Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic
Kick-off Seminar
Luxembourg, 29 June – 1 July 2015
Wetlands Working Group - Outcomes
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Wetlands group - Key facts
- 26 experts from 11 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia)
- From government, science, NGO and private representing water and nature sectors
- Worked in 4 groups (General, Rivers and Lakes, Mires and Bogs)
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Wetlands group - Key facts
- Presenting 3 cases from Wiktor Kotowski Poland (Biebrza, Rospuda), Rossano Bolpagni Italy (Oglio river) and Bent Jepsen, LIFE Platform
- General ideas:
• simple communication,
• species vs. ecosystem services approach (resilience),
• interpretation should be case by case bases,
•keep issues internal within the conservation sector,
• stakeholder involvement,
•hydrological management,
•overgrazing,
• invasive alien species
- How expectations were met
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Session 1: Where are we now and where do we need to be?
Priority issues: Rivers and Lakes GENERAL - Policy integration - administrative, legislative, financing issues (integrating conservation policy to e.g. transport) - Linking different directives - WFD and NDs and the Flood Directive (working closer with the agencies on water - management plans to integrate) - To have clear strategies - from planning to implementation (how to approach land owners and economic sectors) - Common Agriculture Policy - Pillar 1 and Agri-Environmental Measures RIVERS AND LAKES - Hydromorphology - Water quality improvement - nutrient loads from agriculture, waste water problems and pollution - Fragmentation of habitats and management - Restoration - focus on rivers processes and large scale projects - Invasive species - Problems of scientific coordination - different projects have differences in interpretation of habitats sites and methodologies MIRES AND BOGS - Hydromorphology (natural hydromorphology should be preferred) - Take resilience into account into management - Intervention should be economically sustainable on the long run - Maintaining the cultural landscape - Local and regional scale in terms of mowing and grazing, but mowing cannot be recommended at a EU level as the main management measure - Peatlands to inquire into management planning - Recognize carbon-dioxide from dried peatlands - take action within the N2K and link to CBD and Ramsar and to EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Policy integration Guidance and incentives
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
To have a guidance on the integration of Water Framework
Directive (WFD), Nature Directives (NDs) and Floods
Directive (Nutrition directives)
Translate the guidance into a
“simple language” for public and other
stakeholders
Motivate sectors to integrate NDs
(Agriculture, energy, forestry, tourism,
transport, fisheries
Short explanation of the overlapping articles with good
examples from MSs - FAQs from EC exists already -
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000
/management/docs/FAQ-WFD%20final.pdf
European Commission with all the sectors and Member States (national + regional level) with consideration to set up an EU Working Group
As soon as possible
Consultation process with stakeholders and documents
on national languages
Member States with stakeholders
As soon as the guidance is available
Incentives given on EU funding schemes
1. Multiannual Financial Framework Review 2017 to restructure the funds 2. Not to give support on activities
with negative impacts on environments (how to set criteria and measures and who will decide on what
bases)
European Commission with European Parliament and
the Council- indirectly NGOs and other stakeholders to
drive the process
Before 2017
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Harmful subsidies Flexible, sustainable CAP
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Not to have harmful
subsidies and have
environmental result based,
WFD integrated CAP
with more incentives for
environmentally positive action
Reviewing CAP in 2017 - flexible, sustainable, environment result based CAP - to be site-specific, have more
capacities and resources on the advisory system to farmers on how to
implement what measures
EC, European Parliament, Council and MSs
Before 2017
To achieve sustainable and environmental-friendly CAP - provide evidence and make alliance with stakeholders
(small scale farmers, health and youth sectors, tourism)
water)
EC to collect cases from MSs and other stakeholders Lobby group (NGOs) and MSs to advocate for greener CAP
Before 2017
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Science coordination and data sharing Common platform
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Coordination of sharing
knowledge and methodology
To have a database and platform (or link it to existing
N2K communication platform) to find and liaise data at different level and
bridge between managers and science
Scientific societies, Natura 2000 managers, NGOs
driven by EC
As soon as possible
Formal group of identified expert from different levels
Scientific societies, Natura 2000 managers, NGOs
driven by EC
As soon as possible
Online, physical meetings of the formal groups
Scientific societies, Natura 2000 managers, NGOs
driven by EC
As soon as possible
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Hydromorphology, water quality and habitats Integration
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Improvement of hydromorph-
ology by integration of WFD and NDs and improving
monitoring
Water quality improvement
Habitat fragmentation
(See above on integration) Integration of e-flow into
Nature Directives
EC with MSs and stakeholders
As soon as possible
CAP subsidies to be rethought and developing more integrated land use
management (buffer zones and rivers, drainage removal)
Coordination between DG Agri and DG Envi
As soon as possible
Integral planning (rivers and floodplains to be considered together and integrated to spatial planning)
Define possibilities of reconnection Small hydropower plants to be
restricted
Regional and national actors (spatial planners,
municipalities)
During RBMP planning
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
IAS and restoration Guidance and best practice
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Invasive alien species
River restoration
EU IAS manual on implementation and specific
financing Target setting and improved
coordination by MSs and specific focus on IAS on N2000
sites
European Commission and Member States
As soon as possible
Interdisciplinary cooperation with actors with
water and agriculture
EU and MSs to pressure cooperation
As soon as possible
Provide restoration best practices (e.g. on profit
making restoration) and shift to integrated landscape
planning
EU and national level with users and beneficiaries
As soon as possible
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Pollution Data sharing and inclusion
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Pollution
Sharing data on the Danube river on pollution (Rhone and Rhine river)
Directorates of other conventions, strategies (Ramsar, Danube Strategy), etc. related to rivers and MONERIS, ICPDR and other stakeholders (industry,science, farmers)
As soon as possible
Better use of Green Infrastructure MSs and regional/local levels
As soon as possible
Identify pollution source and close the loops
Stakeholders (industry, science, farmers, citizens)
As soon as possible
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Improving management planning Integrative thinking
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Guidelines on improving
managements of mires and
bogs
Member States to deliver case studies disseminated by
Natura 2000 Communication Platform and endorsed by the Management Group on how
resilient thinking can be taken into account
MSs 2016
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Limited integration of directives Integration and knowledge sharing
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Integration of WFD and mire
and bogs status
Discussions of management integration to WFD through
national or regional workshops
MSs and water and nature conservation managers NGOs to take part and organise a meeting
2015/2016
Sharing and disseminating good practices in
hydromorphology among stakeholders - e.g. SER website of cases to be integrated into
N2K platform and LFIE platform
Site planners are informed by consultants and EC
2015
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Pollution Involvement of farmers
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Links to farmers
Local initiatives - farmers and conservationists to talk
together - best practices presented disseminated
Have a specific project - NGOs/MSs
As soon as possible
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
CAP Information sharing
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Explore opportunities to
have flexible approach for
peatland management and provide recommen-
dations for CAP
Hydrological integration to CAP (not only mowing, but
also other peatland measures) -
EC with good examples provided by MSs and
stakeholders
As soon as possible
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Climate change issues Exploration of integration
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Explore possible links with
Natura 2000 and rewetting
peat bogs
If there are links - compile a report for recommendations
EC and consultant with cases provided by MSs and stakeholders
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Main issues
Action Outputs / mechanisms Who When / where
Policy integration
CAP review
Science-data sharing
Workshop to address policy integration with an outcome of
a brief guidance document bringing together water +
nature sector issues showcasing good examples
NGOs and MSs (Meetings suggested by Poland in 2016 and Hungary - October 6-7)
2015
Initiation of an (online) platform (or exploration of ways using already
existing processes and platforms) to initiate discussions between water
and nature sectors
MSs (Visegrad 4, Nature/Water/Marine Directors meeting) and NGOs
2015
Have knowledge markets/events on more specific issues to share
knowledge
NGOs and MSs (Czech Republic)
2016
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region
Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process
Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region