natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

J u l y 2 01 3

Number 3 4 | July 2013

NATURA 2000
Welcome
Croatia
the EUs 28th
Member State

Environment

ISSN 1026-6151

Nature and Biodiversity Newsletter

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

J u l y 2 01 3

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Natura2000
nature and biodiversity
newsletter
July 2013
Contents
35
Implementing the Birds and
Habitats Directives in Croatia
67
The EU Large Carnivore
Initiative
89
Natura 2000 Barometer
update 2013
1013
Green Infrastructure
enhancing Europes
natural capital
1416
News Round-up

Croatia joined the EU on 1 July 2013. Substantial areas of the dramatic Velebit mountain seen here will be
included in the Natura 2000 Network.

Editorial
Staffan Widstrand / naturepl.com

With the conclusion of negotiations on the European Unions next budget programming period (20142020),
we will soon know how successful we have been in securing additional potential sources of funding for the
Natura 2000 Network. I remain convinced that a well-managed Natura 2000 Network represents excellent
value for money, amply repaying society with diverse ecosystem services, while also protecting our rich and
diverse biodiversity.
Recent studies have estimated the benefits that flow from Natura 2000 at around 200 to 300 billion/year
far above the cost of managing and protecting this important resource (5.8 billion/year).

Shutterstock

But as the new 7th EU Environmental Action Programme makes clear, to protect, conserve and enhance our
natural capital we need to tackle problems at source. One way to do that would be better integration of
natural capital objectives into other policies, ensuring a coherent approach where other policies deliver cobenefits for biodiversity.
The Commission can help here, so I welcome the wealth of information that most Member States have
shared with us in the form of Prioritised Action Frameworks. These frameworks enable Member States to
define their funding needs and priorities for Natura 2000, and they will help the Commission integrate those
needs into operational programmes to be prepared in the coming months.

Grzegorz.Lesniewski /naturepl.com

Cover: Croatia coastline.

Wild Wonders of Europe /
Popp-Hackner / naturepl.com

The new strategy to promote Green Infrastructure adopted in May will also make a significant contribution
in this respect. With the Natura 2000 network at its core, Europes Green Infrastructure is set to play a major
role in safeguarding our living natural capital and promoting integrated, resource-efficient policies for land
and water use across the EU.
On 1 July we welcomed Croatia as the EUs 28th Member State. Its outstandingly rich biodiversity will bring a
considerable boost to the EUs natural capital. Croatia is an excellent example of a Member State in which
investing in Green Infrastructure and nature conservation generates long-lasting socio-economic benefits
to society.

Janez Potonik
European Commissioner for Environment

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Shutterstock
Credit

Karstic habitats cover almost half of Croatias land hosting an exceptionally rich biodiversity.

Implementing the
Birds and Habitats Directives

in Croatia

Croatia joined the EU on 1 July,

adding another precious jewel to
the EUs biodiversity crown. As
the newest Member State, it is
expected to adopt the EU
environmental aquis and
implement the Birds and Habitats
Directives from the first day of
accession.
Several years have gone into
preparing the ground for this,
with the result that over a third of
the country is now set to be
included in the Natura 2000
Network, reflecting not only
Croatias strong commitment to
nature conservation but also to
its remarkable biodiversity.

Croatia: a land of
contrasts
Croatia sits on the dividing line
between no less than three

different biogeographical
regions. The inland northeastern region is typically
continental in nature with vast
tracts of grasslands and natural
forests interspersed by
meandering rivers and
extensive wetlands, such as
Kopacki Rit.
Located on the confluence of
the Drava and Danube rivers,
this is one of the few remaining
intact wetlands left in Europe,
hosting 297 bird species,
including significant populations
of black stork and white-tailed
eagle. Closer to the coast, the
dramatic Dinaric Alps suddenly
emerge from the lowlands,
separating the sea from the rest
of the country. With peaks
reaching up to 10001800m
above sea level much of the

range is located in the Alpine

Region. The mountains exhibit
many typical karst features:
jagged white peaks, mysterious
sinkholes as well as a vast
number of underground caves.
Over 9000 caves have been
registered so far, hosting a
unique biodiversity, most of
which is new to science. Nearly
400 new taxa of invertebrates
have been discovered within
this cave system in the last
decade alone.
The forest-clad mountains
also host important numbers
of brown bear (over 1000), lynx
(5060) and wolf (180220).
On the other side of the
mountain range, the terrain falls
abruptly down to the Adriatic
Sea, revealing a long narrow
coastline and a myriad islands

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and islets dotted across the clear

blue waters. Whilst significant
parts of the coast have been
transformed over the years
by major tourism and other
infrastructure developments,
many of the islands have
retained their original vegetation
and associated species.

A rich biodiversity
The Adriatic Sea is in itself also a
major biodiversity hotspot,
hosting some 7,000-8,000
marine species, including
substantial resident populations
of bottlenose dolphins (over
5,000 individuals) and one of the
two most important feeding and
wintering grounds for the
loggerhead turtle in the
Mediterranean (the other one
being along Gabes Bay in Turkey).
Both above and below ground
(or water), Croatia is home to
many endemic species and subspecies, not just cave-dwelling
invertebrates but also reptiles,
freshwater fish and, above all,
plants. Croatia is said to be
one of the top three countries
in Europe for plant endemism.
In addition to its high rate of
endemism, Croatia also hosts
many species and habitats that
have long since disappeared
from other parts of the EU.
Croatias accession has lead
to the addition to the Habitats
Directive of a further 14 species
to Annexes II and/or IV (mostly
endemic fish or reptiles) and
two new habitat types: 32A0
Tufa cascades of karstic rivers
and 6540 sub-Mediterranean

D. Mladenovic-www.slovenia.info

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grasslands of the MolinioHordeion secalini. Typical

examples of the former can
be found in the Plitvice Lakes,
which is a World Heritage Site.
Altogether, around a quarter
of the species (240 species
of which 223 are on Annex II)
and a third of the habitat types
(74 habitat types) listed in the
Habitats Directive are present
in Croatia.

Preparing for
Natura 2000
As elsewhere Natura 2000
sites will need to be designated
for their conservation. To
prepare the ground for this, the
Croatian government adopted,
already back in 2003, a Nature
Protection Act to establish a
nationally and internationally
important ecological network
of conservation sites across
the country (as a precursor to
Natura 2000) and to introduce
a legal mechanism for carrying
out nature impact assessments
in line with the Appropriate
Assessment procedure under
Article 6.3 of the Habitats
Directive.
At the same time, the State
Institute for Nature Protection
(SINP) who is responsible for
the technical preparation of
the national ecological network
applied for LIFE III co-funding
to help research and inventory
sites for inclusion in the
network. The resulting CRO-NEN
project focused in particular on
identifying sites of importance
for species and habitat types

Kopacki Rit hosts 3% of the EU population of white-tailed sea eagles.

The olm or cave salamander Proteus anguinus, is a rare

amphibian with an unusual appearance, shaped by several
million years of living in dark, subterranean caves. It has a pink
hue due to blood capillaries being near the skin, and because of
its translucency the contours of the internal organs are clearly
visible. Listed in annex II of the Habitats Directive, it is found
only in caves in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Italy
and Slovenia.

protected under the Birds and

Habitats Directives.
The Croatian government also
invested significant resources
from its State Budget to carry out
the inventory and mapping work,
resulting in detailed habitat maps
(scale 1:100 000) which were
prepared using a combination of
satellite images and extensive
field work. By 2007, the national
ecological network was ready to
be officially adopted. This was to
form the legal basis for selecting
Natura 2000 sites in anticipation
of Croatias forthcoming
accession to the EU.
The first draft of the Croatian
Natura 2000 network was
launched for public consultation
in 2009, with the help of a
major PHARE funded project,
which, amongst others, initiated
a nationwide information
campaign to raise awareness
of Natura 2000 and to ensure
full public consultation on

the proposed sites. Some 19

regional meetings and national
workshops were held across
the country for over 1000
stakeholders and regional local
authorities during this time.
The final list of Natura 2000
sites is currently being adopted
by the government following
a further period of public
consultation which ended on
5June 2013. After that it will be
sent to the European Commission
together with the Standard Data
forms and maps. It is expected
that the final list will contain over
700 pSCIs (of which 174 sites are
caves) and 38 SPAs.
Altogether, they are likely
to cover over a third of the
country and around a sixth
of the territorial sea, putting
Croatia at the top of the league
table along with Slovenia and
Bulgaria in terms of percentage
of the territory included in
Natura 2000.

Croatia is a key wintering ground for the loggerhead turtle.

Shutterstock

Marin Topi

Working with other

policy sectors
The PHARE project also launched
a series of workshops targeting
different sectors and stakeholder
groups to explain the
implications of Natura 2000 for
their activities and to promote
their interest and cooperation in
the long term conservation and
management of the sites.
This has since led to a more
systematic cooperation with a
number of sectors (especially
with the water management
and forestry sectors) and the
greater consideration of Natura
2000 needs into different policy

programmes and rules. For

instance, a number of agrienvironmental measures under
Croatias Rural Development
programme have been
introduced to help support high
nature value farmland areas
within Natura 2000. The county
physical planning institutions
have also received regular
training and information sessions
on the Article 6.3 Appropriate
Assessment.
SINP, together with the
Ministry of Environmental and
Nature Protection are also
starting to work on developing a
Prioritised Action Framework for

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

the funding of Natura 2000 in

consultation with other sectors
in order to have this ready before
the start of the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework
(20142020). This should further
help the integration of Natura
2000 needs into the relevant EU
operational programmes.

Next steps
Much has been done to pave the
way for the smooth application
of the Birds and Habitats

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Directive in Croatia as of 1 July.

This is not to say that all issues
are resolved; there is still a
number of concerns over the
potential implications of Natura
2000 for different sectors and
stakeholders. A Natura 2000
dialogue is underway however
to continue to demystify Natura
2000 and find practical solutions
for the long term management
of the sites in close cooperation
with stakeholders. The signs so
far are very encouraging.

For more info: State Institute for Nature Protection, Zagreb

http://www.dzzp.hr/eng/ecological-networks/national-ecologicalnetwork/national-ecological-network-339.html

Clockwise from top: Velebit mountain, Loinj Island, cove along Adriatic Sea, Waterfalls at Plitvice. All are areas likely to be included in the Natura
2000 network.
iStock

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Shutterstock
Shutterstock

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J u l y 2 01 3

Staffan Widstrand / naturepl.com

Many of the bear populations in the EU have stabilised thanks to increased protection.

Resolving conflicts: the EU

Large Carnivore Initiative

Chris OReilly/naturepl.com

The EU is preparing EU-level

Species Action Plans for its
large carnivore species,
including the Eurasian lynx.

Large carnivores
in Europe
Europe is home to five species of
large carnivores: the wolf Canis
lupus, brown bear Ursus arctos,
wolverine Gulo gulo, the Eurasian
lynx Lynx lynx and the Iberian lynx
Lynx pardinus. All have suffered
major declines over the last two
centuries, due to a combination
of persecution and extensive
habitat loss and fragmentation.
Today, it is estimated that
these five species are restricted
to just 30 core populations in
the EU. Some are very small and
are struggling to survive, like
the bear and wolf populations
in the Apennines or the Iberian
lynx in southern Spain. Others
are doing rather better, roaming
across large remote areas like
the Carpathians and the Alps
or where there is continuous

forest cover. Many of these

larger populations are also
transboundary, moving more or
less freely between neighbouring
countries.
Thanks to their increased
protection, inter alia through the
Habitats Directive, large carnivore
populations within the EU are
now generally stable. Some
species are even returning to
parts of Europe after absences of
tens or even hundreds of years.

Conflicts
The conservation and sustainable
management of large carnivores,
however, remains a contentious
issue, and one that provokes
strong reactions and emotions,
both for and against the species,
especially when it comes to
wolves and bears. Many of the
on-going conflicts are linked to

the fact that they can cause

economic damage, through for
instance the killing of livestock,
the destruction of beehives and
other property. These conflicts
tend to be especially acute
in newly re-colonised areas
where humans are no longer
accustomed to their presence.
But there is also a more
intangible element to the conflict,
which is rooted not so much in
fear but rather in value choices
and competing demands for land
use (agriculture and livestock
rearing, transport infrastructure,
forestry, hunting, recreation
etc). For many, large carnivores
reflect the wider problems
associated with maintaining
rural lifestyles and traditional
practices, as well as the
changing relationship between
people and nature.

The EU has a particular role to

play in protecting and managing
Europes large carnivores since
their favourable conservation
status can only be effectively
achieved through strong
cooperation between countries,
a population level management
approach and widespread
dialogue with stakeholders.
That is why, last year, DG
Environment decided to launch
a new Large Carnivore Initiative.
The aim is to encourage an
active dialogue with all relevant
stakeholders and explore ways
to promote the continued
co-existence of humans and
large carnivores in the EU. The
process builds on the results
of earlier initiatives, like the
2008 Commission guidance on
population-level management
of large carnivores and the
work of the Large Carnivore
Initiative for Europe. The positive
experiences from LIFE projects
and the EUs 2004 Sustainable
Hunting Initiative will be also
fully utilized.
As a first step, a Workshop
was convened by DG Environment
in Brussels on 25January2013

to bring together more than

80 stakeholders from a wide
range of backgrounds and
interests (livestock and reindeer
herders, hunters, landowners,
environmentalists, conservation
biologists, animal welfare groups,
policy makers, administrators
and journalists).
The main part of the workshop
was dedicated to small group
discussions in which a mix of
stakeholders were asked to
discuss three key topics: their
visions for the future of rural
landscapes; their views on the
main obstacles to achieving this
vision; and the potential ways
of overcoming these obstacles.
This method of visioning is known
to help generate ideas and
define where the stakeholders
main interests lie. A number
of background studies and
discussion documents had been
prepared to further aid these
discussions.
DG Environment is now
following up on the workshop
findings in a number of ways.
The first involves the preparation
of four EU-level Species Action
Plans for brown bear, lynx, wolf
and wolverine, which should
take full account of the social

Since 1992, the EU LIFE fund has supported

76 large carnivore projects across the EU
(focusing principally on bears, wolves and
Eurasian lynx), contributing more than
54 million to their conservation. Many of
the projects have focused on finding ways to
minimise and avoid conflicts between large
carnivores and humans. A new LIFE brochure
highlights the range of conservation activities
undertaken, including on conflict resolution,
and draws lessons from these as well as good
practice ideas which could
be further promoted.
http://ec.europa.
eu/environment/
life/publications/
lifepublications/index.htm

J u l y 2 01 3

There is a need to re-examine the relationship between humans and

large carnivores in the EU.

and economic dimensions of

large carnivore conservation
and the particular aspects of
each population. Drafts of these
plans will be discussed at a
further stakeholder workshop in
December 2013.
Additionally, four pilot
initiatives will be carried out to
test various conflict resolution
mechanisms in different large
carnivore populations. These pilot
actions aim to engage relevant
stakeholders and undertake
targeted actions to address

real life conflicts in specific

contexts. Finally, communication
activities will be stepped up and
will include a media campaign
to draw attention to the fate of
large carnivores in the EU and to
ensure a balanced presentation
of the debate in the national and
European press.
To find out more go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/
conservation/species/
carnivores/index_en.htm

Philippe Clement/naturepl.com

LIFE projects supporting

large carnivores

Orietta Gaspari - 2012 / iStock

The EU Large
Carnivore Initiative

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

n 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

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barometer
NATURA 2000 SITES SPAS + SCIS

TERRESTRIAL

Tota

Member States

Total N
Natura sites

Total area in
Natura (km)

% land area
covered by
Natura

Total area SCI

(km)

BELGI/BELGIQUE
BULGARIA
ESK REPUBLIKA
DANMARK
DEUTSCHLAND
EESTI
IRE/IRELAND
ELLDA
ESPAA
FRANCE
ITALIA
KPROS*
LATVIJA
LIETUVA
LUXEMBOURG
MAGYARORSZG
MALTA
NEDERLAND
STERREICH
POLSKA
PORTUGAL
ROMNIA
SLOVENIJA
SLOVENSKO
SUOMI
SVERIGE

458
336
1 116
350
5 264
568
587
419
1 805
1 754
2 576
61
324
488
60
525
39
203
218
983
149
531
286
514
1 839
4 071

5 153.95
39 056.31
11 061.54
22 646.40
80 753.10
14 832.28
16 095.65
42 947.05
147 918.44
110 699.51
63 725.47
1 759.75
9 168.48
8 564.12
469.45
19 949.74
233.72
17 384.12
12 546.18
68 458.54
21 628.01
55 675.46
7 203.44
14 448.26
55 986.24
66 724.48

12.75%
34.34%
14.03%
8.43%
15.47%
17.82%
13.17%
27.29%
27.27%
12.56%
19.03%
28.37%
11.52%
12.07%
18.08%
21.44%
13.35%
13.82%
14.96%
19.58%
20.89%
22.63%
35.52%
29.58%
14.42%
13.86%

3 067.07
33 259.91
7 855.97
3 211.81
33 575.00
7 651.82
7 186.12
21 615.80
117 260.92
46 692.29
43 012.07
750.85
7 403.20
6 128.95
413.64
14 443.70
41.51
3 177.67
8 990.04
33 827.34
15 584.43
39 924.54
6 397.44
5 838.14
48 479.53
57 006.80

UNITED KINGDOM

920

94 840.59

8.55%

EU27

26 444

1 009 930.28

17.90%

N SCIs

Total area
SPA (km)

N SPAs

278
230
1 075
234
4 603
536
419
241
1 438
1 357
2 257
39
317
405
49
479
30
139
169
844
92
382
260
473
1 682
3 938

2 968.68
25 097.41
7 034.43
2 633.84
40 295.41
6 138.04
4 334.09
27 840.14
100 705.71
43 375.40
40 225.83
1 481.70
6 598.99
5 476.56
141.57
13 745.73
15.84
4 856.90
10 108.43
48 534.63
9 405.89
35 505.50
4 615.65
13 110.51
24 571.87
25 421.31

231
118
41
111
737
65
157
202
591
378
609
29
94
82
13
56
12
74
97
144
56
148
26
41
465
528

3
38
11
3
55
8
9
36
137
68
57
1
7
7

13 103.76

627

15 625.49

267

20

585 900.32

22 593

519 865.56

5 372

768

* The area and % of territory corresponds to the area of Cyprus where the Community acquis applies at present, according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus.

The Natura Barometer is managed by DG eNV with the

technical assistance of the european environment Agency and is
based on information officially transmitted by Member States until
october 2012. Many sites have been designated according to both
Nature Directives, either in their entirety or partially. The figures
relating to the number of Natura 2000 sites (i.e. SPAs + SCIs) and
their area coverage have been obtained by GIS analysis in order
to eliminate possible overlaps between Birds Directive sites and
Habitats Directive sites.
The methodology used for these calculations has recently been
refined, which explains why many of the figures are slightly
different from the previous Barometer updates.
NB Sites having a terrestrial component covering more than 5% of
their total area were counted as terrestrial sites.
Sites having a marine component covering more than 5% of
their total area were counted as marine sites.

Distribution of Natura
2000 sites across EU-27,
based on data submitted
by Member States up to
October 2011
Natura 2000 sites

19

5
12
61
19
53
7
14
48
57

n 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

J u l y 2 01 3

update 2013
MARINE

Total area
Natura 2000
(km)

Total N
Natura sites
on land

Total area
SCI (km)

N SCIs

Total area
SPA (km)

N SPAs

1
8
1
1
7
5
7
2
1
8
9
9
4
2
3
6
2
4
7
4
6
8
6
1
5
8

3 890.83
38 083.59
11 061.54
3 652.11
55 243.81
8 061.10
9 258.66
36 009.68
137 663.64
68 957.88
57 357.33
1 627.37
7 442.00
7 883.19
469.45
19 949.74
42.18
5 739.00
12 546.18
61 210.34
19 217.38
53 941.51
7 200.34
14 448.26
48 760.65
57 509.49

453
335
1 116
322
5 248
562
571
419
1 790
1 735
2 534
60
324
488
60
525
37
200
218
982
143
530
286
514
1 823
4 024

1 123.60
582.56
0
16 455.70
20 845.37
3 897.94
6 347.11
6 439.05
10 027.43
27 941.06
5 238.46
132.27
1 752.21
533.69
0
0
190.79
11 644.35
0
4 347.94
965.42
1 530.64
0.26
0
6 874.73
9 137.79

3
13
0
86
58
43
126
93
178
134
246
7
7
4
0
0
12
11
0
9
34
8
7
0
141
406

312.00
507.86
0
12 150.10
19 641.34
6 498.96
1 534.69
1 673.42
2 596.74
35 331.42
3 756.94
111.21
1 706.65
426.80
0
0
0.64
5 584.73
0
7 236.68
2 077.73
1 459.10
2.85
0
6 509.05
4 650.95

4
11
0
52
24
26
86
54
68
77
69
5
5
4
0
0
7
7
0
9
19
1
1
0
91
129

1 262.91
925.81
0
19 011.67
25 508.68
6 770.78
6 828.03
6 908.11
10 193.20
41 736.42
6 308.12
132.34
1 725.21
680.86
0
0
191.16
11 644.46
0
7 248.19
2 407.80
1 720.82
3.09
0
7 224.64

20 934.78

894

66 947.66

143

11 492.43

125

768 141.98

26 193

202 929.03

1 769

125 262.30

874

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100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%

SR
IN MAJ
IN MOD
IN MIN
SUF

0%
CY SI SK LT PL CZ IT PT AT LV RO DE MT FI GR EE FR ES BG UK SE BE DK HU IE LU NL

Note that the graph only covers the terrestrial part of the SCI network, i.e. marine species
and habitat types are not taken into account. (Situation: December 2012)

Total area
Marine Natura
2000 (km)

Total N
Marine
Natura
sites

Member States

9 210.55

7
23
0
130
79
50
211
137
211
211
282
9
7
8
0
0
17
14
0
17
51
9
8
0
168
444

BELGIUM
BULGARIA
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
GERMANY
ESTONIA
IRELAND
GREECE
SPAIN
FRANCE
ITALY
CYPRUS*
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
HUNGARY
MALTA
THE NETHERLANDS
AUSTRIA
POLAND
PORTUGAL
ROMANIA
SLOVENIA
SLOVAKIA
FINLAND
SWEDEN

73 893.59

267

UNITED KINGDOM

241 536.42

2 360

EU27

Suciency of the European Natura 2000 Network

For Sites of Community Interest under the Habitats Directive (SCIs), the
Commission, with assistance from the eTC-BD, evaluates the completeness of
the network by individually assessing, for any relevant species and habitat type,
whether its occurrence is sufficiently well covered by the existing sites. According
to the results of this assessment, which are updated once a year, the level of
completeness of Natura 2000 can be expressed as the percentage of species
and habitats assessments per member state indicating that the network is
complete. The graph indicates the result of this evaluation, for the terrestrial
part of Natura 2000:
SR (scientific reserve): additional research needed to identify the best sites;
IN MAJ (major insufficiency): none of the sites where that species/habitat
type occurs have been proposed so far;
IN MOD (moderate insufficiency): additional sites still need to be proposed
or existing sites be extended for that species/habitat type;
IN MIN (minor insufficiency): sufficiency could be achieved by adding the
species/habitat type as a qualifying feature to existing sites;
SUF (sufficient): the network is sufficient for that species/habitat type.

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natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

J u l y 2 01 3

Shutterstock

Green Infrastructure encourages a more integrated and multifunctional land use.

On the 5 May 2013, the European

Commission published a new
Strategy to promote the use of
Green Infrastructure across
Europe. This article outlines the
key elements of the Strategy.
Green Infrastructure (GI) is a
tried and tested tool for
generating ecological, economic
and social benefits for society by

alternative to man-made
constructions, for instance in
relation to climate regulation or
flood prevention. It also helps
society to better appreciate and
value the multiple benefits that
nature generates in terms of
ecosystem services.
Unfortunately, most of these
services are still all too often

is subjected to land-take for

housing, industry, roads or
recreation.

The need for an EU

framework to promote
Green Infrastructure
The new EU-wide GI Strategy,
published in May, aims to create a
robust enabling framework in

Green Infrastructure
Europes
enhancing
natural capital
working with nature, rather than
against it. This, in turn,
encourages a more integrated
and multifunctional land use and
development policy which makes
best use of nature-based
development solutions, where
appropriate.
Compared to single-purpose,
grey infrastructure, GI has many
advantages: it can provide a
cheaper, more adapted

treated as free commodities

and used as if their supply is
limitless, which is why much
of Europes natural capital
continues to be degraded.
The EU has already lost many
healthy ecosystems and
what remains is now highly
fragmented due to urban sprawl,
infrastructure developments
and changing land uses. Every
year, more than 1000km2

order to promote and facilitate GI

projects within existing legal,
policy and financial instruments.
It rests on four main pillars:
1. Promoting Green
Infrastructure in the main EU
policy areas
Recognising that GI can make a
significant contribution to the
EUs main policy areas,
especially as regards regional

What is GI?
The Commission uses the following working definition in its
new Communication: Green Infrastructure: a strategically
planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other
environmental features designed and managed to deliver a
wide range of ecosystem services. It incorporates green spaces
(or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other physical
features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas. On
land, GI is present in rural and urban settings.
For more background on what Green Infrastructure is see
Issue 27.

and rural development, climate

change, disaster risk
management, agriculture/
forestry and the environment,
the new Strategy calls for Green
Infrastructure to be fully
integrated into these policies,
and to become a standard part

The Natura 2000 Network,

with its 26,000 sites
across the EU, forms the
backbone of Europes Green
Infrastructure. Although
established mainly to
conserve and protect key
species and habitats, Natura
2000 also delivers many
ecosystem services to human
society, the value of which
has been estimated at
E200300 billion per annum.
Natura 2000 sites are
therefore an important
reservoir of biodiversity
and healthy ecosystems
that can be drawn upon to
repopulate and revitalise
degraded environments and
catalyse the development of
GI. This will also help reduce
the fragmentation of the
ecosystem, improving the
connectivity between sites
in the Natura 2000 network
and thus achieving the
objectives of Article 10 of
the Habitats Directive.

mechanisms (e.g. Common

Agricultural Policy, the Cohesion
Fund, and the European Regional
Development Fund). The
guidelines will be ready for the
end of 2013 so that they can be
used by Member States in the
development of their new
operational programmes under
the forthcoming Multi-annual
Financial Framework (20142020).
The Commission will also take
steps to increase awareness of
GI among key stakeholder
groups and promote best
practice, including developing a
dedicated IT platform for
exchanging information.
2. Improving information and
promoting innovation
In order to be able to deploy GI
in an effective manner, reliable

J u l y 2 01 3

11

information is needed about

the extent and condition of
ecosystems and the services
they provide so that these are
correctly valued and priced. While
it is clear that most decisions
regarding the implementation of
GI projects will be taken at local,
national and regional levels, a
minimum level of consistency is
needed in relation to the data
used to inform these decisions,
particularly for projects
supported by EU funds.
An important element of the
new EU Strategy is therefore
focused on improving knowledge
on GI. The Commission will, for
instance, assess the need and
opportunities, in the context of
Horizon 2020, to
methodologically support the
ongoing GI mapping and

Nick Upton/naturepl.com

What is the
relationship between
GI and Natura 2000?

of spatial planning and territorial

development.
To help achieve this, the
Commission intends to publish
guidelines to show how Green
Infrastructure can be better
integrated into these policies and
their associated funding

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

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natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

assessment work, improve the

knowledge base and develop
and encourage innovative
technologies and approaches
to facilitating the development
of GI.
The Commission is also
assisting Member States in
the mapping and assessment
of Europes ecosystems and
the services they provides.
This should also help prioritise
action for Green Infrastructure
initiatives. By 2015, it will
review the extent and quality of
the technical and spatial data
available for decision-makers in
relation to GI deployment. The
review will also look at how the

J u l y 2 01 3

current arrangements governing

the generation, analysis
and dissemination of this
information could be improved,
in particular through better use
of information-sharing facilities.
3. Improving access to finance
In addition to ensuring a better
use of the EUs main funding
instruments for implementing
GI projects, the new Strategy
also wants to encourage the
private sector to participate
as they too have an important
role to play in investing in GI.
It is recognized however that
GI projects can sometimes be
risky for the private sector, in

particular in the early stages

of development. It is important
therefore to try to reduce
this risk through financial
instruments (such as risksharing practices) and multipartner deals involving public
and private funds.
Potential investors
(municipality, region, private
developers) also need technical
assistance to develop GI
projects. In this respect, the
Commission, together with the
European Investment Bank (EIB),
intends to set up an EU financing
facility by 2014 to support
biodiversity-related
investments, including GI

projects, and assist those

seeking to develop such projects
which are characterised by a
high mid- to long-term return.
4. Supporting EU-level
GI projects
The final pillar of the new GI
Strategy looks at the possibility
of developing a trans-European
Green Infrastructure (Ten-G)
initiative similar to that already
in place for large-scale EU
transport (Ten-T) and energy
(Ten-E) networks.
Many ecosystems, for
instance in mountain ranges
(the Alps, the Pyrenees, the
Carpathians), along river basins

Alpine Carpathian Corridor (Austria, Slovakia)

This project aims to create and preserve a coherent 120km ecological corridor from the Alps to the Carpathians in response to the
increasing fragmentation caused by agricultural intensification, the rapid expansion of built-up areas and expanding transport
infrastructure. The main objectives are to create a coherent Green Infrastructure within this corridor which supports the restoration and
wise use of the remaining ecosystems present and enables wild animal populations to move more freely and interact with each other.
This it aims to achieve by not only improving the connectivity between the various
Natura 2000 sites present in this corridor but also by enhancing the overall landscape
permeability to make it more wildlife friendly.
Within the framework of an EU funded cross-border and cross-sectoral project between
Austria and Slovakia, various practical measures are being undertaken such as improving
the traffic network by building green bridges over highways at key points/bottlenecks
and creating suitable habitat patches or stepping stones within the corridor. Public
awareness campaigns and environmental education for schools within the region are
also part of the project.
Mountain ranges are an important part of Europe's Green Infrastructure.

http://www.alpenkarpatenkorridor.at

Shutterstock

J u l y 2 01 3

levels and boosting the

importance of GI in policy,
planning and financing decisions.
In this respect, the
Commission will carry out a
study by 2015, to assess the
opportunities for developing an
EU TEN-G initiative. It will
include an assessment of the
costs and the economic, social
and environmental benefits of
such an initiative.
For more information on the
EU Strategy and Green
Infrastructure go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/
ecosystems/index_en.htm

13

Nick Upton/naturepl.com

(the Rhine, the Danube) and in

forests, extend beyond national
boundaries and are part of the
EUs shared natural and cultural
heritage and identity. They too
would benefit considerably from
coordinated, joined-up actions
and a pan-European vision.
Developing an instrument for
a trans-European Green
Infrastructure in Europe (TEN-G)
would not only have significant
benefits for securing the
resilience and vitality of some of
Europes most iconic and
valuable ecosystems but could
also act as an important
flagship for promoting GI at
national, regional and local

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

Green Infrastructure helps to improve the general ecological quality and

permeability of the landscape to wildlife.

Shutterstock

Vittel watershed protection programme

(France)
Since 1993, the mineral water bottler Vittel has conducted a
Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programme in its
5100ha catchment area at the foot of the Vosges Mountains,
in order to maintain aquifer water quality to its highest
standard. The programme pays all 27 farmers in the watershed
of the Grande Source to adopt best practices in dairy farming...
The programme is fairly complex in design, combining
conditional cash payments with technical assistance,
reimbursement of incremental agricultural labour costs, and
even arrangements to take over lands and provide usufruct
rights of the farmland to the farmers.
Contracts are long-term (1830 years), payments are
differentiated according to opportunity costs on a farm-byfarm basis, and both land use and water quality are closely
monitored over time. Through carefully researched baselines,
an improvement of the service vis--vis the declining ecosystem
baseline is well-documented, and the high service value clearly
makes the investments profitable.
The Vittel example illustrates the advantages of involving
private sectors and stakeholders who benefit from ecosystem
services in the financing and implementation of GI projects.

Using plants instead of air conditioning and

saving money

Shutterstock

Lower humidity in urban areas due to the absence of vegetation

and the increased absorption of energy from the sun caused
by dark asphalted or concrete surfaces are the main reasons
inner city areas are often many degrees warmer than their
surroundings. This phenomenon, known as the urban heat island
effect, can have serious consequences for vulnerable people,
such as those who are chronically ill or the elderly, particularly
during heat waves.
The moist air generated for free by natural vegetation helps
to counter this phenomenon. Moist air could also be artificially
recreated using electricity to evaporate water, but this would cost
around 500,000 per hectare. Working with nature and using GI in
an urban environment, for example by incorporating biodiversityrich parks, green spaces and fresh air corridors, can be a much
cheaper and more versatile option to help mitigate the urban heat
island effect. It can also help to absorb CO2 emissions, improve air
quality and reduce rainfall runoff.

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news

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

publicationS

J u l y 2 01 3

events

Further progress on the

biogeographical
seminars

New Communication
Platform on Working
together in Natura 2000

The second in the series of

biogeographical seminars was
held in Bergen (The Netherlands)
last December. It brought
together over 80 key experts,
authorities and stakeholders to
discuss common issues relating
to the management of Natura
2000 habitats in the Atlantic
Region. The process was led by
the Netherlands with support
from the other nine Member
States in the region, as well as
the EEA, the European Topic
Centre for Biological Diversity and
the Commission.
Discussions focused on four
main habitat groups coastal,
dunes and estuaries; grasslands;
heaths and bogs; rivers and lakes
and led to the development of a
checklist of actions to address
the key management issues
identified during the seminar.
Details can be found in the
Atlantic Seminar Report, available
on the new Communication
Platform (see next item).
The next seminar, led by
Austria, is planned for 2526
November 2013 and will focus on
the Alpine Region. See issue 32
for an overview of the new
biogeographical process.

In June, the Commission

launched a new on-line
communication platform to
further support the
biogeographical process and
encourage site managers, policy
makers, NGOs, land managers
and others to exchange
information and experiences on
the management of Natura
2000 sites.
The website is divided into
three main sections. The first,
called knowledge base, provides
key information on the status and
management of EU protected
habitat types and species
selected as a priority for
cooperation under the new
biogeographical process. The
second section deals with
networking and cooperation and
contains a number of search
functions for identifying key
contacts and events related to
Natura 2000 management in the
EU. It also provides a facilitated
online forum where people can
exchange ideas and information
on issues related to the
management of Natura 2000
habitats and species.
The final section Actions and
results provides information on

the workshops and seminars that

have been held, or are foreseen,
under the biogeographical
process, as well as on all actions
agreed to date. Regular updates
are also given of progress made
in implementing these actions,
together with any new outputs
from these.
Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/natura2000/
seminars_en.htm

Progress on PAFs
The Prioritised Action Frameworks
(PAFs) under Article8 of the
Habitats Directive are designed to
help Member States and their
regions better define their
funding needs and priorities for
Natura 2000, and so facilitate
the integration of these needs
into the forthcoming Operational
Programmes for the EUs main
financial instruments over the
next budget period (20142020).
By June this year the majority
of Member States had submitted
their PAFs to the Commission.
The latter is now analysing these
documents to get a better
understanding of the Member
States conservation priorities
and intentions with regard to the
use of different financing sources
and to ensure that the level of
detail provided is sufficient to be

Mudflats at low tide, The Netherlands, one of the habitats discussed during the Atlantic Seminar.

of use for the operational

programmes.
DG Environment, who is
coordinating the development of
PAFs, is also involving other
relevant DGs in this exercise,
inviting them to use the PAFs
during discussions with the
Member States over their
strategic programming
documents (partnership
agreements and operational
programmes) for the new
programming period. It is hoped
this will help to secure sufficient
financial allocations to nature
protection from regional,
cohesion, marine and rural
development funds.
Ultimately, however, it is up to
the Member States themselves to
ensure that the specific
conservation measures and
priorities they have identified are
fully integrated into their own
operational programmes at a
national or regional level.

Second stakeholder
workshop on forests
and Natura 2000
Last year, the Commission
launched a new dialogue on
Natura 2000 and forests. The
aim is to encourage greater
communication and cooperation
between the forest and

Shutterstock

natur e and biodiver sity newsletter

Estimating the economic value of different types of ecosystem services

TOURISM: Natura 2000 is already proving to be an important motor of many
local economies by attracting tourists, whose spending supports local economies
It is estimated that the expenditure supported by visitors to Natura 2000 sites
is around 5085 billion/year (in 2006). If only the expenditure of those visitors
who have affinity for Natura 2000 designation (as opposed to natural areas in
general) is considered, the range becomes 920 billion/year in 2006, generated
by around 350 million visitor days.
The total expenditure provided by tourism and recreation supports between
4.5 and 8 million Full Time Employment (FTE) jobs. The benefits generated by the
visitors with affinity to Natura 2000 would support from 800,000 to 2 million
FTE jobs. This compares to a total of about 13 million FTE jobs in the tourism sector
within the EU27 (in 2008). Furthermore, protected areas can provide additional
benefits to the local and regional economy, by attracting inward investment and
enhancing local image and quality of life.

Water purification and provision are important ecosystem services that are provided
by natural ecosystems, including protected areas such as Natura 2000. A number
of major European cities, including Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, Madrid, Sofia,
Rome, and Barcelona all benefit from natural filtration in different ways. These
municipalities save money on water treatment due to natural treatment from the
ecosystems. The savings can be passed on to consumers, resulting in lower utility
costs for EU residents.
Information from the four European cities of Berlin, Vienna, Oslo and Munich
allows an illustration of the benefits of protected areas for water purification and
provision. Using benefit transfer, it can be estimated that the annual economic
benefits of water purification are between 7 and 16 million and of water
provision between 12 and 91 million per city. The average per capita benefits
are between 15 and 45 per year for both water purification and provision
combined in the four European cities analysed. This compares to average household
water bills of 200 per year in the case of Germany.

Roberto Rinaldi/naturepl.com

MARInE PROTEcTEd AREAS: Marine Natura sites, as part of a wider network

of connected marine areas, may have positive effects on overexploited
fish stocks

For more details see the Commission report The economic benefits of the Natura 2000 Network: Synthesis report 2012

Promoting sustainable forestry in Natura 2000.

conservation communities. On
23 May, DG ENV, together with
DG AGRI, hosted a second
stakeholder workshop to
continue to explore how
sustainable forest management
and Natura 2000 conservation
management can best go hand
in hand, using good practice
examples from across the EU as
a source of inspiration.
Based on these discussions,
the Commission will now begin
drafting a guidance document on
the practical implementation of
the EU Birds and Habitats
Directives in relation to forests
and other wooded land.
To follow progress and see the
workshop presentations go to
EC public CIRCABC site:
https://circabc.europa.eu/w/
browse/f02c8ace-67e8-4fed99e4-1825837d65ca

Valuing ecosystem
services

New EU Species
Action Plans
In 2009 the Commission began
developing EU Species Action
Plans for selected species listed
in the Habitats Directive. The first
two plans were published in
2012: one for the common

Estimating the economic

value of Natura 2000
As outlined in the July 2012
edition of this newsletter, DG
Environment has carried out a
series of studies to help identify,
evaluate and demonstrate the

Comparing costs and benefits of Natura 2000

The protection of all 300 Natura 2000 sites in Scotland was estimated to have an overall
benefit-cost ratio of around seven over a 25-year period. This means that overall national welfare
benefits are seven times greater than the national costs, representing good value for money.

As part of a wider economic and institutional assessment of Natura 2000 in France, several
studies were carried out to determine the benefits arising from Natura 2000 across a range of
sites. At the Natura 2000 site Plaine de la Crau, the net benefits were calculated to be around
142 ha/year, i.e. around seven times higher than the costs associated with the Natura 2000 site.

In 2009 the Finnish Natural Heritage Services (Metshallitus) and the Finnish Forest Institute
(Metla) carried out a national assessment of the economic impacts of nature tourism and nature-related recreational activities
on local economies. According to the study, the total annual revenue linked to visitor spending in national parks amounted to
70.1 million and supported local employment by creating 893 person-years. In general, it was estimated that 1 of public
investment to protected areas provided 20 in return.

Natura 2000: protecting Europe's natural capital for the benefit of nature and poeple.

For further information:

DG Env Natura 2000 webpage: Financing http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/financing/index_en.htm

Commission Staff Working Paper: Financing Natura 2000. Investing in Natura 2000: delivering benefits for nature and people, Dec 12, 2011
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/financing/docs/financing_natura2000.pdf

Studies and brochure (all available from the above Natura 2000 financing website):

The Economic benefits of the Natura 2000 Network (Synthesis report)

Investing in Natura 2000: for nature and people brochure
Estimating the overall economic value of the benefits provided by the Natura 2000 Network & Annexes
Estimating the economic value of the benefits provided by the tourism/recreation and employment supported by
Natura 2000
Recognising Natura 2000 benefits and demonstrating the economic benefits of conservation measures: successful
and innovative approaches to financing Natura 2000 needs
Assessing Socio-economic benefits of Natura 2000 sites a toolkit
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) (available from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/
biodiversity/economics/index_en.htm

European Union, (2013)

Reproduction of content other than photographs is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Photos: Cover, p3, p4, p5 top and middle: iStockphoto.com; p2 thinkstockphotos.
co.uk; p5 bottom, p6: naturepl.com

Environment

The impacts of invasive

alien species in Europe
In December 2012, the EEA
published a new report to raise
awareness among key
stakeholders, decision-makers,
policymakers and the general
public about the environmental
and socio-economic impacts of
IAS. Twenty-eight dedicated
species accounts are provided to
highlight the various types of
impacts. These species accounts
are based on thorough, up-todate scientific information from
recent research and studies, and
highlight the multifaceted
impacts of IAS at both the global
and regional levels.
Go to: http://www.eea.europa.eu/
publications/impacts-of-invasivealien-species

Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros, to be included in an EU

Species Action Plan.
Francois Schwaab

A coherent analytical framework

for the mapping and assessment
of ecosystems services called
MAES has been published
in the context of action 5 of
the 2020 BAP Strategy. This
framework proposes a typology
of ecosystems to be assessed
and mapped and the use of
the Common International
Classification of Ecosystem
Services (CICES) developed
for environmental accounting
purposes.
The multi-faceted role of
biodiversity to support the
delivery of ecosystem services
is a central component of the EU

framework that is being profiled

at international level in the
context of the ongoing discussion
on the conceptual framework
for global assessments of the
Intergovernmental Platform
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES).
As part of the framework, the
Commission recently completed
a study on approaches to
assess and value ecosystem
services in the EU in the context
of TEEB. The new study takes
stock of existing national and
international initiatives related
to The Economics of Ecosystems
and Biodiversity (TEEB) and
proposes a framework for
valuation of ecosystems services.
It offers a range of choices and
describes the strengths and
weaknesses of each option, in
order to allow Member States
to choose the information and
methods that are of highest
relevance to them.
MAES Analytical Framework is
available on: http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/knowledge/
ecosystem_assessment/pdf/
MAESWorkingPaper2013.pdf
Valuation report link is
available on: http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/biodiversity/
economics/index_en.htm

Cover: iStockphoto

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), including marine Natura 2000 sites, support a
range of ecosystem services, which help amongst others to maintain healthy fish
stocks. The value of benefits delivered by the marine area currently protected by
the network (equivalent to 4.7% of the EUs marine area) is approximately 1.4
1.5 billion per year.
This would increase up to 3.03.2 billion per year if 10% of the sea area were
protected, and 6.06.5 billion per year for protection of 20% of the sea area. This
should be seen as a ball park value. Obtaining more robust results would need an
improved understanding of how protection will influence habitats, services and offsite fisheries, amongst others.

economic benefits of Natura

2000. The first of these studies
offered a broad-brush
assessment of what that value
could be and put the figure in the
region of 200
300 billion per
year for the
entire network.
This study is now
available as a
Commission
Factsheet
publication and
The Economic Benefits
of Natura 2000
is accompanied
by a six-page
fact sheet. Both
are available on the DG ENV
nature home page:
Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/natura2000/
financing/index_en.htm
Nick Upton/naturepl.com

iStockphoto

WATER: Money can be saved through working with natural capital, saving
water purification and provisioning costs

15

J u l y 2 01 3

iStockphoto/thinkstock

iStockphoto

Mark Hamblin/2020VISION/naturepl.com

Midwife toad Alytes obstetricans,

the other for the Danube clouded
yellow butterfly Colias
myrmidone. This year, a third plan
has been published for the
European ground squirrel
Spermophilous citellus.
The plans are the result of
extensive consultations with
scientists and practitioners
across Europe and are based on
best available expertise. Although
not legally binding, each plan
offers a wealth of up-to-date
information on the status,
ecology, threats and current
conservation measures for the
species in question and lists the
key actions that are required to
improve their conservation
status.
Work has also begun on
developing a pilot multi-species
Action Plan for all 44 bat species
listed in the Habitats Directive.
This will be done in close
collaboration with EUROBATS (the
secretariat of the UNEP
agreement on the conservation
of populations of European bats)
and an expert group of national
experts appointed by the
Member States.
Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/nature/conservation/
species/guidance/index_en.htm

n 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

KH-AA-13-001-EN-C

16

J u l y 2 01 3

Published in January 2013, this

new LIFe brochure provides an
overview of the role LIFe
projects have played in
managing and restoring habitats
for europes threatened bird
species. In total, more than half
(156) of the 303 bird species
listed in the annexes of the Birds
Directive have been targeted at
least once by a LIFe project. The
two most targeted species have
been the bittern Botaurus
stellaris, and corncrake Crex crex,
with 61 and 51 projects
respectively, followed by the
kingfisher Alcedo atthis and
red-backed shrike Lanius collurio.
The new publication presents
some of the key projects that
have been funded over the
years. Lessons are also drawn
from these, which can be taken
forward in the new LIFe
programme (20142020).
Go to: http://ec.europa.eu/
environment/life/publications/
lifepublications/index.htm

40 years Working for

Nature EUROPARC
2013 conference
Managers and conservation
experts from national parks,
nature parks and other protected
areas will meet in october in
Hungary for the eURoPARC
2013 conference. Hosted by the

Grzegorz.Lesniewski/naturepl.com

New LIFE publication

on managing habitats
for birds

The Natura 2000 Newsletter is

produced by DG Environment,
European Commission
Author: Kerstin Sundseth
Ecosystems LTD, Brussels
Commission Editor: Susanne
Wegefelt, DG Environment
Design: NatureBureau, UK
The newsletter is produced twice
a year and is available in English,
French, German, Spanish, Italian
and Polish.

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio: one of the species to have beneted

most from LIFE projects.

UNeSCo World Natural Heritage

site Hortobgy National Park in
Hungarys Pannonian region, the
conference is dedicated to 40
Years Working for Nature and
the achievement of europes
protected areas to society over
that time. The focus of the
four-day conference is on
Integrated Protected Area
Management and the vast
experience of eURoPARC experts
will flow into this event.
Recognising the new generation
of eURoPARCs young nature
ambassadors, the First
eURoPARC Youth Conference will
be held in parallel to the main
conference.
To see press release go to:
http://europarc.org/uploaded/
documents/1446.pdf

Climate change guide

The Commission guidance
document on climate change and
Natura 2000 has been finalised
and is available on: http://ec.
europa.eu/environment/nature/
climatechange/index_en.htm

Natura 2000 flags

DG eNV has produced a number
of large Natura 2000 flags (100
x 150 cm) to raise awareness for
Natura 2000. The flags have
been distributed to all LIFenature projects in Natura 2000
sites, and they are also available
to all stakeholders who are
interested in placing them in a
prominent location to draw
attention to Natura 2000. Send
your requests to: nature@ec.
europa.eu

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
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