ECNC

21 December - A new international body aimed at catalysing a global response to the loss of biodiversity and world’s economically-important forests, coral reefs and other ecosystems was born yesterday by governments at the United Nations 65th General Assembly (UNGA). It underlines a further success of the UN's International Year of Biodiversity and should provide a boost to the International Year of Forests which begins in January 2011, and the international decade of biodiversity, also beginning in January 2011.

The adoption, by the UNGA plenary, was the last approval needed for setting up an Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The independent platform will in many ways mirror the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which has assisted in catalysing worldwide understanding and governmental action on global warming. The new body will bridge the gulf between the wealth of scientific knowledge on the accelerating declines and degradation of the natural world, with knowledge on effective solutions and decisive government action required to reverse these damaging trends.

"IPBES represents a major breakthrough in terms of organizing a global response to the loss of living organisms and forests, freshwaters, coral reefs and other ecosystems that underpin all life - including economic life - on Earth," Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director said.

For more details, including the history of IPBES, please visit www.ipbes.net.

20 December - ECNC kicked off a new project: KNEU - Developing a Knowledge Network for EUropean expertise on biodiversity and ecosystem services to inform policy making economic sectors. The project, with 18 European partners, has the aim of developing a network approach to better access scientific and other knowledge on biodiversity in Europe in order to inform policy makers and other decision makers. It will function as a coordinating mechanism involving not only the partners in the project, but also the whole biodiversity knowledge community in Europe. For this, a prototype 'network of knowledge' will be developed and tested in different case studies. The work will include direct interaction with existing interfaces from the national to the international level. The project, which will run for 42 months, is funded under the 7th Framework Programme for EU research (FP7) which is the European Union’s main instrument for funding research in Europe.

It is anticipated that KNEU will be fully under way by January 2011.

Further information: Dr Lawrence Jones-Walters, Senior Programme Manager – Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure.

17 December - On 14 December 2010 the EU Belgium Presidency Conference ”Closing the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 – how to better communicate the socio-economic value of Biodiversity” took place in Bois du Cazier, Charleroi, Belgium. The one-day conference resulted in a strong appeal for further integrating and mainstreaming biodiversity in other EU policies, including EU’s 2020 Strategy, Common Agricultural Policy, and also in the operations of the corporate sector and the daily lives of people.

Potentials for practical integration of biodiversity in business operations were well illustrated by case studies from CBR HeidelbergCement, Delhaize, Infrabel, Natuurpunt, Comeos and Guides Office (Chaîne des Terrils). A speaker from UNESCO highlighted the importance of linking biological and cultural diversity in both policies and practical operations.

ECNC’s Executive Director Rob Wolters facilitated one conference session, a round table and a panel discussion with the audience. This part of the conference focused on future EU policy developments on biodiversity and socio-economic aspects. The results of the conference will be instrumental in the development of the EU’s Beyond 2010 Biodiversity Strategy and the implementation of other relevant policies.

For more information contact ECNC's Communication Officer Hanneke Wijnja at wijnja@ecnc.org.

24 November - On 11 and 12 November 2010 the annual European Seminar on the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The aim of the meeting was to bring together representatives of various stakeholder groups and national and international organizations throughout Europe to collect and exchange experience about functional agrobiodiversity.

The 44 participants, from 14 European countries, actively contributed to the workshop discussions, which focused on the following themes: ‘How to put the concept of FAB into practice: What works and what doesn’t?’; ‘Functioning of the network – the role of stakeholders and partners. How can you contribute?’; and ‘The economic and social aspects of the role of FAB for a more sustainable agriculture’. The outcome of the productive discussions will provide input into the planned handbook on FAB, which will help the stakeholders to strengthen the role of FAB in their operations and identify what is needed.

The conclusions of the seminar were presented by Dr Felix Wäckers, chairman of the ELN-FAB steering group, at the opening session of the conference ‘How can we green the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)? - A contribution to the dialogue based on the views from the New Member States and countries aspiring to EU membership’. This conference was held from 12-14 November 2010 in Bled, Slovenia, and organized by Avalon (http://www.avalon.nl).

The annual European Seminar on ELN-FAB was organized by ECNC in cooperation with DIVERSITAS and the European Environment Agency (EEA), and hosted by the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS).

The ELN-FAB project is currently financially supported by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), the Netherlands; Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Switzerland; Flemish Land Agency (VLM), Belgium; Ministry of Agriculture, Estonia; and the European Environment Agency (EEA). The further support of funders is being sought in order to expand the Network in the long term.

For more information, contact Veronika Mikos, Project Manager, or visit www.eln-fab.eu

Photo: One of the workshop discussion groups, ECNC ©

19 November - The ‘Rewilding Europe’ initiative was formally launched on 18 November 2010 in Brussels, in an event chaired by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. The initiative’s ambitious goal is to ‘rewild’ at least one million ha of abandoned agricultural land into wilderness by 2020. In order to kick off this process, five pilot projects have been identified: in the Eastern Carpathians, Southern Carpathians, Danube Delta, Velebit and Western Iberia.

The initiative aims to turn a problem (land abandonment and related socio-economic problems such as depopulation) into an opportunity that will also serve to revitalize local communities, for instance via wilderness-oriented tourism.

‘Rewilding Europe’ was initiated by WWF, Ark Foundation and Wild Wonders of Europe. Initial funding is provided by WWF NL, the Dutch Postcode Lottery, and Adessium Foundation. ECNC is a formal partner of the ‘Rewilding Europe’ initiative in two ways: via ECNC and via the ECNC-coordinated Large Herbivore Network.

For more information: Rob Wolters, Executive Director ECNC.

 

18 November - On the afternoon of Wednesday 17 November the main hall of the Province House in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, was transformed into a bustling Biodiversity Marketplace. The almost 400 participants were introduced to over 50 initiatives which demonstrate that biodiversity can provide solutions for many social issues. Numerous matches - agreements for future cooperation - were made between the participants.

The Marketplace was the crowning moment for activities undertaken in Brabant during the International Year of Biodiversity. The plenary session preceding the Marketplace emphasized the economic importance of biodiversity, as well as the not-to-be-underestimated value of biodiversity for human well-being. Following on from the observation that in addition to the current economic crisis we are also experiencing an underlying and more important biodiversity crisis, attention was drawn to the great importance of local initiatives as a response to these global issues. With its great variety of local projects, the Marketplace is proof that there is enough inspiration in society for us to make a start.

Organizations from Noord-Brabant as well as the rest of the Netherlands presented their successful and inspiring projects in which biodiversity is related to: education; education and childcare; health care; citizen participation; leisure; living and working environment; agriculture; nutrition; and sustainable development.

There was brisk trading in knowledge and ideas at the Marketplace. There was also considerable networking with a view to future cooperation and joint project development. Match after match was recorded, each one rewarded with a wuppie; at the end of the one-and-a-half-hour Marketplace, wuppies could be seen adorning numerous shoulders. When the final gong sounded to announce the end of the Marketplace, no fewer than 176 matches had been made!

A random selection from the matches shows that Het Groene Woud Rund and HAS Den Bosch made a match on introducing organic products from Het Groene Woud Rund into the HAS canteen. The Vlinderstichting and Hoveniersbedrijf Green Fingers made a match for cooperation in gardens and green roofs, and Ecodorp Brabant and the Municipality of Veghel made a match concerning a possible location for the Ecodorp Brabant in the Veghels Buiten project. The day after the Marketplace, these two parties contacted each other to arrange a follow-up meeting.

Descriptions of all the projects presented at the Marketplace can be found in the programme booklet (in Dutch) that was created specially for this event. A detailed summary of the results will soon be available at www.biodiversiteitbrabant.nl/beursvloer.

The Marketplace was also an opportunity to present the first results of the NME programme 'Brabant Pearls of Biodiversity'. Six new partnerships aimed at the broader application of knowledge on nature and environmental education and its dissemination to other sectors were presented in a light-hearted fashion. Master chef Albert Kooy then gave a special presentation on sustainable Dutch cuisine of the future.

The Marketplace was organized by ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, in cooperation with the Province of Noord-Brabant and IVN Consulentschap Brabant.

For more information, contact Mark Snethlage.

Photo: The Biodiversity Marketplace, ECNC ©

26 October - At the beginning of 2010, the European Commission outlined the policy options for the EU post-2010 actions on biodiversity, and set a new target for the protection of biodiversity by 2020. To allow for the better measurement of achievements, the Commission considered the establishment of a reliable biodiversity baseline to be a key priority. Following this, the European Environment Agency (EEA) together with its European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC/BD) prepared the first EU Biodiversity Baseline. The Baseline has just been published and a full version of the document may be downloaded from http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eu-2010-biodiversity-baseline/eu-2010-biodiversity-baseline. As one of the consortium partners of the Topic Centre, ECNC had a significant involvement in the drafting process.

The Baseline is considered to be a high policy priority and it will support the Commission's presentation of a new EU Biodiversity Strategy at the end of the year; it will act as one of the basic references for setting robust, well argued and reliable post-2010 biodiversity sub-targets. The work will also support the international negotiations on a new global post-2010 biodiversity vision and targets to emerge from the CBD-COP 10 in October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. It will provide facts and figures on the state and trends of the different biodiversity and ecosystem components, allowing further measuring and monitoring of progress in the EU from 2011 to 2020.

No new collection of data was done for this work; rather it is based on existing information compiled from Article 17 reporting, the EU Red List of species, SEBI2010 indicators and report, the update of CORINE Land Cover 2006 and from various research projects.

For more information: Amor Torre-Marín or Dr Lawrence Jones-Walters.

15 October - The European Green Belt initiative aims to create the backbone of an ecological network that runs from the Barents to the Black Sea, spanning some of the most important habitats for biodiversity and almost all distinct biogeographical regions in Europe. ECNC participated in the 4th European Green Belt Conference, held in Kuhmo, Finland on 6 October 2010.

The conference was attended by a range of stakeholders, including the Regional Coordinators and Focal Points for the European Green Belt, as well as those involved with European Green Belt projects on the ground, both research and applied. The conference’s main objective was to share information on achievements and best practices, and to encourage discussion about new opportunities and desirable next steps. Ms Ayşegül Çil, Programme Manager - Nature and Society, presented ECNC’s work related to ecological networks at the pan-European scale and its relevant project experience. The conference also discussed success stories and successful project implementation around Europe, and looked forward to future steps and the further development of the Green Belt.

More information can found at http://europeangreenbelt.org

Photo: The conference participants, ECNC ©

 

6 October - During the EuroBirdwatch event on 2 and 3 October 2010, ECNC staff monitored bird migration at nature reserve the Regte Heide, just outside Tilburg (the seat of ECNC’s headquarters). Over the two-day period they counted 2,307 individual birds belonging to 48 species. The most common migrants during the weekend at the Regte Heide were: Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs): 935; Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos): 274; Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus): 204; Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis): 145; and Starling (Sturnus vulgaris): 112. During EuroBirdwatch 2010, 2,731,155 birds were counted throughout Europe.

Monitoring bird populations provides useful information about the state of biodiversity and helps develop effective conservation measures. The life cycle of migratory birds provides a great means to tell the story of biodiversity to a wide audience and captivate the public for nature conservation. EuroBirdwatch serves both the need for monitoring biodiversity and raising awareness about the need for its conservation.

A photo of ECNC staff with a poster calling for more passion in biodiversity conservation will be part of a slide show presented to world leaders during the 10th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10), which takes place in Nagoya (Japan) from 18 to 29 October 2010.

 

4 October - ECNC is organizing a side event on the project Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) in the Western Balkans to be held during the CEPA Fair at the COP-10 meeting from 18-29th October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. The project is considered a strategic tool of the CBD and a best practice in Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA).

The CEPA Fair provides a unique opportunity to highlight ECNC’s work and its contribution to the implementation of the CBD. The event is presented by Ms Aysegül Cil, on Thursday 21 October 10:15 pm - 11:30 pm at the CEPA Fair, First Floor, Building 2 Room 216 A of the Nagoya Congress Center.

Read more here: http://www.cbd.int/cepa/fair/?thu21#thu21.

 

1 October - This month, ECNC, together with six project partners, is starting a new project to transfer existing biodiversity training approaches and make them available to a larger audience. ‘Skills for local biodiversity’ aims to pool and disseminate the innovative approaches that have been developed at regional level, to increase the professional skills of civil servants in integrating biodiversity into sectoral policies, plans and actions. Existing best practices and materials regarding biodiversity training will be inventoried and provide the elements to develop a training method that will be tested and applied in the five project countries: Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

The project is financed through the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme “Leonardo da Vinci” under the Transfer of Innovation strand.

For more information please contact the project manager Mark Snethlage.

 

29 September - On 20 and 21 September 2010 two Board meetings were held; one for ECNC and a joined ECNC Group Board meeting, consisting of the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC), Centro Mediterráneo EUCC and ECNC. The meetings were chaired by Sir Brian Unwin.

The Boards took note of the developments within the ECNC Group, reflected on the ECNC Group Midterm Strategy, and discussed the criteria for expanding the Group, where appropriate. The important position of the Regional Offices in Barcelona (Centro Mediterráneo) and Zagreb in promoting and implementing the ECNC Group’s mission was again highlighted. The Board welcomed the establishment of the European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) as the formal umbrella for the ECNC Group. The secretariat for the EEIG will be based in Barcelona.

The meetings were held in the Natural History Museum in London, one of ECNC’s oldest Network partners. The Board members visited the Museum’s impressive Darwin Centre, which visualizes in an attractive way the wide range of the scientific work of the Museum and its many collections.

Photo: Board members visiting the Natural History Museum, ECNC ©

 

23 September - The arrival of wilderness as a policy issue, following the passing of a European Parliament resolution in 2009, has increased the profile of the issue and provided a challenge for policy-makers and practitioners. There is a need for a policy relevant definition that can guide decision-making in relation to the protection and management of wilderness areas, including their exploitation for economic benefit, and for information and data about the extent of existing wilderness and wild areas and the opportunities for its recreation. The scale of the challenge requires a high level of aspiration and any efforts will require the coordination of policy and implementation well beyond the borders of Europe itself.

The full article, written by ECNC's Lawrence Jones-Walters and Kristijan Čivić, is available on the ECNC website. It can also be purchased on the Journal for Nature Conservation website. 'Wilderness and biodiversity' will be published in the next edition of the Journal, Volume 18, Issue 4, December 2010.

 

1 September - On 25 and 26 August 2010 the ’Seminar on the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) in the Baltic Sea Region’ was held in Rakvere, Estonia. The event was co-organized by the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Centre (Estonia) and ECNC (host of the ELN-FAB Secretariat).

Understanding the relations between biodiversity and sustainable agricultural production and translating such knowledge into management practices that can be applied at the scale of farms and landscapes is of key importance for a robust and environmentally friendly agriculture in Europe. In this context, the concept of Functional AgroBiodiversity (FAB) has recently been introduced. The seminar gave insight to the concept of FAB and the benefits it can provide for a more sustainable agriculture.

The 59 participants, from 11 European countries, represented the three main stakeholder groups of the Network: farmers, policymakers and scientists. The facilitated workshop focused on the themes ‘What are the main barriers to deliver FAB in the Baltic Sea region?’ and ’What do we expect from, or what could be done by politicians / scientists / farmers?’. The outcome of the productive discussions will provide input into the planned handbook on FAB which will help the stakeholders to strengthen the role of FAB in their operations and identify what is needed.

The ELN-FAB project is currently financially supported by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), the Netherlands; Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Switzerland; Flemish Land Agency (VLM), Belgium; Ministry of Agriculture, Estonia; and the European Environment Agency (EEA). The further support of funders is being sought in order to expand the Network in the long term.

For more information visit: http://pmk.agri.ee/pkt/fabseminar and http://www.eln-fab.eu/ or contact Veronika Mikos.

Photo: The participants of the workshop enjoyed an Estonian evening.

 

23 August - Species and ecosystems form the cornerstone of most biodiversity policies and legislation and they are the visible component of the concept ‘biodiversity’. Europe has a large diversity in species and ecosystems.

The new ECNC programme ‘Ecosystem and Species Management’ includes aspects ranging from integrating biodiversity conservation practices into multifunctional land use to processes supporting wilderness in Europe, and the role that species play at the landscape scale.

On 1 July 2010 the Large Herbivore Foundation (LHF) joined the Biodiversity and Nature Unit of the ECNC Group. LHF’s legacy will be carried forward in the form of the Large Herbivores Eurasian Support Network. This Network bundles specific expertise on all large herbivores in Eurasia and their relationship with ecosystems.

The Large Herbivores Eurasian Support Network envisages a Eurasian continent where people enjoy the benefits of ecosystems and landscapes that are inhabited by viable populations of all large herbivores in the region, living in the wild.

The first focus of the work for the new programme will be:

• to strengthen the Large Herbivores Eurasian Support Network, while (further) developing partnerships with the most important organizations and experts in the field of large herbivore conservation across Eurasia, and mobilising ‘herbivore ambassadors’;
• with help of the interactive, open source website (www.largeherbivore.org), to create the best available source of information on large herbivore species in Eurasia matched with particularly important ‘hot spots’ and ‘nature development areas’;
• identify priority projects in the field of large herbivores, ecosystems and their functioning;
• develop and implement a sound communication strategy to influence key audiences, strengthen the policy developments, and to improve the management situations on the ground.

For more information about the Ecosystem and Species Management programme, please contact Hans Kampf.

 

28 July - On 23 July 2010 ECNC’s President Sir Brian Unwin delivered a speech at the headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London. The speech was given as part of a series of breakfast meetings arranged by EBRD Vice-President Brigita Schmögnerová for senior staff concerned with environmental and sustainability policy. The purpose of these meetings is to enable EBRD staff, as Mrs Schmögnerová put it, ‘to get valuable information from distinguished speakers and to interact with them and among themselves’.

Sir Brian’s speech was entitled ‘Is it too late for biodiversity?’ He addressed the clear lack of political force and practical governmental and business commitment to halt the decline of biodiversity, globally and in Europe. He demonstrated that, despite 2010 being proclaimed the UN International Year of Biodiversity, most governments are cutting down on staff and budgets in a dramatic way. However, he also referred to a number of promising developments, such as the establishment of the EU Platform on Business and Biodiversity, initiated by the European Union and its Commission. ECNC is part of the consortium which is in charge of the establishment and functioning of the Platform.

Sir Brian suggested that biodiversity should be a vital element in developing green and bio-based economies, and thus should become mainstreamed in the policies and decisions of the economic and financial sectors.

The talk generated a lively discussion. Mrs Schmögnerová closed the meeting by stating that it had raised a number of important ideas which were highly relevant to the investment decisions of EBRD and other international financial institutions.

 

23 July - As from July 2010, the Large Herbivore Foundation (LHF) no longer exists as an independent foundation and has joined ECNC. By integrating its work in a strong and well-known institution, the cause of LHF, to strengthen the role of large herbivores in ecosystem management and improve the status of ‘forgotten species’ across Eurasia, will be significantly enhanced. LHF’s Network has been converted into the independently functioning ‘Large Herbivores Eurasian Support Network’, for which ECNC will provide the secretariat.

LHF’s Chairman – Magnus Sylvén – has joined the ECNC Board and Hartmut Jungius – Chairman of LHF’s Advisory Council – has become a member of ECNC’s Scientific Council. With this new arrangement the mission of LHF operates in a more powerful institutional framework than in the past, which will give a much stronger position and enhanced possibilities to further and implement LHF’s mission. 

For more information, please contact Hans Kampf.

Photo: Rob Wolters (l), Executive Director ECNC and Hans Kampf (r), Director of the Large Herbivores Eurasian Support Network signing the memorandum of cooperation.

 

21 July - During the past two decades several projects and programmes have addressed the status and conservation of the Brown bear population in the Republic of Macedonia, led by the Macedonian Ecological Society in cooperation with other international organizations from the region and beyond. The result has been the availability of more reliable data on the present status of the Brown bear population that will allow preparation of ground for the effective conservation and management of the species in the future.

The recently published project report ‘Population status of the Brown bear (Ursus arctos) in the Republic of Macedonia’ compiles all reliable data on the status, ecology and biology of the Brown bear in Macedonia in order to allow the identification of any gaps in the current knowledge about the Brown bear population. In addition, it provides a concise and up-to-date summary of the reliable and available information that can provide a platform for the implementation of the appropriate conservation measures for the species. It was produced as one of the key deliverables of the  “Development of the National Ecological network in the republic of Macedonia (MAK-NEN) project, funded by the BBI Matra fund of the of the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and food Quality.

For more information please contact Kristijan Čivić.

 

16 July - Given the scale, scope and ambition of the Natura 2000 Network, conflicts are to be expected in its establishment and management. However, addressed in a proactive way, conflict can be managed or resolved in most cases. The challenge is how to deal effectively with ‘on-site’ conflict situations when they arise.

The project ‘Dealing with conflicts in the implementation and management of the Natura 2000 Network - best practices at the local / site level’ was commissioned by DG Environment in January 2009 and completed in June 2010. The aim of the project was to promote best practices for achieving a good balance between potentially conflicting interests related to the use and management of Natura 2000 sites, and ensuring the engagement of different groups of stakeholders (including the public) in the protection and proper management of the sites and their ecological values. Specific objectives of the project were to: a) assess causes of conflicts surrounding the management and use of Natura 2000 sites; b) identify and review examples of best practices; and c) formulate practical recommendations to avoid and resolve conflicts.

A Europe-wide review and five country studies were carried out to assess primary sources of conflict and the strategies that had been developed to resolve them. Also, 24 case studies of best practice from 12 countries regarding conflict resolution at site level were collected, described and analysed. In addition, one European and three regional workshops were organized, attended by 133 participants from different groups of landowners and land users (economic sectors, NGOs, protected area administrations), to discuss their views on and experiences in the management of Natura 2000 areas.

Understanding the mechanisms of and reasons for conflict is essential to finding workable solutions and developing sustainable management practices. Left unaddressed or ignored, conflict can potentially become a major threat that can prevent Natura 2000 objectives from being reached, be they at site, national or European level. The following three project reports should be helpful, especially if you are affected by a conflict situation related to the management of Natura 2000 sites.

1. Current practices in solving multiple use issues of Natura 2000 sites: Conflict management strategies and participatory approaches;
2. A review of 24 best practice case studies;
3. Summary Workshop Report, outlining the results of the European and three regional workshops.

You can download the three reports at the bottom of this page. The project was led by Alterra (Wageningen University & Research Centre) in partnership with Eurosite and ECNC.

For more information, please contact Aysegül Çil.

 

15 July - From 5 until 7 July 2010 the historical city of Gabala, Azerbaijan, played host to a high-level conference on biodiversity and attracted more than one hundred representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, scientific institutions and the private sector.

Organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Azerbaijan, the conference marked the International Year of Biodiversity and the Azerbaijan Year of the Environment. The Gabala Conference objective was the preparation of pan-European contributions to the Summit on the Millennium Development Goals during the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly to be held from 20-22 September 2010 in New York.

Prior to the conference there was a two-day expert workshop facilitated by ECNC staff, as a part of ECNC's support to the implementation of the pan European targets. The main aims of the workshop were to

• outline the key policy requirements of a national biodiversity strategy through presentations and case studies on protected areas, ecological connectivity, species protection, links to international legislation and practice, etc.
• increase understanding of the contribution biodiversity can make to the green economy with case studies on ecosystem services, pro-biodiversity business, eco-tourism, product diversification, branding;
• review, identify and prioritize a potential list of positive actions for biodiversity at country and regional level;
• to establish an active network of regional biodiversity experts and to identify key focal points in each country who can act as contacts for communicating information and knowledge and stimulating action in relation to international biodiversity priorities.

One of the things to come out of the expert workshop was the following vision, which was included in the 'Gabala Declaration' and formed a part of the report from the expert workshop to the high-level conference, also prepared and delivered by ECNC staff:

“…. to ensure the long term conservation of the richness of biodiversity and functional ecosystems for human wellbeing in the pan European region, the following key actions are necessary and urgent:

1. Ensure high priority is given to biodiversity on the pan European political agenda taking into account the post 2010 CBD target;
2. Ensure viability of ecosystem services and the sustainable use of nature;
3. Utilize existing and develop new mechanisms and incentives to support the responsible use of biodiversity by business;
4. Increase involvement and collaboration of stakeholders by integration of biodiversity concerns in land management and all sectors of the economy;
5. Initiate action of all key stakeholders from relevant sectors to establish a green economy preserving the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystems;
6. Build and maintain coherent, national and cross boundary ecological networks as well as other green infrastructures;
7. Include studies on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the curriculum for education;
8. Increase public awareness of, emotional involvement in, and access to, the experience of nature;
9. Target financial and human resources on biodiversity priorities and manage them to maximize efficiency and effectiveness;
10. Ensure capacity building and technical assistance for the sectors and stakeholders involved in biodiversity conservation and management;
11. Support research and monitoring that is targeted at pan European and national priorities."

For more information contact Kristijan Civic or Lawrence Jones-Walters, or read the UNEP media release. Please find the complete Declaration here: http://www.unep.ch/roe/Azerbaijan_biodiv_conf_july2010.htm.

Image courtesy of Lawrence Jones-Walters.

 

13 July - On 28 June 2010, the Ministerial Conference ‘Biodiversity conservation in the Balkans with sustainable development principles and in climate change conditions’ took place in the Mavrovo area, FYR Macedonia. The conference brought together ministers and other high-level representatives from the wider Balkan region and surrounding regions, as well as NGOs, scientific institutions and intergovernmental organizations. ECNC’s Executive Director Rob Wolters delivered a keynote speech on the efficiency of Balkan-wide biodiversity cooperation, in particular via ecological networks. The Ministerial Conference resulted in the ‘Declaration for joint regional action for biodiversity conservation in the Balkan and neighbouring regions’. The Declaration calls for, among others, the establishment of a coherent Balkan-wide ecological network, with protected areas at its core.

ECNC will assist in the further development and implementation of the agreed actions, in particular the Balkan ecological network.

For more information you can contact Rob Wolters.

 

15 June - History was made the 11th of June in the South Korean port city of Busan, when governments gave the green light to an Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The independent platform will in many ways mirror the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which has assisted in catalyzing world-wide understanding and governmental action on global warming.

The new body will bridge the gulf between the wealth of scientific knowledge - documenting accelerating declines and degradation of the natural world - and the decisive government action required to reverse these damaging trends. Its various roles will include carrying out high quality peer reviews of the wealth of science on biodiversity and ecosystem services emerging from research institutes across the globe in order to provide ‘gold standard’ reports to governments. These reports will not only cover the state, status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystems, but outline transformational policy options and responses to bring about real change in their fortunes. An IPBES will achieve this in part by prioritizing, making sense of and bringing consistency to the welter of reports and assessments conducted by United Nations bodies; research centres, universities and others as they relate to biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) which has coordinated this week’s meeting, said: “The dream of many scientists in both developed and developing countries has been made reality. Indeed, IPBES represents a major breakthrough in terms of organizing a global response to the loss of living organisms and forests, freshwaters, coral reefs and other ecosystems that generate multi-trillion dollar services that underpin all life—including economic life—on Earth”.

“It is also an important day for multilateralism in this, the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity. There remained disagreements between governments as they entered this week’s third and final meeting. These centred on financing for the platform up to its scope and role in building scientific assessment capacity in developing economies,” he added.

Read the full article.

 

8 June - This year, Green Week, the largest annual conference on European environment policy, turned the spotlight on biodiversity. There were over 30 sessions at the conference, held from 1 to 4 June in Brussels, addressing the state of biodiversity and nature in Europe and the world.

During the event the website of the EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform was officially launched; it can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biodiversity/business/index_en.html

The website displays general information about the programme as well as sections focused on the identified priority sectors (agriculture, food supply chain, forestry, extractive industry, financial sector and tourism).

Becoming involved with the Platform is an opportunity for businesses to:

• gain access to the sectoral best practices for biodiversity conservation;
• contribute to the development of guidance documents;
• recognize outstanding contributions to biodiversity conservation through the award system.

ECNC is a project partner in the Business @ Biodiversity Platform, with particular input for the sectors of agriculture and finance. The Business @ Biodiversity Platform is funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General Environment.

For more information, please contact the project coordinator Ben Delbaere.

Image: Logo EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform

 

4 June - EU farmers and policymakers increasingly acknowledge that biodiversity and agricultural production need not necessarily be in conflict, but can potentially strengthen each other, as experience has already shown. In this context, the ’Seminar on European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) in Baltic Sea Region’ will be held in Rakvere in northern Estonia on 25-26 August 2010. The event is being jointly organized by the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Centre (Estonia) and ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation (host of the ELN-FAB Secretariat).

Understanding the relations between biodiversity and sustainable agricultural production and translating such knowledge into management practices that can be applied at the scale of farms and landscapes is of key importance for a robust and environmentally friendly agriculture in Europe. In this context, the concept of Functional AgroBiodiversity (FAB) has recently been introduced. This seminar introduces the concept of FAB and the benefits it can provide for a more sustainable agriculture.

Please find the invitation, programme and registration form here. You are kindly asked to send the completed registration form by email to fabseminar@pmk.agri.ee. Registration closes on 15 July! For organizational reasons, we ask you to express your interest in participating as early as possible. Your registration will be confirmed after the registration deadline. All relevant information (regularly updated) is also available at: http://pmk.agri.ee/pkt/fabseminar.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Iiri Selge by email at fabseminar@pmk.agri.ee or phone + 372 53 021 925. Please forward this information to your colleagues or interested persons.

 

26 May - The project team and steering group of the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) held its first meeting on 4 May 2010 to discuss the progress made so far this year and the future of the initiative. One of the key issues discussed was the organization of the annual ELN-FAB European Seminar later this year. Next to that, the participants exchanged information on processes, publications and meetings of relevance to ELN-FAB, and also discussed what kind of approach the Network should take to be balanced between different stakeholder groups. A brochure on the concept of functional agrobiodiversity was discussed and is now online: Functional AgroBiodiversity: for a more sustainable agriculture and countryside in Europe (scroll down). This brochure will be disseminated at the Green Week 2010 event (1–4 June 2010, Brussels).

The ELN-FAB project aims to provide a platform and facility for exchange of knowledge and practical experiences between farmers, policymakers and scientists to enable fast and effective implementation of best practices in order to help to optimize agrobiodiversity benefits and promote sustainable agriculture. ELN-FAB focuses on the 27 Member States of the EU, plus Norway and Switzerland.

The meeting was hosted by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in Copenhagen. Fields of cooperation between ELN-FAB and the EEA were identified during the meeting.

The ELN-FAB project is currently financially supported by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), the Netherlands; Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Switzerland; Flemish Land Agency (VLM), Belgium; Ministry of Agriculture, Estonia; and the European Environment Agency (EEA). The further support of funders is being sought in order to expand the Network in the long term.

For more information: Veronika Mikos, Project Manager.

 

10 & 11 May – The Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) and ECNC organized the Second National Workshop on Ecological Networks, held near Kicevo in Macedonia. The workshop was opened by Mr Filip Ivanov, Director of the Administration of Environment of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, demonstrating the Ministry’s support to and interest in the MAK-NEN project. In addition to the representatives of the Ministry, the workshop was attended by more than 20 participants, representing all relevant stakeholder groups involved in the process of implementing the National Ecological Network (NGOs, scientists, forestry, agriculture, rural development, etc.).

The workshop was a first step in the consultation process for the map of the National Ecological Network. Professor Ljupcho Melovski, President of MES, presented the first draft of the map, which shows the core areas, corridors and areas that may pose potential challenges and threats to the connectivity and coherence of the network. The participants had an opportunity to comment on the map and contribute to its further development and improvement, bringing in the views of the various sectors they represented. The results of the workshop will feed into the process of developing the map further.

Besides the map, the Project Team presented the communication activities of the project, including the five sectoral leaflets for forestry, agriculture, transport, energy and water management. These leaflets explain the issues and opportunities for each of these sectors in relation to the ecological network’s implementation. The awareness-raising pilot project for kindergarten children was also presented, for which a picture book, Brave Little Bear, has been published.

The workshop was also used as an opportunity to generate ideas for the preparation of the Bear Corridor Management Plan, which is the next important step on the way towards the implementation of the ecological network in Macedonia and an important milestone of the MAK-NEN project.

For more information please contact Lawrence Jones-Walter or Kristijan Civiç.

 

4-6 May - Some 50 representatives of 9 municipalities of 6 countries in the Western Balkans have received further training in skills to develop Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs). This was achieved during a region-wide training workshop of the ECNC-led project ‘Biodiversity and ecosystem services for local sustainable development in the Western Balkans’ (SEE-BAP) held in Budva, Montenegro. The seminar was organized by ECNC together with its partner, REC-Regional Environmental Center.

Following visits to the partner municipalities in September 2009, the process of developing LBAPs has been initiated as part of the SEE-BAP project. Two training workshops were held in Kolašin, Montenegro, on 26 and 27 October 2009 and in Struga, FYR Macedonia, on 29 and 30 October 2009. The specific aims of the training workshops were to increase local knowledge about sustainable economic development opportunities through the benefits of biodiversity and ecosystem services and to increase interest, awareness and capacity regarding biodiversity and sustainable development.

The region-wide training workshop in Montenegro brought together all participating municipalities and trained local representatives in the practical development of LBAPs, in a step-by-step, interactive process involving all relevant local stakeholders. All participating municipalities committed themselves to trying to have local biodiversity action plans ready by the end of 2010.

During the workshop an LBAP handbook for the Western Balkans was presented. This handbook guides the reader through a number of stages that are needed to explore the many functions, goods and services that biodiversity provides and explains how to set up an action plan. It stimulates the involvement of local community vision and promotes sustainable business opportunities that are provided by working with biodiversity. A first copy of the handbook was handed over to Ms Anu Rämä, First Secretary, and representative of the organization funding the SEE-BAP project, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

On 6 May 2010 the second SEE-BAP Steering Committee meeting took place, bringing together representatives of governments and ministries of the participating Balkan countries, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, two Finnish experts, and members of the ECNC-REC project team. The Steering Committee welcomed the progress made in the implementation of the project, and provided advice for future priorities.

For more information: Ms Aysegul Cil or Mr Rob Wolters.

Photo: Participants in Montenegro, ECNC ©

 

29 April - At the beginning of this year, the European Commission outlined the policy options for the EU action on biodiversity after 2010 and set a new target for the protection of biodiversity by 2020. To allow for a better measuring of achievements, the Commission considered the establishment of a reliable biodiversity baseline to be a key priority. Following that, the EEA is preparing the first EU Biodiversity Baseline based on a set of European indicators, together with data gathered from the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives; this will be completed by June. The baseline will support the Commission's presentation of a new EU Biodiversity Strategy at the end of the year.

The EU Biodiversity Baseline is considered a high policy priority aiming to provide: i) facts and figures on the state and trends of the different biodiversity and ecosystem components, and ii) the arguments and a rationale why biodiversity is important and why it is urgent to act.

The EEA is preparing the baseline together with its European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, and ECNC is involved as being a consortium partner of the Topic Centre. The work will also support the international negotiations on a new global post-2010 biodiversity vision and targets to emerge from the CBD-COP 10 to be held in October in Nagoya.

Parallel to these policy developments the EU biodiversity baseline is being prepared using readily available data and information on species, habitats and ecosystems. No new collection of data was done, the entire exercise was based on quality checked elements from processes that have been under way for several years, namely the SEBI 2010 indicators and report, the 2006 CORINE Land Cover update, data gathered from the implementation of the Habitats Directive (Article 17 reporting) and from the Biodiversity Action Plan Assessment, as major sources.

The material compiled for establishing the EU biodiversity baseline will be presented at the opening session of the forthcoming Green Week on the 1st of June 2010.

For more information, please contact Amor Torre-Marin.

 

14 April - Over 80 participants attended the symposium ‘Climate change and biodiversity: multifunctional land use helps nature and entrepreneurs in Brabant’. The symposium, organized by ECNC, took place in Schaijk, the Netherlands, and focused on the Dutch region of Noord-Brabant.

The symposium reviewed and discussed the consequences of climate change on agriculture and biodiversity and ways in which multifunctional land use could assist in adapting to climate change. Researchers from Wageningen University provided an overview of the current situation and future scenarios. Representatives from regional and local authorities, the biodiversity sector, the leisure sector and the agricultural sector, subregional authorities, and expertise and research institutions discussed the possibilities of using multifunctional land use as a practical adaptation strategy for climate change impacts, focusing on agriculture and biodiversity. Both the threats and opportunities of climate change were addressed. The meeting also discussed a number of possible pilot projects in the region of Noord-Brabant. In particular, Groene Woud and de Maashorst were mentioned as suitable areas for developing tailor-made pilot projects together with local stakeholders.

The meeting was a joint initiative of the Steering Committee for Agricultural Innovation (LIB) and the Province of Noord-Brabant. The meeting was chaired by Dr Frank Petter, chairman of the Brabant Task Force on Biodiversity and Mayor of Woudrichem. The results of the conference will be discussed by the Steering Committee.

For more information: Peter von Meijenfeldt, Brabant-Europe Manager.

 

9 April - The Dutch Government, the Province of Noord-Brabant and 15 Brabant municipalities agreed on 2.7 million euros for a regionally coordinated education programme ‘Brabant pearls of biodiversity’. Mayor Frank Petter (Municipality of Woudrichem, the Netherlands) signed this agreement in his capacity as chair of the Brabant Taskforce on Biodiversity. In the coming years the programme will strongly focus efforts on education for biodiversity. The municipalities, together with the Province of Noord-Brabant, water boards and nature and environmental organizations, are providing 1.8 million euros. Marieke van der Werf, manager of the national programme for Nature and Environmental Education (NME) signed the agreement on behalf of the Dutch Government, adding another 900,000 euros.

During 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, many parties in Brabant are cooperating to increase the number of activities for biodiversity in the Province. In recent months, a unique cooperation has arisen between municipalities, schools, green education, after-school care, nature and environmental organizations, agricultural organizations, etc., to jointly focus on education for biodiversity. More than 50 organizations have developed the NME arrangement ‘Brabant pearls of biodiversity’. According to these organizations, passing on insights, knowledge and experience about our natural heritage is the most important means to structurally involve society in actions for biodiversity.

A survey showed that there are about 100 ongoing initiatives in the Province of Noord-Brabant. Many are developed out of pure enthusiasm, but put into practice in only one municipality or only for a short period of time. The ambitious arrangement ‘Brabant pearls of biodiversity’ seeks cross-pollination, scaling-up and continuation of all these initiatives. Already 44 initiatives have been selected for embedding in one of the six packages in the arrangement, viz.:

1. Secondary and vocational schools in action for biodiversity
2. Nature and environmental education for primary education
3. After-school care and biodiversity
4. Biodiversity in the refrigerator (relationship agriculture - nutrition – biodiversity)
5. Recreation, landscape and biodiversity
6. Citizens and biodiversity

The arrangement ‘Brabant pearls of biodiversity’ is coordinated by ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation and the IVN Association for Environmental Education (Brabant branch).

For more information, please contact Ben Delbaere.

Photo: Marieke van der Werf, Wim Ruis (IVN), Ben Delbaere (ECNC) and mayor Frank Petter, ECNC ©

 

19 March - Over 60 Natura 2000 stakeholders from northwestern Europe discussed questions about the reasons for conflict arising in the management of the Natura 2000 sites and how to solve them. This was part of a workshop organized by ECNC at the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences in Brussels on 17 March 2010. It was the third regional workshop organized in the framework of the project ‘Conflict Management in the Natura 2000 Network’ carried out by Alterra, Eurosite and ECNC on behalf of the European Commission, DG Environment. Earlier regional workshops took place in Szentendre (Hungary) and in Barcelona (by kind invitation of Obra Social Caixa Catalunuya).

During the introductory morning session the preliminary project results (from the desk study and the description of case studies) were presented. After an introduction by François Kremer of the European Commission, DG Environment, two invited keynote speakers, Mrs Lucile Rambaud, Head of Natura 2000 at the French Ministry for the Environment, and Mr Ignace Schops, Director of the Belgian Regional Landscape Kempen and Maasland, shared their experience with dealing with conflicts from the governmental and NGO perspective, respectively.

During facilitated sessions in the afternoon, participants shared their knowledge and experience regarding the avoidance, management and resolution of conflicts in and around Natura 2000 areas. The participants included local, regional, national and European level representatives of stakeholder groups (farmers, foresters, hunters, wind-farm developers, miners, etc.), policymakers and site managers. This mix of participants led to lively discussions and interesting and useful insights, key messages and recommendations.

The key role of human use in the sustainable management of protected areas, including Natura 2000 sites, was stressed by the majority of participants. In order to create the necessary support and endorsement of the Natura 2000 areas by the owners, users and other stakeholders, more effort had to be invested in clearly formulated and communicated guidelines and objectives, participative and inclusive ways to develop the management plans, clear and easy ways to obtain financial support and compensation. Because the Natura 2000 network was still widely perceived as imposing restrictions, special efforts had to be made to communicate and show the opportunities for regional sustainable development offered by Natura 2000 areas. Showcasing the many successful examples of best practice was shown to be a key. But in spite of all good intentions and efforts put into communication, financial support, etc., one had to admit and accept that humans have an innate opposition to change, which was often expressed as fear. To be successful, the Natura 2000 designation and management processes should be given the time and resources they need and stakeholders should be involved as early as possible to avoid or prevent conflict.

Preliminary results can be found on the project information page. For more information, please contact Ms Aysegul Cil.

Photo: Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences in Brussels.

8 March - Last week, an update of the Scenar 2020 study was officially published by the European Commission. The objective of this Scenar 2020-II study was to refine and improve the identification of major future trends and driving factors – and the perspectives and challenges resulting from them – provided by the initial Scenar 2020 study (December 2006) on the future of European agriculture and the rural world. In this respect the study does not aim at evaluating the impact of potential policy changes but to compare how the agricultural sector might evolve under different, and somewhat extreme, pathways which, to a large, although not full extent, follow the assumptions of the first study.

The study was carried out by ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, Landbouw-Economisch Instituut (LEI) and Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung e.V. (ZALF). ECNC coordinated the project and edited the final report. For more information, you can contact the project coordinator, Vineta Goba.

 

23 February – As a part of the agreed ‘Public Relations and Communication Strategy’ of the MAK-NEN project, the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) and ECNC have published a leaflet: ‘The Implementation of Ecological Networks through the Involvement of Relevant Sectors’. The leaflet is primarily targeted at the sectors involved in the practical delivery of ecological networks, but also at the wider public as part of a wider information campaign.

It promotes the concept of wildlife corridors and connectivity and the role of different sectors in relation to their preservation, management and creation. Based on the main outcomes of the first half of the project, the concept is visualized through a concrete example of an ecological network in western Macedonia: the Ilinska and Plakenska Mountains region.

Ilinska, Plakenska and Bigla Mountains are situated between the Republic of Macedonia’s three national parks of Mavrovo, Pelister and Galicica. Today these parks are home to the largest and most viable Macedonian populations of a number of extremely important and threatened animal species, including large carnivores such as European brown bear and the Balkan lynx. Maintaining connectivity between the national parks (as core areas) through the natural corridor that allows species movement is a basic prerequisite for the protection of these species.

For more information, contact the project coordinator, Kristijan Čivić. You can download the leaflet at the bottom of the MAK-NEN project information webpage.

Photo: Center page of the leaflet.

 

26 & 27 January - ECNC representatives attended the first major international biodiversity conference of 2010: ‘Post-2010 Biodiversity Vision and Target: the Role of Protected Areas and Ecological Networks in Europe’, which took place in Madrid and aimed to encourage and initiate a constructive debate about the post-2010 goals for biological diversity within the European Union.

The Conference featured presentations from international experts, policymakers and politicians about progress in relation to the 2010 target to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010 and to restore habitats and natural systems, horizon scanning and a range of issues and opportunities for the future. The European Commission presented some of the options for the new biodiversity targets and vision; these were discussed with the aim of finding common elements among European countries for the coming years.

As well as providing a rapporteur for one of the workshop sessions, ECNC also authored a discussion paper distributed to all delegates, entitled 'Integrating socio-economic aspects and building alliances with users'.

The Conference was used as the official launch of the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

For more information, contact Lawrence Jones-Walters.

 

25 January - ECNC, as the host of the ‘European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity’ (ELN-FAB) Secretariat, is very grateful for the contribution of numerous organizations to the initiative. This enables ECNC to continue the work in the next phase of broadening and intensifying the current activities of the Network in order to achieve the objective of integrating biodiversity concerns in agriculture in Europe and to help to optimize agrobiodiversity benefits.

The ELN-FAB project team and steering group met for the second time on 26 November 2009 in Brussels to discuss the progress made during 2009 and the future of the initiative. Dr Felix Wäckers from the University of Lancaster, UK, accepted the position of chair for the next two years (2010-2011).

Since its establishment the secretariat has made sure that the Network functions properly in providing the different stakeholders with a means to share knowledge and experience. The key products for the next phase of the project (2010–2011) focus on:

• the ELN-FAB website (www.eln-fab.eu), providing information on functional agrobiodiversity, examples of good practices from all over Europe, news and more; 
• a register of projects throughout Europe covering the subject of functional agrobiodiversity; 
• annual ELN-FAB European seminars bringing together representatives of the various target groups from several countries, and collecting and exchanging experience; 
• communication and outreach activities, such as leaflets and presentations at events; 
• a series of awareness-raising workshops about FAB throughout Europe to form working partnerships; 
• a handbook for FAB to help the stakeholders to strengthen the role of FAB in their operations.

The ELN-FAB is financially supported by:

• Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), the Netherlands;
• Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Switzerland;
• Flemish Land Agency (VLM), Belgium;
• Ministry of Agriculture, Estonia;
• European Environment Agency (EEA).

Fundraising continues in order to expand the Network in the long term. For more information, please contact Veronika Mikos.