1 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017

NATURAN u m b e r 41 | F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7N 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

EUnaturelegislationisfitforpurpose

ISSN

24

43-7

727

2 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

On16December,afterarigoroustwo-yearassessment,theCommissionconcludedthattheEUHabitatsandBirdsDirectivesarefitforpurpose,buttheirimplementationneedstobebetterandmoreuniform.Thedecisioncameinthewakeofextensiveconsultationswithcitizensandstakeholdersacrossall28EUMemberStates.

TheseDirectivesarevitalforEurope’snature,soimprovingtheirimplementationwillnowbecomeatoppriority.ThemainchallengesidentifiedduringtheassessmentrelatetoinadequateinvestmentandinsufficientmanagementoftheNatura2000network.Deficienciesatlocallevelswerealsosingledout,fromdelaysinauthorisationsandfromburdensomeprojectpermits,topoormanagementofindividualspeciesandlowlevelsofstakeholderengagement.Theconnectionsbetweenthesitesinthenetworkneedtobeimproved,ifbiodiversityandecosystemservicesaretobemaintainedandrestoredinthewiderlandscape.Lastbutnotleast,theevaluationshowedthatweneedtolinktheDirectives’implementationwithbroadersocio-economicobjectives,includinginEUpolicyareassuchasenergy,agricultureandfisheries.

TheCommissionisnowdevelopinganActionPlantoaddresstheseimplementationgaps,expectedinspring2017.Wewillimprovetheinvolvementofregionalandlocalauthoritiesandboosttheinvolvementofthosewholiveandworkintheseareas.

Thefitnesscheckgeneratedahugeamountofcitizenengagement,withhalfamillioncitizenssubmittingtheirviews.TheActionPlanwillbuildonthissolidbaseandwewillmakesurecitizenshavefurtherchancestobeinvolvedinthemanagementofNatura2000sites.InthiswewillbehelpedbythenewEUSolidarityCorpswhichwillallowyoungpeopletogaininvaluableon-siteexperience,includinginworkingonconservationandrestorationprojectswithinNatura2000.

StrengthenedimplementationwillalsohelptheEUtodeliveronglobalbiodiversitycommitments.AttheUNBiodiversityConferenceinCancún,MexicoinDecember2016,theEUanditsMemberStatesconfirmedthatwewouldhighlightbiodiversityconsiderationsinpoliciesforagriculture,forestry,fisheriesandtourism.TheConferencedecisionsonintegratingaconcernfornatureintoallotherrelevantpoliciesshouldhelptheworldachieveitsglobalbiodiversitytargetsby2020.WecanalsogoalongwaytodeliveringontheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsanddrivingglobalactiononclimatechange.

Karmenu VellaEuropean Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Natura2000natureandbiodiversitynewsletterFebruary2017CONTENTS3–5 EUnaturelegislationisfitforpurpose6–7 UNBiodiversityConference:ResultsfromCancún8–9 Natura2000Barometer–update2017

10–13Thefirst-everEuropeanRedListofHabitats

14–16 NewsRound-up

Cover: Beech forest with bluebells in Norfolk, England. ©DavidTipling/naturepl.com

2

©M

arkHam

blin/naturepl.com

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

©M

errysThomas/naturepl.com

Editorial

©N

ickUpton/naturepl.com

©JornaLuhta/naturepl.com

©RobertoRinaldi/naturepl.com

©IISD

/FrancisDejon

3 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017 3333

EUnaturelegislationisfitforpurpose

©AngeloG

andolfi/naturepl.com natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017

FollowingadebateoftheCollegeofEUCommissioners,theFitnessCheckevaluationoftheBirdsandHabitatsDirectiveswasfinalisedandpublishedinDecember2016. It concludes that, within the framework of broader EU biodiversity policy, the Nature Directives are fit for purpose.But achieving their objectives and realising their full potential will depend on substantial improvement in their implementation, in relation to both effectiveness and efficiency, working in partnership with different stakeholder communities in the Member States and across the EU, to deliver practical results on the ground.

Fitness Check objectiveThenatureFitnessCheckrepresentsthemostcomprehensiveevaluationoftheNatureDirectiveseverundertaken.ItwasinitiatedinOctober2013aspartofawiderreviewoftheimplementationofEUlegislationandpolicyundertheRegulatoryFitnessandPerformanceProgramme(REFIT). Fitnesschecksprovideanevidence-basedcriticalanalysisofwhetherEUactionsareproportionatetotheirobjectivesanddeliveringasexpected.Theycoverenvironmental,economicandsocialaspects,andconcernallEUpolicyareas. Fivespecificcriteriawereusedtoassesswhetherthe

naturedirectivesarestillfitforpurpose:effectiveness,efficiency,relevance,coherence,andEUaddedvalue. Supportedbyastudycontract,theCommissionundertookextensiveconsultationtogatherandassessrelevantinformationfromawiderangeofdifferentsourcesatbothEUandMemberStatelevel. Thisincludedanonlinepublicconsultationinmid-2015whichwasdesignedtogathertheviewsofEurope’scitizensandstakeholdersonthisimportanttopic. Stronglyinfluencedbycampaigns,over550000peoplesubmittedreplies,makingitthepublicconsultation

EU nature legislation brings significant added value since it allows countries to work together across political boundaries.

Currently, Natura 2000 covers more than 18% of the EU’s land surface and 6% of the EU’s marine surface

4 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017444

withthehighestresponserateeverreceivedbytheCommission.ThistestifiestothestrengthofinterestandemotiontheDirectivesgenerateamongstEurope’scitizens,eveninthistimeofeconomicuncertainty. TheresultinganalysisbroughttogetherasubstantialbodyofevidenceaimedatidentifyingchangesthatcouldlogicallybeattributedtotheinterventionoftheDirectives.

EffectivenessTheevaluationofeffectivenessfocusedonassessingtheextenttowhichtheobjectivesofthetwoDirectiveshavebeenachieved,andanysignificantfactorsthatmayhavecontributedtoorinhibitedprogresstowardsmeetingthoseobjectives. TheFitnessCheckconfirmedthatthegeneralobjectivesoftheDirectiveshavenotyetbeenmetanditisnotpossibletopredictwhentheywillbefullyachieved.Nevertheless,thereisampleevidencetoshowthatthestatusandtrendsofspeciesandhabitatsprotectedbytheDirectiveswouldbesignificantlyworseintheirabsence.Moreover,where

therearetargetedactionsatasufficientscale,improvementsinthestatusofspeciesandhabitatshaveclearlytakenplace. Theissueofscaleemergesseveraltimesintheevaluation.Despitebeingacatalystforincreasedfundingfornature,improvedstakeholderawarenessandengagement,aswellasstrengthenedknowledgeandsharingofexperience,theDirectiveshaveneverthelessfallenshortoftheirobjectivesbecausetheactionsundertakenintheseareashavenotyettakenplaceatasufficientscale. TheeffectivenessoftheDirectiveshasbeenhinderedinparticularbydelaysintheestablishmentoftheNatura2000networkandinputtinginplacethenecessaryconservationmeasuresforthemanagementandrestorationofthesites.Consequently,thenetworkhasnotbeenabletodeliveritsfullconservationandsocio-economicpotential,evenifsomesignificantprogresshasbeenmade. Availabilityandtargetingoffunding,knowledgegaps,fullstakeholderengagement,effectivemanagementofthe

Natura2000sites,policyintegrationandhumanresourceconstraintsremainthemostsignificantchallenges.

EfficiencyTheevaluationonefficiencyexaminedwhetherthecostsinvolvedinimplementationarereasonableandproportionaltothebenefitsachieved.ItconcludedthatthemultiplebenefitsoftheDirectives,estimatedforNatura2000at€200–300billionperyear,significantlyexceedthecostofdesignating,protectingandmanagingthesites,whichisestimatedatover€5.8billionannuallyacrosstheEU.

However,thesocio-economicbenefitsofthemanyecosystemservicesprovidedbyNatura2000havenotyetgainedwidespreadpolicyrecognition.Therecanalsobeamismatchbetweenthosebearingthecosts,suchaslandownersanddevelopersandthosebenefitting,suchastourismandrecreationalbodiesandsocietymoregenerally,whichhasimplicationsforthedesignofcompensationandincentiveschemes. Furthermore,theoverallEUco-fundingforNatura2000duringthe2007–2013periodrepresentedonly9–19%oftheestimatedfinancingneedsandhasnotalwaysbeenabletoprovidedemonstrableresults.Nationalco-fundingwasunabletocovertheremaininggap. Ontheotherhand,theevaluationalsoconcludedthattheDirectivesdonotcreatebarrierstosustainableinvestmentsthatarenotdamagingtotheconservationvaluesofthesites.ThevastmajorityofproposedprojectsandplansfallingwithintheArticle6permittingprocedureshavebeenauthorised. Delaysinpermittingproceduresoftenresultfromacombinationoffactorsincludinginadequateknowledge,difficultiesinaccesstodataandunnecessarilycomplexproceduresatnationallevel.Butthereisalsoagrowingbodyofgoodpracticeonsmart

The socio-economic benefits of Natura 2000 have not yet gained widespread policy recognition.

The Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus, is now on the road to recovery thanks to the EU legislation and LIFE Programme.

©N

ickUpton/2020Vision/naturepl.com

©O

riolAlamany/naturepl.com

5 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017 55

implementationapproachessuchasearlyscreeningofplans,andstreamliningofpermittingprocedurestohelpovercometheseproblems.

RelevanceTheexaminationofrelevanceconsideredtheextenttowhichtheobjectivesandmeasurescontainedwithintheNatureDirectivesareconsistentwiththecurrentneedsofEUhabitatsandspecies.EvidenceshowsthattheDirectivescontinuetoberelevantfortacklingthekeypressuresonhabitatsandspecies.Theirgeneralandspecificobjectivesremainvalid,settingoutwhatistobeachievedandleavingtheresponsibilityforidentifyingandrespondingtospecificthreatstotheMemberStates. DifferencesofviewshavebeenexpressedonthecurrentneedtoupdatetheAnnexestotheDirectives.Intheend,the

CommissionconcludedthattheAnnexesintheircurrentformprovideanadequatelevelofprotectiontoenabletheobjectivesoftheDirectivestobemet.AlthoughtheDirectivesdonotfullycoveralltaxonomicgroups,availablestudiesindicatethattheNatura2000network,throughits‘umbrellaeffect’,coversahighproportionofspeciesofconservationconcernbeyondthoselistedintheAnnexes.

CoherenceTheanalysisoncoherencelookedforevidenceofsynergiesorinconsistenciesbetweentheDirectivesandotherEUpolicieswhichareexpectedtoworktogether,suchasotherEUenvironmentaldirectivesandEUsectoralpoliciesaffectinglandandwateruse. Overall,itwasconcludedthattheNatureDirectivesarecoherentwitheachotherbut

thereiscontinuedneedtopromoteimplementationsolutionsthatoptimisetheattainmentoftheirconservationobjectiveswhilehavingfullregardtothesocio-economiccontextinwhichtheyoperate,workingwithdifferentstakeholdercommunities. OtherenvironmentaldirectivesarealsoconsideredtobeconsistentandcomplementarywiththeNatureDirectives,althoughexperiencehighlightstheneedandvalueforimprovedco-ordination,inparticularasregardsmonitoringandreportingwithaviewtocollectingdataonceformultiplepurposesandreducingburden. AstoothersectoralEUpolicies,thereareexamplesofcompetingobjectives,includinginrelationtotheCommonAgriculturalPolicy(CAP),and,givenitscontinuingdecline,greatereffortswillbeneededtoconserveandenhancebiodiversityassociatedwithagriculture,throughamoreeffectiveintegrationwiththeCAP.

EU added valueTheanalysisoftheDirectives’EUaddedvalueassessedwhetheractioncontinuestobejustifiedattheEUlevelandlookedforchangesthatcanreasonablybeattributedtoEUintervention. TheevaluationfoundthatthereisbroadrecognitionthattheDirectiveshaveestablishedastrongerandmoreconsistentbasisforprotectingnaturethanexistedinEuropebeforetheiradoption.TheneedsandrationaleforEUlevelactionthroughtheNatureDirectivesremainvalidalsowithaviewtoachievingthemultipleecosystemservicebenefitsthattheydelivertosociety. Asthereportremindsus,natureisasharedheritageoftheMemberStatesandeffectivemanagementofnaturalresourcesneedstotakeplaceacrosspoliticalboundariesastherangesofmanyspeciesaredependentonsuitablehabitatsandconditions

beingpresentsimultaneouslyinseveralMemberStates. DifferentnatureprotectionrulesacrosstheEUwouldalsohaveleadtomanydiverselegalregimesforbusiness.EUactionhascreatedamoreconsistent,fairandintegratedapproachtonatureconservationanddeliveryofecosystemservicesacrosstheEU,generatingopportunitieswhileatthesametimeaddressingtransboundaryconcernsinlinewithinternationalobligations. TheDirectivesare‘frameworklegislation’whosedetailedimplementationisregulatedthroughnational/regionallawanddecisionsofnational/regional/localauthoritiessupportedbyguidanceandotherEUlevelpolicydocuments.ThegoalsoftheDirectivescontinuetoreflecttheneedsofnatureconservationandsustainableusefornature,peopleandtheeconomyalthoughmoreeffortsareneededtoachievethem.

Next steps TheresultsoftheFitnesscheckevaluationprovideasolidandinformedbasisforfollowupaction.ThefindingshaveillustratedthattheDirectives,whileremainingfullyvalid,requireimprovedimplementationthroughamodernapproachcapableofcapturingthefullpotentialandopportunitiesofferedbytheexistinglegislation. Inlightofthesefindings,theCommissionisnowpreparingafollowupActionPlanthatproposesacomprehensivesetofmeasurestosubstantiallyimprovetheimplementationofthetwoDirectivesinthecomingyears.Theaimistopublishthisinthefirsthalfof2017,detailsofwhichwillbeprovidedinthenextnewsletter. Full details of the Fitness Check results are available on:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/index_en.htm

The rationale for EU-level action through the Nature Directives remains valid.

©ARCO

/naturepl.com

6 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y201766

UNBiodiversityConference:ResultsfromCancún

66

InDecember2016,delegatesfrom196countriescametogetherinCancún,Mexicoforthe13thConferenceofthePartiestotheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBDCOP13). WithstronginvolvementoftheEUanditsMemberStates,theConferenceadoptedkeydecisionsonarangeoftopicsaimedatstrengtheningtheimplementationoftheglobalStrategicPlanforBiodiversity2011–2020andoncreatingsynergieswiththeSustainableDevelopmentGoalsunderthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.

The Cancún Declaration – mainstreaming biodiversityThemainthemeofthemeetingwastheintegration(‘mainstreaming’)ofbiodiversityintoothersectors,withaparticularfocusonagriculture,forestry,fisheriesandtourism.

Atwo-dayhigh-levelmeetingprecedingtheCOP13broughttogethertherelevantMinisters. Itculminatedintheadoptionofthe“CancúnDeclaration”onmainstreamingtheconservationandsustainableuseofbiodiversity. Onthisoccasion,theFoodandAgricultureOrganisation(FAO)launchedanewbiodiversityplatformtofacilitatecross-sectordialogueonbiodiversityandagriculture,forestryandfisheries. Furthermore,manycountriesannouncedconcretecommitmentsandinitiativestoachievetheglobalbiodiversitytargets. Forexample,12countries,ledbyTheNetherlands,establisheda‘CoalitionoftheWillingonPollinators’andcommittedtotakeactions,cooperateandlearnfromeachotherinordertoprotectpollinators.

Strengthening implementationCOP13adoptedashort-termActionPlanonecosystemrestorationaswellasdecisionsonarangeoftopics,suchasprotectedareas,sustainablewildlifemanagement,invasivealienspecies,climatechangeandfinancing. Asregardsmarineissues,decisionsweretakentoencouragegreaterapplicationofmarinespatialplanning,provideguidanceonpreventingandmitigatingtheimpactsofmarinedebris,andtomaintainandenhancetheresilienceofecosystemsincoldwaterareasinparticular.

Synthetic biology, digital sequence information and gene drivesCOP13alsoaddressedanumberofparticularlysensitivetopics,suchassyntheticbiology

The 13th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in December 2016 in Cancún, Mexico.

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017©

IISD/FrancisD

ejon(ww

w.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop13/enb/7dec.htm

l)

The Early bumble-bee, Bombus pratorum.

©PeterCreed/naturebureau

• Globally, nearly 90% of wild flowering plants depend on pollinators

• Pollinators have a crucial role in the food production process.

7 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017 7

(synbio)anddigitalsequenceinformation(DSI)ofgeneticresources,andagreedontheneedtotakeaprecautionaryapproachtolivingmodifiedorganisms(LMOs)containing‘genedrives’. Rapidtechnologicaldevelopmentshavefacilitatedenormouslyaccesstothesegeneticengineeringtechniques,buttheirpotentialimplicationsforbiodiversityareinsufficientlyknown.COP13agreedtouseanon-bindingoperationaldefinitionforsynbioasabasisforfurtherwork. TherewereheateddebatesonthequestionwhetherDSIwouldfallundertheCBDdefinitionof‘geneticresources’.Ifso,wouldthisresultinunworkablerules?Ifnot,wouldthatunderminethesharingofbenefitsarisingfromtheutilisationofgeneticresources?ThePartiesagreedonfurtherfact-findingandconsultations,inordertoconsiderthisissueinmoredetailatthenextCOPin2018.

The CBD ProtocolsMeetingsofthetwoCBDProtocols,theCartagenaProtocolonBiosafetyandtheNagoyaProtocolonAccessandBenefit-sharing,tookplaceatthesametimeasCOP13. AsregardstheCartagenaProtocol,thePartiestooknoteoftheGuidanceonriskassessmentforLMOsanddecidedonaframeworkforfurtherworkontheirriskassessmentaswellastheidentificationofknowledgegapsandneedsforfurtherguidance. TwoyearsaftertheentryintoforceoftheNagoyaProtocolandwiththesignatureofmorethan90governments,PartiesagreedtoaseriesofactionsattheCancúnmeetingtohelpitsimplementationreachcruisingspeed.Theyincludeanexchangeofinformationonaccessregulationsandcompliancemeasures(throughthe‘ABSClearing-House’),andoncapacity-buildingforsuch

measurestobeinlinewiththeProtocol. Partiesalsoagreedtofurtherconsidertheneedforaglobalmultilateralbenefit-sharingmechanismtocomplementtheProtocol’sdefaultbilateralapproach.

Next steps WithonlyfouryearslefttoachievetheAichiBiodiversityTargets,itwasgenerallyrecognisedthateffortsneedto

besteppedup.TheDecisionsadoptedinCancún,ifproperlyfollowedup,willcontributetothis. However,thereremainsaneedforstrongercommitmentfromallPartiesandmoreeffectivetoolsforimplementationofthecurrentStrategicPlan2011–2020. Withthisinmind,andlookingfurtherinthefuture,COP13requestedtheCBDSecretariattoprepare

adetailedplanforthedevelopmentofthepost-2020follow-up,includingoptionsforstrengtheningcommitmentandimplementation. ThenextmeetingoftheConferenceofPartieswillbeheldinSharmElSheikh,Egypt,in2018. Cancún declaration: https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/cop/cop-13/official/cop-13-24-en.pdf CBD COP 13 website: https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2016

French angelfish, Pomacanthus paru under Elkhorn coral Acropora palmata,Cancún National Marine Park, Caribbean Sea, Mexico.

Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, COP 13 President, with Mexican youth volunteers.

©ClaudioContreras/naturepl.com

©IISD

/FrancisDejon(w

ww

.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop13/enb/attribhtml)

8 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

barometer

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 300 12691 9192 10169 12691 15.13% n.a. n.a. n.a. AT

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

BULGARIA 339 41048 33258 25226 38222 34.46% 2482 550 2827 BG

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

CZECHREPUBLIC 1153 11148 j 7951 7035 11148 14.14% n.a. n.a. n.a. CZ

GERMANY 5211 80802 33567 40248 55200 15.46% 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 222276 117517 101327 137872 27.31% 54892 52063 84404 ES

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

FRANCE 1766 112200 j 48222 43872 70515 12.84% 27899 35543 41685 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 19485 7163 4311 9226 13.13% 9786 1584 10259 IE

ITALY 2596 63979 42828 40103 57173 18.97% 5748 4006 6806 IT

LITHUANIA 551 9649 j 6288 5530 j 8086 12.38% jj 958 1056 jj 1563 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 48 3531 40 jj 16 41 12.97% jjj 1579 jjj 3221 jjj 3490 MT

NETHERLANDS 195 20603 3136 4767 5520 13.29% j 12074 jj 8627 jj 15083 NL

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

PORTUGAL 165 50895 15680 9204 19010 20.67% 24101 8747 31885 PT

ROMANIA 597 60577 j 40310 j 36493 54214 22.74% jjj 6188 1630 jjj 6362 RO

SWEDEN 4084 75509 54775 25330 55280 13.32% jjj20160 jjj14448 jjj 20229 SE

SLOVENIA 355 7686 6637 5068 7675 37.86% 4 10 11 SI

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

UNITEDKINGDOM 925 108153 13175 16067 20989 8.57% jj 80513 12028 jj 87164 UK

EU28 27522 1184609 603018 539853 789081 18.15% 314117 203268 395528 EU28

ThisNaTUraBaromETEr isproducedbyDGEnvironmentwiththehelpoftheEuropeanEnvironmentAgency.ItisbasedoninformationofficiallytransmittedbyMemberStatesuptoFebruary 2017.

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

ThesufficiencyofsitesundertheHabitatsDirectiveisdeterminedbyDGEnvironment,withtheassistanceoftheEuropeanTopicCentreforBiologicalDiversity.

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

ThenumberofsufficiencyassessmentsforagivenMemberStatedependsbothonthenumberofbiogeographicalregionstowhichthatMemberStatebelongs,andonthenumberofhabitatsandspeciesoccurringonitsterritoryineachoftheseregions.

j Smallincreasein2016jj Moderateincreasein2016jjj Substantialincreasein2016

9 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017

update January 2017

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 300 12691 9192 10169 12691 15.13% n.a. n.a. n.a. AT

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

BULGARIA 339 41048 33258 25226 38222 34.46% 2482 550 2827 BG

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

CZECHREPUBLIC 1153 11148 j 7951 7035 11148 14.14% n.a. n.a. n.a. CZ

GERMANY 5211 80802 33567 40248 55200 15.46% 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 222276 117517 101327 137872 27.31% 54892 52063 84404 ES

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

FRANCE 1766 112200 j 48222 43872 70515 12.84% 27899 35543 41685 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 19485 7163 4311 9226 13.13% 9786 1584 10259 IE

ITALY 2596 63979 42828 40103 57173 18.97% 5748 4006 6806 IT

LITHUANIA 551 9649 j 6288 5530 j 8086 12.38% jj 958 1056 jj 1563 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 48 3531 40 jj 16 41 12.97% jjj 1579 jjj 3221 jjj 3490 MT

NETHERLANDS 195 20603 3136 4767 5520 13.29% j 12074 jj 8627 jj 15083 NL

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

PORTUGAL 165 50895 15680 9204 19010 20.67% 24101 8747 31885 PT

ROMANIA 597 60577 j 40310 j 36493 54214 22.74% jjj 6188 1630 jjj 6362 RO

SWEDEN 4084 75509 54775 25330 55280 13.32% jjj20160 jjj14448 jjj 20229 SE

SLOVENIA 355 7686 6637 5068 7675 37.86% 4 10 11 SI

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

UNITEDKINGDOM 925 108153 13175 16067 20989 8.57% jj 80513 12028 jj 87164 UK

EU28 27522 1184609 603018 539853 789081 18.15% 314117 203268 395528 EU28

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 early 2016)

SCI SuffICIENCy ASSESSMENT No additional areas required Scientific reserve (unknown) Additional areas required

Noseaarea

Noseaarea

Noseaarea

10 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y20171010

RedListsofthreatenedspecieshavebeenunderdevelopmentsince1964.Over85,000specieshavebeenassessedsofar.Together,theyprovidethemostcomprehensiveandwidelyacceptedscientificinventoryontheconservationstatusofspeciesintheworld. EuropeanRedListshavebeenfundedbytheCommissionsince2006andarenowavailableforalmostalltaxonomicgroupsincludingallvertebratesandaselectionofinvertebratesandplants(seeBox1). TherehashoweverneverbeenaEuropeanRedListof

The first-ever European Red List of Habitats

EuropeanUnionmemberstates AdditionalcountriesEU28+ MarineAssessmentareas

Assessment boundaries for the European Red List of Habitats.

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

Anthias exploring corals off the coast of Capraia, Tuscany, Italy.

©RobertoRinaldi/naturepl.com

Common spotted-orchids, Dactylorhiza fuchsii.

©RossH

oddinott/naturepl.com

11 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017

Taxonomic group(s) N° species assessed Date of publication

Mammals 231 2007Amphibians 83 2009Reptiles 139 2009Dragonflies 137 2010Butterflies 435 2010Saproxylicbeetles(selection) 431 2010Freshwatermolluscs 854 2011Terrestrialmolluscs(selection) 1,233 2011Freshwaterfishes 524 2011Vascularplants(selectedspecies) 1,805 2011Marinefishes 988 2015Bees 1,942 2014Medicinalplants 400 2014Birds 533 2015Grasshoppers,cricketsandbush-crickets 1,075 2016Pteridophytes ca.200 On-going,due2017Saproxylicbeetles(selection) ca.250 On-going,due2017Bryophytes ca.1,800 On-going,due2018Terrestrialmolluscs(remainingspecies) ca.1,200 On-going,due2018Vascularplants(selectionincludingalltreesandaselectionofshrubs)

ca.600 On-going,due2018

Box 1. IuCN European Red List assessments funded by DG ENV.

11

Habitats.Thatisuntilnow.InDecember2016,followingthreeyearsofground-breakingwork,theCommissionpublishedthefirst-everEuropeanRedListassessmentofallnaturalandsemi-naturalhabitattypes. TheListprovidesacomprehensiveoverviewofthecharacter,extentandconservationstatusofsome490marine,terrestrialandfreshwaterhabitattypesoccurringinEuropeattwogeographiclevels:fortheEU28countriesandforEuropeasawhole(i.e.theEU28plusIceland,Norway,Switzerland,theremainingBalkancountriesandtheirneighbouringseas).

MethodologyAtthestartoftheprocess,acommonhabitattypologywasdevelopedfollowingtherecommendationsofafeasibilitystudyfinancedbytheCommissionin2012,whichalsoadvisedonthemostappropriateassessmentcriteria,levelofassessment,anddatasourcestobeused. ThehabitattypologyisbasedontheEUNISClassificationbutadjustedtotakeaccountofthefactthatsomeEUNIS3or4levelunitsareunhelpfullylargeandcomplex(suchasbroadleaveddeciduouswoodlandsandtheconiferouswoodlands)ortoobroadlydefinedintermsoftheirecologicalvariationandbiodiversity(suchasdrygrasslandsorpelagichabitats). Datawassubsequentlycollectedfromindividual

countriesonthecurrentareaofhabitat,trendinquantity(over50years),trendinquality(over50years),long-termandfuturetrends,pressuresandthreats,andconservationmeasures.Intotal,around300expertsfrom33countriescontributedtotheprocess. Oncethedatawasassimilated,theconservationstatusofeachhabitatwasthenassessedusingamodifiedversionoftheIUCNRedListofEcosystemsCategoriesandCriteria.Intotal,eightCategoriesandfiveCriteriawereidentifiedforassessingtheriskofhabitatcollapse,asameasureofdegreeofthreat.

natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017©

BernardCastelein/naturepl.com

IuCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Wild garlic and bluebells, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, flowering in a beechwood, Belgium.

Adequate data

Evaluated

Allecosystems

Risk ofCollapse

Collapsed (CO)

Critically Endangered (CR)

Endangered (EN)

Vulnerable (VU)

Near Threatened (NT)

Least Concern (LC)

Data Deficient (DD)

Threatened categories

+

-

Not Evaluated (NE)

12 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

Part I. Marine habitatsThe marine assessment covers the four marine regions of Europe: Baltic Sea, North-East Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Within these marine regions, the assessment includes the marine waters of the EU28 and those of neighbouring states of southern Norway, Russia in the Baltic, and non-EU countries bordering the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. 257 benthic (seabed) marine habitats were assessed, ranging from those occurring on the coast down to 200 m depth and up to 200 nautical miles offshore. In total, 19% (EU28) and 18% (EU28+) of the evaluated habitats are assessed as threatened in the categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. An additional 12% are Near Threatened in the EU28 and 11% in the EU28+. These figures would be twice as high had the Data Deficient habitats been excluded. The percentage of threatened habitat types differs across the regional seas. The highest proportion occurs in the Mediterranean Sea (32%), followed by the North-East Atlantic (23%), the Black Sea (13%) and then the Baltic Sea (8%). The most frequently cited pressures resulting from human activities on benthic marine habitats are similar across the four regional seas. These are pollution (principally nutrient enrichment leading to eutrophication), biological resource use (essentially fishing), natural system modifications (for

example dredging and sea defence works), urbanisation and climate change. It is clear that a large proportion of marine habitats are still Data Deficient (49% EU28 / 53% EU28+), but, thanks to the Red List assessment process, a substantial body of useful information has been collected on these little-studied habitats to support their conservation.

1%

9%

9%

12%

20%

49%

1%

7%

10%

11%

18%

53%

Outcomes of 257 marine habitat assessments for the EU28 and EU28+.

■CriticallyEndangered■Endangered■Vulnerable

All Eu28 habitats All Eu28+ habitats

■NearThreatened■LeastConcern■DataDeficient

Part II. Terrestrial and freshwater habitats

All Eu28 habitats

Outcomes of 233 terrestrial and freshwater habitat assessments for the EU28 and EU28+.

12%

50%

6%

20%

10%

2%

12%

46%

5%

24%

11%

2%

All Eu28+ habitats

expected, the most important threats come from agricultural intensification, land abandonment or shifts to other kinds of land-use like commercial forestry or arable cultivation. This is particularly a problem for grasslands and mires. As for freshwater habitats, drainage and pollution have been shown to be the main causes of loss and deterioration, along with invasive non-native species. For coastal habitats, urbanisation and associated infrastructure development continue to take their toll. As to the impact of climate change, this has been difficult to assess, but some damaging effects are already clear and are expected to increase over time, most notably in ice- and snow-dominated habitats.

This assessment concerns all natural and semi-natural terrestrial and freshwater habitats occurring in Europe. Altogether, 233 habitats have been included in the European Red List (of which five occur outside the EU28). They cover:● 13 types of mires and bogs; ● 53 types of dry and wet pastures and meadows, steppes, alpine grasslands and tall-herb vegetation; ● 26 types of freshwater lakes, streams, rivers and springs;● 30 types of coastal saltmarshes, beaches, dunes and cliffs; ● 38 types of heathland, scrub and tundra; ● 42 types of broadleaved and coniferous forests; and ● 31 types of scree, cliffs, rock, snow and ice habitats.

The results show that 36% (EU28) and 31% (EU28+) of the evaluated habitats are threatened (i.e. included in the categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable). An additional 12% are Near Threatened in both the EU28 and in the EU28+. However, the percentages differ considerably between the seven main groups. The highest proportion of threatened habitats in the EU28 was found among mires and bogs (85%), followed by grasslands (53%), freshwater habitats (46%) and coastal habitats (45%). Forests, heathland and scrub, and sparsely vegetated habitats had relatively low proportions of threatened types but are nevertheless likely to be more or less in danger at a local or regional scale than across Europe as a whole. The loss of extent and quality of European terrestrial and freshwater habitats is the result of diverse pressures. As can be

■CriticallyEndangered■Endangered■Vulnerable

■NearThreatened■LeastConcern■DataDeficient

13 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017

Part 2. Terrestrial and freshwater habitats

European Red List of Habitats

Environment

Relation with Annex I of the Habitats DirectiveThe European Red List of HabitatscoversamuchbroadersetofhabitatsthanthoselistedinAnnexIoftheHabitatsDirective,andassesseshabitatsonanEUscale,whileAnnexIhabitatsareassessedatthelevelofeachbiogeographicalregion. TherelationshipbetweentheRedListtypesandtheAnnexItypesisthereforecomplexandinonlyfewcasesisthereaone-to-onecorrelation. Infact,apreliminarygapanalysisrevealedthatsome22terrestrialRedListhabitats(forexampletemperatewoodedpasturesandmeadows)areconsideredthreatenedornearthreatenedbutarenotlistedinAnnexI. Whilethesecrudefindingsneedtobelookedatinmoredetail,theyshowthevalueofaRedListassessmentbycomplementingEUlegislation. Theredlistingalsolooksattheirconservationstatusfrom

anentirelydifferentperspective–thatofextinctionandcollapse,ratherthanwhetherithasreachedorisshowingtrendstowardsreachingafavourablestatusornot. Nevertheless,despitethemarkeddifferencesinapproaches,scaleofassessmentandassessmentcriteria,thetwoassessmentprocesseshaveturnedouttobequitecomplementaryandtoalargeextenthelptoreconfirmthevalidityofeachother’sfindings.Applications of the European habitat Red ListWithoutreliable,timelyinformationonthestatusandtrendsofEurope’sbiodiversity,thereislittlehopeofmeetingtheEUtargetofhaltingthelossofbiodiversityby2020.ThenewRedListswillhelptoimproveourscientificknowledgeonthedistribution,extentandconservationstatusofEurope’shabitats.

Thiscan,inturn,helpidentifyandpre-emptupcomingproblemsasitiswellknownthathabitatlossanddegradationprecedesspeciesdecline.ItalsoprovidesthenecessarybackgroundfornewinitiativestargetedatcoordinatedEuropeanconservationaction. Elsewhere,theRedListissettomakeasubstantialcontributiontotheMappingandAssessmentofEcosystemsandtheirServices(MAES)andtomeetingtherestorationgoalsunderTarget2intheEU2020BiodiversityStrategy.Itcan,forinstance,indicatewhichhabitatsareinmosturgentneedofrestorationandhelpestimatethetime-framefortheirrestorationaswellasidentifypossibleindicatorsofrecovery. Finally,thepublicationofEurope’sfirst-everhabitatRedListassessmentshouldalsohelpraiseawarenessoftheneedforEuropeanconservationaction. TwoRedListpublicationsareavailable–PartIcoversall

marinehabitats,PartIIcoversallterrestrialandfreshwaterhabitats.Inaddition,eachindividualhabitatisdescribedindetailinaseriesofonlinefactsheets. To download the reports and consult the factsheets go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/knowledge/redlist_en.htm

Part 1. Marine habitats

European Red List of Habitats

Environment

Coastal dunes along the Atlantic Ocean in south-west France.

©JohnJanssen/EuropeanCom

mission

14 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

•NEWS •PUBLICATIONS • EVENTS

EU list of invasive alien species adoptedInJuly,theCommissionadoptedEurope’sfirstUnionlistofinvasivealienspecies.Itcontains37speciesthatcausedamageonsuchalargescaleastojustifydedicatedmeasuresacrosstheEuropeanUnion.ExamplesincludetheAmericanbullfrog,Lithobates catesbeianus,thesliderturtle,Trachemys scripta,theEasternbaccharis,Baccharis halimifoliaallnativetoAmerica,theyellow-leggedhornet,Vespa velutinafromSouthEastAsia,andthewaterhyacinth,Eichhornia crassipesfromSouthAmerica. SpeciesonthelistarenowsubjecttoaseriesofmeasuressetoutintheEURegulationoninvasivealienspecies.Theseincluderestrictionsonkeeping,importing,selling,breedingandgrowing.MemberStatesmustalsotakemeasuresfortheirearlydetectionandrapideradication,andformanagingspeciesthatarealreadypresentintheirterritory. Thelistwillbeupdatedatregularintervalstoincludefurtherspecieslikelytohave

significantimpactsonEurope’sbiodiversityandecosystems. Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/index_en.htm

New Natura 2000 sites adoptedInDecember2016,theCommissionupdatedtheUnionlistsofSitesofCommunityImportanceforeightoftheninebiogeographicalregions(allexcepttheSteppicregion).Intotal,37newsiteswereaddedcoveringover43,000km2. ThelargestsitewasproposedbyPortugalforthemarineAtlanticRegion.Locatedonavolcanicseamountsome200kmsouth-westofLisbon,theBancoGorringemarinesitecoversnolessthan22,000km2.ItharboursextensivereefhabitatsandactsasasteppingstoneforthedispersalofbenthicfishspeciesbetweenAfrica,MadeiraandtheAzores. SpainhasalsoaddedamajormarineareafortheMacaronesianregion(almost15,000km2),whereasRomaniahasincreasedtheseaareaprotectedunderNatura2000in

theBlackSeaRegionbyathird.Asaresult,thetotalmarineSCIareaincludedinNatura2000hasincreasedbyafurther15%since2015.

The Natura 2000 Biogeographical ProcessThesecondNatura2000SeminarsfortheBorealandAtlanticregionstookplacefrom5to7October2016inVilnius,Lithuaniaandfrom25to27October2016inEnnistymon,Ireland. Atbothevents,takingaccountofthe2015EU State of Nature report,conservationandrestorationissuesrelatedtotheso-called‘top20’habitatsoftheregionwerediscussed.Particularattentionwasgiventothesettingofrestorationprioritiesandimplementingparticipatoryapproaches.ArangeofnewideasforconcretecooperationandfuturedevelopmentinitiativestoimprovethemanagementofNatura2000,includinganumberofspecificfollow-upevents,havebeenproposed.Detailedresultsandworkingdocumentsoftheseminarscanbeconsultedonthe

American bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, one of 37 species placed on the EU list of invasive alien species.

Green Wall in London is part of a GI plan to improve local air quality.

Natura2000CommunicationPlatform. ThesecondNatura2000SeminarsfortheAlpineandMediterraneanregionswillbeorganisedin2017.Datesandlocationswillbecommunicatedinearly2017. Full details of these and otherfollow-up events are available on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/platform/index_en.htm

Supporting the implementation of Green InfrastructureTheEUGreenInfrastructureStrategyforeseesanumberofactionsundertheleadoftheEuropeanCommission,suchasfurtherintegrationofgreeninfrastructure(GI)intootherpolicyareas,improvingknowledge,encouraginginnovationandassessingopportunitiesforaTrans-EuropeanGINetwork(TEN-G). InMay2016,theCommissionpublishedanewstudyontheimplementationoftheGIStrategy.Thestudycoversninesectors:finances,buildings,water,transport,publichealth,industry,

©IliasStrachinis/iStock

©Aggy_B/iStock

15 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | February2017 15151515 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017©

JormaLuhta/naturepl.com

climate,ruralabandonmentandenergyandissupportedbyaseriesoffactsheetsontheimplementationandpotentialofGIintenEUMemberStates,aswellasonthebenefitsofGIforspecificsectors.TrainingmaterialswerealsoproducedforaMassiveOpenOnlineCourse(MOOC)onGI. Finally,thestudyalsoexploredthepotentialofintroducingaTrans-EuropeanNetworkforGreenInfrastructure(TEN-G).Thefirstfindingsofthecost-benefitanalysisindicatethataTEN-Ghasthepotentialtoprovidegreaterbenefitsper€investedthanthecurrentGIpolicyimplementationandfundingallocation. The report and the factsheets are available on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/studies/index_en.htm

LIFE Nature and Biodiversity TheannualcompilationofnewLIFEprojectsadoptedin2016isnowavailable.Intotal,39projectswereselectedforfundinginvolvinganinvestmentof€158.1million,towhichtheCommissionisprovidingactiongrantsworth€95.6million.Theprojectsaimtoconserveawiderangeofthreatenedhabitats,includingrivers,wetlands,forests,meadowsandbogsaswellasprotectedspecies,suchasthewildforestreindeer,Rangifer tarandus fennicusinFinland,thethick-shelledrivermussels,Unio crassusinDenmark,andthegreatbustard,Otis tarda acrossCentralEurope. TheCommissionhasalsopublishedasummaryofthebestLIFENatureprojectsfor2015.Sixprojectsreceivedtheultimateaccolade–‘BestoftheBest’project;amongwhichisaLIFEInformationandCommunication(INF)projectinPolandonbiodiversityintheNatura2000networkwhichdevelopedatelevisionseriesthatwasviewedbynolessthan8millionpeople. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublications/index.htm

Task Force on migratory birds in the MediterraneanInJuly2016,thefirstmeetingoftheIntergovernmentalTaskForceonIllegalKilling,TakingandTradeofMigratoryBirdsintheMediterranean(MIKT)tookplaceinCairo.GovernmentalrepresentativesofPartiestotheConventiononMigratorySpecies(CMS)aroundtheMediterranean,includingtheEuropeanUnionandotherinterestedorganisations,cametogethertodevelopadetailedProgrammeofWork(PoW)until2020andtoagreeonaCairoDeclaration. TheCairoDeclarationcallsfortheintroductionofstricterpenalties,increasedsurveillanceandimprovedlawenforcementtocurbthelarge-scalekillingofmigratorybirdsintheMediterranean.Whilethespecificmeasuresneededtotacklebirdcrimewillvaryforeachcountry,theTaskForceagreedto

strengthenthreekeyareasfocusingonimmediatelegalmeasures,continuousmonitoringandconservationactionsaswellasincreasedawarenesscampaignsandeducationalschemes. More information including the PoW is available on: http://www.cms.int/en/taskforce/mikt

LIFE support for European Solidarity CorpsInSeptember2016,PresidentJunckerannouncedthecreationofaEuropeanSolidarityCorps(ESC)toallowyoungpeopleacrosstheEUtoengageinabroadvarietyofactivities–suchasrebuildingcommunitiesfollowinganaturaldisaster;addressingsocialchallengessuchassocialexclusion,poverty,health;supportingtheintegrationofrefugees;andprotectingtheenvironment.TheESCaimstoofferpeopleunder30thechancetosupportanon-

Wild forest reindeer, Rangifer tarandus fennicus, to benefit from new LIFE project.

governmentalorganisation(NGO),localauthorityorprivatecompanyactiveinaddressingchallengingsituationsacrosstheEuropeanUnion. Tosupportthisnewinitiative,theEULIFEInstrumenthasrecentlylaunchedacallforproposalstoencouragethedeploymentoftheESCintheenvironmentalsector.Thesuccessfulpreparatoryprojectsareexpectedtolastbetweentwoand12monthsandtofocusonactionsrelatedtoenvironmentalprotection,natureconservationandrestorationofnaturalareas,mainlyinNatura2000,aswellasoncapacitybuildingforvoluntaryservicesamongongoingLIFEprojects.Thedeadlineforsubmittingapplicationsis7March2017. Further details available on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/funding/life2016/index.htm#eusolidarity

EU Community of Practice Finance@BiodiversityAnewinitiativecalledtheEUCommunityofPractice(CoP)Finance@BiodiversitywaslaunchedatthethirdAnnualConferenceoftheEUB@BPlatformwhichtookplaceinTheHagueon23November2016.Thiswillserveasaforumofdialoguebetweenfinancialinstitutionstoshareexperiences,raiseawarenessandpromotebestpracticesbyprivatefinancialinstitutionsonhowtointegratebiodiversityand

A golden oriole, Oriolus oriolus.

©BertW

illaert/naturepl.com

16 natureandbiodiversitynewsletter | Februar y2017

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 (2017) Reproduction of content other than photographs is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Photo credits (naturepl.com unless otherwise stated) Cover ©David Tipling; p2 ©Nick Upton, ©Roberto Rinaldi, ©Jorna Luhta; p3 ©Angelo Gandolfi; p4 ©Nick Upton, ©Oriol Alamany; p5 ©ARCO; p6 ©IISD/Francis Dejon (www.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop13/enb/7dec.html), ©Peter Creed/naturebureau; p7 ©IISD/Francis Dejon (www.iisd.ca/biodiv/cop13/enb/attribhtml); ©Claudio Contreras; p10 ©Roberto Rinaldi; ©Ross Hoddinott; p11 ©Bernard Castelein; p13 ©John Janssen/European Commission; p14 ©Ilias Strachinis/iStock, ©Aggy_B/iStock; p15 ©Jorma Luhta, ©Bert Willaert; p16 ©Franco Banfi

naturalcapitalintomainstreamfinancialactivitiesandfosterinvestmentsinnaturalcapitalasanewassetclass. Details are available on: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/business/workstreams/workstream3-access-to-finance-and-innovative-finance-mechanisms/index_en.htm Mission statement: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/business/assets/pdf/mission-statement_en.pdf

New round of marine Natura 2000 sufficiency seminars TheseminarstoassessthesufficiencyofproposedSitesofCommunityInterest(SCIs)intheAtlantic,theMacaronesianandtheMediterraneanmarineregionswereorganisedinMaltainSeptember2016,inordertotakestockoftherecentprogressindesignations.Themeeting,whichwaskindlyhostedbytheMalteseauthoritiesandpreparedbytheEuropeanTopicCentre/BiologicalDiversityandtheEuropeanCommission,broughttogether16MemberStates,aswellasstakeholdersandindependentexperts.TheoutcomeoftheseminarswillnowformthebasisforfurtheractionstowardsthecompletionofthemarineNatura2000network.

Mediterranean MPA forum ThesecondMediterraneanforumofMarineProtectedAreasintheMediterranean,heldinTangier,Morocco,(28November–1December2016),wasanopportunityformanagers,policymakers,socio-economicactors,civilsocietyandthescientificcommunitytotacklethechallengesMPAsfaceintheregion.Withintheforum,aspecialsessiononintegratingNatura2000objectivesinMPAmanagementwasorganisedasafollow-upeventunderthemarineNatura2000biogeographicalprocess. Go to: http://www.medmpaforum2012.org/en/node/6753

Towards a transatlantic partnership of Marine Protected AreasThekick-offconferenceoftheEUproject‘TowardsaTransatlanticPartnershipofMarineProtectedAreas’(Brussels,17–18November2016)gatheredofficialsandmanagersfromAfrica,theAmericasandEuropetodiscussgovernance,financialsustainabilityandmanagementpracticesofMarineProtectedAreas.ThenextphaseoftheprojectwillbringthemtogetherintwinningprojectstostimulateexchangeandthesharingofbestpracticetoimprovetheeffectivemanagementofMPAsacrosstheAtlantic. Go to: http://transatlanticmpanetwork.eu/

Scuba diver with red gorgonian sea fans in the Tyrrhenian Sea, western coast of Italy.

©FrancoBanfi/naturepl.com

KH-AA-17-001-EN

-N