflowermeadows,removinginvasiveplantsanddiggingponds.Theseactionshavebeenundertakenacross580ha,190ha(33%)ofwhichareonNatura2000sites(31sitesinBelgiumandfoursitesinFrance). Theprojectreliesonlocalpartnershipstoachieveitsobjectives.Communicationactionsareusedtoreachstakeholdersinvolvedinforestmanagement:publicandprivatelandowners,administrativeauthorities,governmentalbodies,environmentalNGos,hunters,farmers,touristsand,ofcourse,theelectricitycompanies. There’sgoodnewsforthetransmissionoperatorstooasitturnsoutthatthenewmanagementmethodsareuptofourtimescheaperthantraditionalmethods(usingheavymachinery),ona30-yeartimescale.Moreover,areturnontheinvestmentmadeisexpectedbetweenthreeand12yearsaftertheendoftheproject.■ For more information go to: http://www.life-elia.eu/en/

©LIFEElia-RTE

©ConsejeriadeM

edioAmbiente

©ConsejeriadeM

edioAmbiente

14 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

•NEWS •PUBLICATIoNS • EVENTS

Scorpionfish, Scorpaena maderensis, watching Turkish wrasse, Thalassoma pavo, Pico, Azores, Portugal.

Marine socio-economic benefits of Natura 2000Europe’sregionalseasareamongstthemostproductiveintheworld,offeringawiderangeofecosystemgoodsandservices.Theysupportthelivelihoodsofover5millionEuropeansandgenerateagrossaddedvalueofalmost€500billionayear. Lastyear,theCommissionlaunchedastudyinordertobetterunderstandthesocio-economicbenefitsofthemarineNatura2000networkinparticular.Thereportprovidesaconvincingbodyofevidencetoshowthatprotectedmarineandcoastalecosystemsdoindeedprovideawiderangeofecosystemservices,includingfoodprovisioning,climatechangemitigation,nature-basedtourism,coastalsecurityandclimatechangeadaptation,bluebiotechnologyandresearch,aswellasbroadersocio-economicbenefits. However,someofthebenefitsofMPAsarecurrentlybetterunderstoodandstudiedthanothers.Forexample,itseemsclearthatno-takeMPAsindifferentecosystemsandregionscansupportfishstocks.Similarly,ecosystemslikesaltmarshesandseagrasseshavebeenshowntocontributetoprotectingcoastalareasfromtheimpactofweatherevents. ontheotherhand,littleevidenceisavailableoftheroleofmulti-useMPAsintermsofsupportingfood-provisioningbenefits(i.e.fishstocksoutsidetheprotectedareas)oronthepotentialofMPAsforbluetechnology.

Thestudyisaccompaniedbyanumberofstand-alonecasestudiesdocumentingtherangeofbenefitsderivingfrommarineprotectedsitesintheMediterraneanregion. Study available on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/marine/docs/Socio%20-Economic%20Benefits%20of%20EU%20MPAs.pdf

New round of Natura 2000 seminarsLaunchedin2010,theNatura2000BiogeographicalProcessprovidesapracticalframeworkforsupportingknowledgebuilding,cooperationandnetworkingonthemanagementofNatura2000sitesacrosseachofthebiogeographicalregionsintheEU. TheProcessaimsatenhancingcoherenceinthemanagementoftheNatura

2000networkandensuringthatNatura2000effectivelycontributestomeetingtheEU2020Biodiversityobjectives.ItisaninformalcollaborativeprocessinvolvingMemberStates,scientificexperts,stakeholders,NGos,practitionersandtheEuropeanCommission. Thisyear,anewroundofseminarsisbeingorganised,startingwithasecondBorealSeminaron5–7octoberinVilnius,LithuaniaandasecondAtlanticSeminaron25–27octoberinIreland.Thistimearound,theseminarswillexaminetheresultsofthe‘StateofNature’reportindetailinordertomakerecommendationsforfurthercooperativeactionatabiogeographicallevel.ThemarineaspectsoftheNatura2000BiogeographicalProcesswillalsobestrengthenedinthecomingyears.

Full details available on the Natura 2000 communication platform: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/platform/index_en.htm

Sufficiency of marine Natura 2000 sitesIn2009and2010areviewwasundertakenofthesufficiencyofmarineSCIdesignationsacrossthedifferentEuropeanmarinebiogeographicalregions.Inlightofrecentprogress,anewroundofseminarsisnowbeingorganisedforthe27–29September2016,incooperationwiththeEuropeanTopicCentre/BiologicalDiversity,totakestockofthesituationintheAtlantic,MediterraneanandMacaronesianseas. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/marine/index_en.htm

©Lundgre/naturepl.com

15 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016 15151515 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

Study on integrating Natura 2000 requirements into EU fundingAnanalysishasbeenconductedforDGEnvironmentofaround100operationalProgrammesfrom16MemberStatesthathavebeenapprovedunderthemainEUfunds(EAFRD,ERDF,CF,EMFFandESF)fortheperiod2014–2020.TheaimwastoassesstheextenttowhichrelevantmeasuresforNatura2000andbiodiversityconservationhavebeenintegratedintotheseprogrammes. Thestudyfound,thatalthoughsomeoftheprogrammesanalysedhavebenefitedfrom,andtakenaccountof,thePrioritisedActionFrameworks(PAFs)forNatura2000,therewerestillmajorshortcomingsandgapsasregardstheintegrationofNatura2000prioritiesintotheEU’sothermainfundingstreams,particularlyinrelationtotheconservationofforests,freshwaterhabitatsandspecies,andcoastalandmarinebiodiversity. Ingeneral,betterintegrationhasbeenachievedintheruraldevelopmentprogrammes(RDPs)fundedbyEARDFthanintheotherEUfunds.But,whileagri-environmentmeasurescontinuetobepopular,theuseofNatura2000paymentsandtheprovisionofinformation,trainingandadvicetofarmersremainsverylimited. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/financing/index_en.htm

Assessing the condition of Europe’s ecosystemsTheEuropeanCommissionhaspublishedanewseriesofreportsonmappingandassessingthestateofEcosystemsandtheirServices(MAES)inlinewithAction5oftheEUBiodiversityStrategy.

ThefirstprovidesanoverviewofallavailableinformationregardingtheconditionofEurope’secosystems.Italsoproposesaflexiblemethodologyforfutureassessmentsbuildingontheworkundertakensofar,mainlybytheEuropeanEnvironmentAgency,andtakingintoaccountexistingdataflows,especiallyfromreportingobligations. Thesecondreportoffersguidanceonmappingurbanecosystemsinparticular.Itproposesanindicatorframeworktoassesstheconditionofurbanecosystemsandurbanecosystemserviceswhichcanbeusedtosupporturbanplanningpolicyandpolicyongreeninfrastructureaturban,metropolitanandregionalscales. Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/ecosystem_assessment/index_en.htm

B@B PlatformTheEuropeanBusinessandBiodiversity(B@B)Platformprovidesaforumforstrategicdialogueonthelinksbetweenbusinessandbiodiversity.Throughthreeseparatethematicworkstreams–focusingonNaturalCapitalAccounting,InnovationforBiodiversityandBusiness,andAccesstoFinanceandInnovativeFinanceMechanisms–thePlatformaimstoworkwithbusinessestodeveloptoolsandapproachesthatintegratebiodiversityconsiderationsintocurrentbusinesspractice.TheB@BPlatformalsohelpstocoordinateandraiseawarenessofinnovativenationalandinternationalinitiatives,aswellasshowcasebusinessbestpracticesatEUlevel. Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/business/index_en.htm

LIFE Integrated Projects approvedIntegratedProjectswereintroducedinordertobeabletoimplementenvironmentalgoals

onawiderscaleandtoincreasetheimpactoftheLIFEprogramme. ThreeLIFEIntegratedProjectsforNaturewereselectedin2014foratotalbudgetof€56.3million:

•BNIP – Belgian Nature Integrated Project (Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, Belgium – €19 million):aimstoimplementPrioritisedActionFramework(PAF)targetsfortheNatura2000networkinBelgium,throughimprovedgovernance,capacitybuildingandcollaborationbetweentheFlemish,WalloonandFederalauthorities.Theprojectseekstoimprovestakeholderinvolvement,aswellasdevelopintegratedsitemanagementplansandmonitoringprogrammes.

•FRESHABIT LIFE-IP (Metsähallitus, Parks & wildlife, Finland – €24.4 million):aimstoimprovetheecologicalstatus,managementandsustainableuseoffreshwaterNatura2000sitesinFinland,bytacklingtheproblemstheyfaceatcatchmentlevel.Theprojectwilldevelopanddemonstrate,ineightregionalNatura2000networks,newbiodiversityandecosystemserviceindicators,withafocusonrevivingpopulationsofthekeyindicatorspeciesfreshwaterpearlmussel,Margaritifera margaritifera,alongsidemodellingmethodologiesforassessingthestatusoffreshwaterhabitats.

•LIFE IP gESTIRE 2020 (Regione Lombardia, Italy – €17.3 million):setsouttocreateanintegratedmanagementstructureforachievingconservationobjectivesfortheNatura2000regionalnetworkinLombardy.Theprojectaimstocoordinatemanagement,integrateregionalpolicies,trainpersonnelworkinginNatura2000areas,raisepublicawarenessandplaninterventionstoconservebiodiversity,suchasenhancingconnectivityandtacklinginvasivealienspecies.

Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/projects/ip.htm

LIFE 2016 application round now openThe2016applicationroundwaslaunchedon19May.Proposalsmustbesubmittedaccordingtothefollowingdeadlines:

•15SeptemberfortraditionalLIFEnature,biodiversity,governanceandinformationprojectproposals;

•20SeptemberforpreparatoryprojectsandTechnicalAssistanceprojects;

•26Septemberforintegratedprojectproposals.

Full details, including application packs, are available from the LIFE webpage on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life.htm

LIFE and new partnerships for conservation ThelatestLIFENatureFocuspublicationlooksattheimportanceofpartnershipsin

Natura 2000 in Lombardy, Italy.

©M

arcoAlbertelli

16 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | July2016

The Natura 2000 Newsletter is produced by DG Environment, European Commission

Author: Kerstin SundsethEcosystems LTD, BrusselsCommission Editors: Sylvia Barova and Sofia Pachini, DG EnvironmentDesign: www.naturebureau.co.uk

The newsletter is produced twice a year and is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Polish.

To be added to the mailing list, or to download the electronic version, visit http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/info/pubs/natura2000nl_en.htm

The newsletter does not necessarily reflect the official view of the European Commission.

Printed on recycled paper that has been awarded the EU Ecolabel (http://ec.europa.eu/ecolabel)

© European Union (2016) Reproduction of content other than photographs is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Photo credits: Cover ©ljubaphoto/nature/iStockphoto.com; ©Mark Hamblin/Pete Cairns naturepl.com, ©WWF DCP, FOA B., APB, BSPB, BBF, ©Lundgre/naturepl.com; p3 ©Paul Harcourt-Davies/naturepl.com; p4 ©Mark Hamblin/naturepl.com; p5 ©Edward Giesbers/naturepl.com; p6 © Pete Cairns/naturepl.com; p7 ©Wikimedia Commons, ©Jenny Svennås-Gillner, SLU; p10 ©WWF DCP, FOA B., APB, BSPB, BBF; p11 ©Nature Concerthall Association, ©RSPB; p12 ©Theodoros Nazirids, ©Manolia Vougioukalou, ©WWF DCP, FOA B., APB, BSPB, BBF; p13 ©LIFE Elia-RTE, ©Consejeria de Medio Ambiente; p14 ©Lundgre/naturepl.com; p15 ©Marco Albertelli

thesuccessfulimplementationofEUnatureandbiodiversitypolicy,inparticularthemanagementoftheNatura2000network. The76-pagebrochuregivesatasteofthebreadthofatypicalstakeholdergroupsthatLIFEprojectshaveworkedwithuptilnow,andalsoofferssuggestionsforinnovativewaysofhownewprivateinitiativescancomplementexistingpublicfundingmechanisms,beeconomicallysustainableandcreatejobs. Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublications/flippingbook/life-newpartnershipsfornature/HTML/index.html

TV documentary on Natura 2000 in Spain TheSpanishLIFEproject:‘ActivaRedNatura2000:ConnectingPeoplewithBiodiversity’hasteamedupwiththeSpanishtelevisioncompanyRTVEtobroadcastaseriesofhalf-hourdocumentariesonNatura2000sitesandtheirlocalcommunities

acrossthedifferentregionsofSpain.Beautifullyfilmedandnarrated,thevideosallowviewerstodiscoversomeofthemostinterestingandbiodiverseareasofthecountryfromthecomfortoftheirarmchair. Go to: http://natura2000.seo.org/

green week 2016 and LIFE AwardsThe2016GreenWeektookplacefrom30Mayto3Juneunderthetheme‘Investingforagreenerfuture’.Themanyfacetsofgreeninvestmentwerefeaturedthroughouttheweek.GreenWeekwasalsotheoccasionfortheannouncementofthefivewinnersofthe‘BestoftheBest’LIFENature/InformationProjectsfor2015.Theywereselectedfromashortlistof27BestProjects. Details on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/greenweek/index_en.html and http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/bestprojects/bestnat2015/index.htm

Natura 2000communication toolkitWiththehelpofLIFEfunds,theEURoPARCFederationhasdevelopedacomprehensiveonlinecommunicationtoolkit,especiallydesignedformanagersofNatura2000areas,tosupport,assistandinspirethemintheircommunicationofNatura2000areas.BasedonaManualforEffectiveCommunication,thetoolkitcontainsamultitudeofusefultips,toolsandbestpracticeexamplestohelpimprovetheNatura2000manager’scommunicationskills. Go to: http://www.europarc.org/tools-and-training/communication-skills/toolkit/

Migratory Species Championon17June,BradneeChambers,ExecutiveSecretaryoftheUNEPConventiononMigratorySpeciespresentedDanielCallejaCrespo,Director-GeneralofDGEnvironmentwithacertificatethatrecognisestheEuropeanCommissionasChampion Plusforitscommitmenttowards‘BuildingCapacityforMigratorySpeciesConservation’for2015–2018.ThisawardtestifiestotheCommission’slong-termmissiontoenhancetheskills,competenciesandabilitiesofgovernmentsindevelopingcountriestoimplementtheConvention. http://www.cms.int/en/news/european-commission-champions-migratory-wildlife-conservation

KH-AA-16-001-EN

-N