A Coruña 09-06-2006

European Network of Environmental Authorities

Update of NGO activities

Rachel Lee, Coordinator of the BirdLife International’s Regional policy Task Force

RSPB/BirdLife European Funding Seminar, Cardiff, 26-29 March 2006:

• 15 countries represented

• In partnership with the managing authority (WEFO), environment authority (CCW) and local authority (Newport City Council)

• Aim: to get conservationists to think about what they want to achieve within a social and economic context

The Seminar used the RSPB’s ‘Aren’t Welsh Birds Brilliant’ project as a case study:

• official day – presentations from project partners and a field trip to Newport Wetlands set the scene in Wales

• 2 days of workshops on – scoping a super-project, who you need to know, impacts on small organisations, project management and development, and continuity and exit strategies

Competition!

Participants were invited to submit: a project idea, draft financial plan and timescale and potential funds and partners

The winning BirdLife Partner will benefit from expertise of RSPB Wales’s experienced fundraising team to prepare a full project proposal

Main focus of coalition activities:

• Partnership Article 10, for the inclusion of environmental partners and NGOs

• Article 14bis on Sustainable Development and environmental protection and improvement

• Earmarking of funds for Lisbon ‘growth and jobs’ agenda

• Community Strategic Guidelines

Joint statement on the sustainable and fair use of EU funds, March 2006

Focusing on: partnership; equality and non-discrimination; environmental protection and improvement; Article 51 GR and Article 2 of the ERDF regulation

Other NGO activities:

• BirdLife – letters to Member State Governments on earmarking and financing Natura 2000

• EEB – report on SEA and biodiversity and focus on biodiversity 2020 Action Plan

• FoEE/CEE Bankwatch – recommendations to the Commission on the financing of major projects

• WWF – scorecard project ongoing, delays mirror programming process!

•Our partner organisations involved in the programming process, commenting on NSRFs, OPs and SEAs

Thank you!

Visit our site: http://www.coalition-on-eufunds.org/

contacts: Stefanie Lang, WWF, slang@wwfepo.orgRachel Lee, Birdlife International, Rachel.Lee@rspb.org.ukVictoria Bruce, Birdlife International, Victoria.Bruce@rspb.org.ukMartin Konecny, FOE and CEE Bankwatch, Martin.Konecny@foeeurope.orgPieter de Pous, EEB, pieter.depous@eeb.org