WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE OF NATURA 2000

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1 View this in your browser November 2014 WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE OF NATURA 2000 This newsletter is circulated bimonthly to provide you with an overview of progress within the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process. It contains relevant Natura 2000 developments within each of the biogeographical regions, funding information, the latest news items, forthcoming networking events and links to other useful resources. We really value your news, feedback and inputs! Please share updates with us about your Natura 2000 activities, past, present and future - for example, you can tell us about your LIFE, INTERREG or other funded projects, recent Natura 2000 publications and other news by ing natura2000platform@ecnc.org. We'll be happy to share your Natura 2000 news with colleagues around Europe so that they can benefit from your experience. Please do not hesitate to distribute this newsletter among your colleagues and networks. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please scroll down to unsubscribe. ABOUT THE NATURA 2000 BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROCESS The Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process assists Member States and key stakeholders to manage Natura 2000 as a coherent ecological network. Read more about it»

2 News of all networking events can be found on the Natura 2000 Platform's Events Calendar - check regularly for details. EXTENDED DEADLINE - 3 DAYS LEFT! A few places are still available for the Conference on Regions and Natura 2000 (Barcelona, Spain, December 2014). The deadline has been extended to 21st November, so be sure to register soon! See below for more details. BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REGION UPDATES ALPINE CEEweb for Biodiversity organised a workshop for Alpine and Continental/ Pannonian/ Steppic and Black Sea regions which took place in Budapest, Hungary, from September With support from the European Commission and ECNC, the workshop was a combined follow-up event to the Alpine Biogeographical Seminar and a preparatory event for the Continental/ Pannonian/ Steppic/ Black Sea Seminar. The focus of the workshop was on the scope to generate worthwhile collaborations and exchange best practices in the management of Natura 2000, particularly in forest and grassland habitats. The workshop report is now available here. Follow up events to the Graz Alpine Seminar are planned for On April 2015, a workshop on Alpine Grassland Management will take place in Laufen, Germany. It is being organised by Bavarian Academy for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management (ANL) Butterfly Conservation Europe (BCE). In May 2015, a workshop on Alpine Grassland Monitoring and Assessment, organised by the Veneto and Bolzano Regions, will take place in Northern Italy (date and place to be confirmed). ATLANTIC The OBN Knowledge Network brings together researchers, conservation site managers, universities, consultancies, NGO s and governmental bodies to cooperate for the restoration of ecosystems and nature reserves. In this network, knowledge and practice intermingle, and science and nature management jointly look for the most effective approaches to enhance sustainable conservation of important ecosystems in the Dutch landscapes. The latest English language publication is "Landscape Ecological System Analysis (LESA): an integrated

3 approach to landscape level management". Building on the Atlantic knowledge-sharing workshop on nitrogen deposition and Natura 2000 organised by JNCC in December 2013 (an action from the Atlantic Seminar), the Improvement Programme for England s Natura 2000 Sites (IPENS) organised a follow-up workshop to discuss how the recommendations could be taken forward in England. A short report and presentation slides are available. IPENS, supported by EU LIFE+ funding, is enabling Natural England, the Environment Agency, and other key partners to plan what, how, where and when they will target their efforts on Natura 2000 sites and the areas surrounding them. Atmospheric Nitrogen is one of twelve key themes identified within the programme which requires further action across England s Natura sites. Informed by the results of the Atlantic Biogeographic process, a theme action plan is being developed that aims to set out a more strategic approach to tackling this issue in England. CONTINENTAL, PANNONIAN, STEPPIC & BLACK SEA The kick-off seminar for the region has now been confirmed to take place in Luxembourg, from 29 June to 1 July Lipu BirdLife Italy is working on a Life project called TIB Trans insubria bionet focused on the ecological network issues in and out Natura 2000 sites. Watch the short video to get a clear idea of the project, which started in 2011, related to the improvement of the ecological status of the Natura 2000 sites in the Varese province, north west Italy, and the ecological connection between them. A real application of Natura 2000 Network and an ideal bridge between the Alps and the Appennines. "Future imperfect - Climate change and adaptation in the Carpathians" is a booklet summarizing the key outcomes of a large project bringing together three linked research studies funded by the European Commission. These studies are: Climate of the Carpathian Region (CARPATCLIM), Carpathian Integrated Assessment of Vulnerability to Climate Change and Ecosystem-based Adaptation Measures (CARPIVIA) and Climate change in the Carpathian Region (CarpathCC). MEDITERRANEAN The first European Land Stewardship Congress, which bought together an international representation of conservationists in Barcelona, Spain from 5-8

4 November, concluded with the adoption of the Barcelona Declaration. This declaration draws the attention to the importance of land stewardship in the management of Europe s natural and cultural heritage. As part of the congress, and with the aim to build bridges with the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process, ECNC and Eurosite organised a workshop on governance and policy integration. The participants explored the role of land stewardship in the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands, a priority highlighted during the Mediterranean Natura 2000 seminar. A MedPAN network sharing-experience workshop will take place in Albania from November 2014, organised by MedPAN and RAC/SPA in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Albania, APAWA, and with support from IUCN Med and the French MPA Agency. The workshop will address "monitoring for managing Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)" and aims to bring together MPA managers and scientific organisations that work with the marine environment. Taking into consideration the diverse situations encountered in terms of monitoring in Mediterranean MPAs, this workshop will support managers to better identify and implement monitoring in line with the objectives of their MPA. In a second phase the participants will discuss the idea to 'promote' specific protocols to harmonise data collection throughout the system of MPAs. A recent publication titled "Positive Natura 2000 Experiences" from SEO/Birdlife has been created as part of a Life+ project Natura 2000: Connecting people with Biodiversity. The project aims to publicise the importance of the Natura 2000 network and to raise public awareness of its conservation. MARINE The Marine Expert Group meeting set out plans for the first Marine Biogeographical Process Seminar. Covering the 23 Member States with marine Natura 2000 sites plus other stakeholders, the Seminar will be hosted by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development & Energy. It will be held in Saint Malo, from 5-7 May Good links are being made to link with the terrestrial Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process. Implementation of the Process on land is led by ECNC on behalf of the European Commission. In September 2015, the 4th international conference on Progress in Marine Conservation in Europe will take place in Stralsund, Germany (14-18 September 2015), organized and hosted by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, in cooperation with the German Oceanographic Museum / Ozeaneum. It offers a regular international forum for discussions on currently

5 important marine conservation issues in Europe with occasional examples from beyond. The upcoming conference will be a continuation of the three international conferences which proved to be encouraging events with attendance of more than 200 experts from 20 countries. The conference invites a wide range of participants and organizations such as international conventions and agreements, policy makers, conservation managers, scientists and inter- and non-governmental organizations. Attendance is limited to 250 participants. NATURA 2000 FUNDING NEWS INTERREG CENTRAL EUROPE PROGRAMME The Interreg (European Territorial Cooperation) Programme offers some excellent opportunities for financing networking and cooperation projects under the Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process. In particular, the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme has encouraged transnational cooperation since 2007 among all regions of the central European countries Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Croatia has newly joined the programme. Within this programme there are dedicated funds of EUR 80 million in a first call to transnational projects to work on innovation, low carbon solutions, environmental and cultural resources as well as transport in central and eastern European regions. For more information look under the 'Funding' section of the Natura 2000 website or visit Other INTERREG Programmes include Alpine Space Programme, The North Sea Region Programme, Baltic Sea Region, North-West Europe Programme, Mediterranean Programme and South-East Europe Programme. Check the Natura 2000 platform for even more funding opportunities.

6 OTHER NATURA 2000 NEWS THE EU BIRDS AND HABITATS DIRECTIVES IN A NUTSHELL The European Commission has recently published a brochure titled "The EU Birds and Habitats Directives, for Nature and People in Europe", describing the directives in a nutshell. The publication includes sections about Europe's biodiversity, EU nature legislation, the Natura 2000 network and sustainable development, explaining the importance of each in a concise and easy to read manner. WORK IN PROGRESS TOWARDS THE STATE OF NATURE REPORT 2015 A public consultation on the EU biogeographic assessments of the Article 17 reporting was concluded in July and resulted in some 400 comments (actually 387!) and suggestions. The habitats and species assessments at national and EU biogeographical level under the Habitats Directive Article 17 are presented online for the interested public on The EEA and its European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity are currently working on the State of Nature Report to be published in April The report will summarize the findings of the latest round of Article 17 reporting (Habitats Directive) and Article 12 reporting (Birds Directive.) Bird status assessments at national and EU level will also soon be available to the public. SPANISH GOVERNMENT LAUNCHED A SECTORAL PLAN FOR NATURE BASED TOURISM AND BIODIVERSITY The new Sector Plan for Biodiversity and Nature Tourism is an innovative approach to integrate conservation objectives in tourism policy and promote the enhancement of the Natura 2000 network that covers 27% of Spain s territory. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, through the Fundación Biodiversidad, supports projects which focus on green tourism as a means of supporting the protection of biodiversity, through the involvement of the Land Stewardship Network and ecotourism businesses. Green tourism is the fastest growing tourism branch. In Europe, 20% of tourists choose green destinations and 10% plan their trip in a sustainable way. Read about it in Spanish here, or the English translated version here. NATURAL.PT: PROMOTION OF PROTECTED AREAS AND THEIR ECONOMIC AND SOCIOCULTURAL VALUES IN PORTUGAL Natural.PT is a national commitment to biodiversity, economy, heritage and identity of Portugal through the development and promotion of products and services associated with the country s unique protected areas. It is a branding initiative to promote high quality products and activities associated with the network of

7 protected areas in Portugal. The brand promotes and enhances the involvement, commitment and capacity building of local actors for an integrated focus on biodiversity and culture in Portugal. Local businesses can apply for membership and if they fulfil the quality criteria, benefit from the marketing opportunities offered by the website and activities. A user friendly intuitive portal guides the visitor to all resources and services related to Portugal's protected areas. THE NATURA 2000 AWARD OPENS FOR APPLICATIONS After a very successful first year, the European Commission s Natura 2000 Award is opening for new applications. Applications must be submitted by 21 January The winners will be announced at a high level ceremony in Brussels on Natura 2000 Day 21 May In addition to recognising good practice at Natura 2000 sites in the five award categories, an EU Citizen s Award will be introduced this year with the public being encouraged to vote for their favourite application. For more information on applying for an Award, please consult the website and sign up to the Award e-newsletter. 15 SHORT FILMS SETTING NATURA 2000 IN MOTION "Why do we need Europe for nature conservation? or "Natura what s in it for us (apart from difficulties)? - In 15 brand-new short films Natura 2000 actors speak their minds and provide down-to-earth answers to complex questions around Natura The aim of the videos is to make the purpose of Natura 2000 more understandable, to encourage people to reconsider their opinions and to increase motivation to get involved with Natura The short films were shot in 13 different Natura 2000 areas in Austria within the initiative Komm-Natura. They show that Natura 2000 can be stunningly beautiful but also economically practicable. Take a look! (So far only in German): BIODIVERSITY & LEADER: CONNECTING REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NATURE CONSERVATION The successful initiative Biodiversity & LEADER, conducted by Umweltdachverband and ÖAR Regionalberatung, aimed to strengthen the reconciliation of rural development and nature conservation, to bring various local players together and to promote networking for a better integration of biodiversity in the LEADER program. The initiative culminated with an international conference in April 2014 in Vienna, where LEADER projects from all over Europe focusing on biodiversity were presented in order to establish links between ongoing initiatives and to encourage the realization of further projects at the interface of regional

8 development and nature conservation. All projects as well as expert contributions are presented in the brochure Biodiversity & LEADER. "WOODPECKERS IN A CHANGING WORLD CONFERENCE In the framework of the project LIFE+ Pro-Izki, aimed at securing long-term preservation of a Quercus pyrenaica oak forest and its plant and vertebrate communities, an international conference on woodpecker ecology and conservation was organized in February in Vitoria, Spain. The event provided a fruitful exchange among American and European specialists in this group of birds, which are important in their own contribution to biodiversity but also as cavity suppliers to other forest inhabitants. The book of abstracts and posters presented at the conference are downloadable here. FORTHCOMING NETWORKING EVENTS Natura 2000 in Action! Conference Within the European Learning Network on Regions and Biodiversity, the Conference on Regions and Natura 2000 will take place in Barcelona, Spain, from December This conference aims to foster the exchange of knowledge and experience related to the integrated implementation of Natura 2000 at regional and local levels. It will bring together key players at European, local and regional levels to showcase some of the best regional cooperation projects. Don't forget - the registration deadline has been extended to 21st November, so there's still time to sign-up! Biodiversity Conference The annual edition of the Biodiversity Conference organised by the European Landowners' Organisation will take place in Brussels on Monday 8th December, from The title of the conference is "Facing climate change: adapting our land management". The conference will be followed by the European Bee Award Ceremony and Cocktail reception in the European Parliament from

9 OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION Relevant publications and links to tools in support of habitat management continue to be added to the Natura 2000 Platform, including: The "Technical Appendix of the Ecosystem Services Review for Impact Assessment" (ESR for IA) is now available online from WRI. It is designed for ESIA practitioners who require a detailed understanding of the ESR for IA, walking them through each step and sub-step of the method using an illustrative case study. Although developed in America, the tools could be of interest for Natura 2000 practitioners in Europe. "A primer on governance for protected and conserved areas" has been produced by the IUCN. This booklet offers a review of basic concepts and terms on governance for nature conservation. By speaking a common language, it aims to better communicate and develop concepts, bringing more clarity on the meaning of governance and how it affects conservation. Get involved! We really value the contributions we received for this newsletter! Please keep sharing updates about your projects, recent Natura 2000 publications and other interesting items by sending them to natura2000platform@ecnc.org Copyright 2014 ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation PO Box LG Tilburg The Netherlands

10 Did someone else forward you this newsletter? Subscribe to our mailing list to receive every issue. Click here to update your subscription preferences. If you no longer wish to receive the latest Natura 2000 news you can unsubscribe from this list. Disclaimer This newsletter is financially supported by the European Commission. ECNC is solely responsible for the content. Content does not represent the opinion of the European Commission, nor is the European Commission responsible for any use that might be made of information appearing herein.