Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process Continental, Pannonian ... · Kick-off Seminar Luxembourg, 29 June – 1 July 2015 Wetlands Working Group - Outcomes . Natura 2000 Biogeographical

Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process

Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic Region




Continental, Pannonian, Black Sea and Steppic

Kick-off Seminar

Luxembourg, 29 June – 1 July 2015

Wetlands Working Group - Outcomes



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)



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



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



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

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/FAQ-WFD final.pdf







Harmful subsidies Flexible, sustainable CAP


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



Science coordination and data sharing Common platform


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


driven by EC

As soon as possible

Online, physical meetings of the formal groups


driven by EC

As soon as possible



Hydromorphology, water quality and habitats Integration


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



IAS and restoration Guidance and best practice


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



Pollution Data sharing and inclusion


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



Improving management planning Integrative thinking


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



Limited integration of directives Integration and knowledge sharing


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



Pollution Involvement of farmers


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



CAP Information sharing


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



Climate change issues Exploration of integration


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



Main issues


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





Documents

Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process Continental, Pannonian ... · Kick-off Seminar Luxembourg, 29 June – 1 July 2015 Wetlands Working Group - Outcomes . Natura 2000 Biogeographical