European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity Biodiversity work in West Balkans countries under the IPA programme 2010-2011

European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/

Biodiversity work in

West Balkans countries

under the IPA programme 2010-2011

Dominique Richard

Manager of the ETC/BD


The work undertaken is a direct follow up of the work done as

part of the successive CARDS projects running during the

periods 2004-2006 (phase I of CARDS project) and 2007-

2008 (phase II of CARDS project),

Under these two periods six Western Balkan countries

(Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia Montenegro,

Serbia and ‘The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’

performed Phase I of the Emerald process, i.e the national

inventory of Emerald sites proposals to be further assessed

at biogeographical level (Phase II).


The « Emerald » process is framed by the Bern Convention on

the protection of wildlife and habitats (1979) which applies to

45 European countries and a few African countries

Recommendation 19 of the Convention advocates Contracting

Parties to take, either by legislation or otherwise, steps to

designate Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) to

ensure that necessary and appropriate conservation measures

are taken for each area situated within their territory or under

their responsibility


The Emerald process is a mirror initiative to the Natura 2000 process.

The Emerald process helps EU Accession and Candidate countries to get prepared for their future implementation of the Natura 2000 network

The Natura 2000 network is the EU contribution to the Emerald network (as EU is a Contracting Party to the Bern Convention)

European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity http://biodiversity.eionet.eu.int/

Phase I Phase II Phase III

Res. 4 habitats

&

Res. 6 species

National inventories of sitesmostly through Emerald Pilot projects

According to Rec. 16, par. 1

Bern Convention Recommendation 16, Res. 3 & 5

Proposed national ASCIs

= pASCIs

= Candidate sites

Assessment at biogeographic level

Species per Species, Habitat per Habitat

Formal recognition as

ASCIs

by GoEPAEN and then Bern

Standing Committee

Checking

procedure

National designation, implementation of management, reporting and monitoring measures

Other pASCIs to be proposed following the sufficiency assessment


11 biogeographic regions recognised by the Bern Convention Standing Committee (9 in the EU)


A preparatory Emerald biogeographic seminar for the West Balkans countries in Paris on January 2011

A full-scale biogeographic seminar in Bar, Montenegro on 2-4 November 2011


Attendance to the biogeographic seminar:

Representatives of Ministries of the environment from each country

An expert designated by each country

An NGO representative per country

A representative of European Habitat Forum

A representative of Birdlife International

A representative of European Land Owner association

Experts invited by the ETC/BD

Representative of the Council of Europe

Chair of the Bern Convention Standing Committee (chairing the meeting)

ETC/BD experts

Representative of the European Commission (Observer)


Number of sites, total area and % coverage for each of the six West Balkan countries involved in the first phase of the Emerald process under the CARDS projects:

Number of proposed Emerald sites and total area

Country Number Total AREA (ha)% country coverage

Albania 25 522429,54 18,2

Bosnia-Herzegovina

29 250455.00 4,9

Croatia 1132 4520442,53 44 *

FYR of Macedonia 35 754383.00 29,3

Montenegro 32 240077.10 17,1

Serbia 61 755883.91 8,6

* For Croatia, only the terrestrial area counted, without the marine part of the sites

Situation of Emerald sites proposals in January 2011


Code Meaning Action required

SUF Sufficient No further sites needed

IN MAJOR Insufficient major No sites proposed at present. A major effort to designate sites is needed.

IN MOD Insufficient moderateOne or a number of additional sites (or maybe extension to sites) required. IN MOD GEO means that additional site(s) are required in certain region to eliminate geographical gap.

IN MIN Insufficient minorNo additional sites required but habitat/species should be noted on sites already proposed for other habitats/species.

CD Correction of data Data needs to be corrected / completed / deleted.

Sci Res Scientific reserveA definite conclusion is not possible: need to investigate/clarify a scientific issue – interpretation of habitat, controversial presence of species, etc.

Conclusions and their abbreviations used for assessments of sufficiency of ASCIs proposals by countries during the bio-geographical seminars.


Example of preliminary assessments made by ETC/BD on sufficiency of Emerald sites proposals for habitat E3-4, per country and per biogeographic region


Example of preliminary assessments made by ETC/BD on sufficiency of Emerald sites proposals for the Brown Bear, per country and per biogeographic region



Overall 3 265 assessments were made during the three-days meeting!


Next steps for the countries:

- To complete/ check inconsistencies of the databases/

GIS layers

- To propose and document new sites for species and

habitats where there are major insuffiencies, in order to

further consolidate the Emerald network

- To submit these new sites as Candidate Emerald sites to

the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention


Possibly another

Biogeographic seminar in 2014

to assess progress ?


• The West Balkans Emerald process is framed by the Bern Convention, Resolution 16 under the responsibility of the Council of Europe

• The Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) budget, managed by the European Environment Agency (EEA), is used in the West Balkans countries to support the expansion of the EEA core set of environmental indicators


One of the EEA core set of indicators for biodiversity =

Progress in protected areas over time



Complementarity between designations?



Documents

European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity Biodiversity work in West Balkans countries under the IPA programme 2010-2011