MA follow-up activities in EU
DG ENV.B2's contribution to UNEP request for information (19.08.08)
Introduction
The strategic framework to meet the target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010, also
contributing to the global target of significant reduction the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010,
was set up by the EC Biodiversity Communication together with the EC Biodiversity Action
Plan (May 2006). Actions in the EC Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) are addressing
Community and Member States levels, therefore objectives and targets cannot be effectively
delivered without commitment and co-operation at both level.
To ensure assessment of progress towards meeting the 2010 targets (as the last real stocktaking before 2010), and to indicate/signal progress in achieving those targets by 2010 also to
indicate where are still important gaps in delivery, EC has committed to report about it in the
different phases of implementation period. The Mid-term Biodiversity Action Plan Report
should provide overview of activities taken, at Community and Member States level
accordingly. It should be adopted by November 2008.
Information from Member States was collected and compiled using responses from the
countries to a questionnaire designed for this exercise and other available official reports from
the Member States.
The response has been of varying quality, there is no consistence in providing data (lack of
on-line information), and some were difficult to find due to language difficulties. Further on,
six MS did not provide reply to MS questionnaire, two of them verified consolidated
summary, but some others did not validate the final consolidated summaries.
However, these summaries are providing the first public presentation of national assessment
on implementation of key provisions of the Biodiversity Action Plan, and are valuable
indication how the Member States are delivering on their part of the EU Biodiversity Action
Plan.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Follow-up activities in EU
Under BAP Supporting Measure 2 - Strengthening EU decision-making for biodiversity target B2.1 foresees that an EU vision on biodiversity and ecosystem services is agreed and
providing policy framework by 2010. To assess progress achieved at Member State level in
relation to this specific target, a dedicated question on plans and follow-up to UN Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment was included in the country questionnaire. Individual replies, when
available are compiled hereafter.
At EU level and as part of the Potsdam initiative agreed by G8 in 2007, a study on The
Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) has been jointly initiated by the European
Commission and Germany in collaboration with the European Environment Agency. The first
results of this assessment of the global economic benefit of biological diversity, the costs of
the loss of biodiversity and the failure to take protective measures versus the costs of effective
conservation have been presented at CBD COP9 in May 2008.
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The Commission is also supporting the development of a sub-global assessment (SGA) for
Europe, in the context of UNEP´s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Follow-up Strategy.
According to the FP7 road map covering the research priorities for the next calls, there will be
a call for research proposals that will adapt and apply concepts and methods of the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, integrating all-taxa biodiversity inventories on key
ecosystems, to assess conditions of European ecosystem services. This will be properly
integrated with the work and results of the EEA's EURECA project. Research effort will be
focused over the course of FP7 on making human use of biodiversity sustainable. As part of
this, research support will be provided to follow up TEEB, with work on economic, social and
environmental costs and benefits of conservation and use of biodiversity.
Other
recommendations for research in this direction will be taken into consideration, including
those identified by the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS).
Six Member States (Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary) have
plans to follow up the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 10 Member States do not (Austria,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, UK) while the
other MS did not respond to this aspect.
Plans and follow-up to UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in Member States
AUSTRIA
Austria does not have a follow-up to the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment planned or
in implementation.
BELGIUM
There is a plan to follow up the UN millennium ecosystem assessment for the Flemish region
of Belgium. Within this region there is a plan to cover a number of different systems and
ecosystem services. Studies to assess the ecosystem services and to develop valuation
methods are initiated. At this moment, Federal and Regional authorities negotiate the set-up
of a project to assess the ecosystem services of the marine environment of the Belgian part of
the North sea or, in collaboration with neighbouring countries of the ecosystem services of the
entire North Sea area.
BULGARIA
Bulgaria has no plans or strategies to follow up the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment at this
stage.
CYPRUS
Cyprus is following-up the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment at the national level by
assessing the following systems; marine, inland water and wetland, coastal and island,
cultivated, natural grassland, forest, mountain and urban. The services assessed include:
biodiversity, fresh water quality, carbon sequestration, water flow regulation, nutrient cycling
and climate and air regulation.
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment project (MA) has been followed-up by an ecosystems
assessment for Europe — known as Eureca (European Ecosystem Assessment). This
assessment will cover the pan-European region, is due to be completed by 2012, builds on the
conceptual framework of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and is directly linked into
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major European policies. Czech ecosystems assessed under this project include inland water
and wetlands, cultivated land, forest, natural grassland, heath and shrub land and urban areas.
Services assessed are: biodiversity, fresh water quality, food, fish, timber, carbon
sequestration, water flow regulation, nutrient cycling, climate and air regulation and fuel and
energy.
Accounting methods for the assessment of ecosystems services have not been developed
within the framework of Eureca project yet.
DENMARK
Denmark does not have a specific plan to follow up the MA; however, there are assessments
undertaken for marine, inland water/wetland, coastal/island, cultivated land, forest, natural
grassland and heathland environments. These systems are assessed for biodiversity, water
quality and nutrient cycling.
The Danish government (2007-11) declared that they will direct DKR 1 000 000 000 towards
nature and environmental efforts, will develop a new strategy for sustainable development,
and will ensure the implementation of the Natura 2000 and Water framework directives. In
addition, Denmark is setting up five National Parks over the next few years. The first will
open in August 2008.
Denmark has adopted a biodiversity action plan, Action Plan for Biodiversity and Nature
Conservation in Denmark 2004-2009, as well as a monitoring programme for nature and
biodiversity. There are a number of projects working with restoration and management of
former habitats such as forests, shallow lakes, river-valleys and salt marshes throughout
Denmark with the aim to combine with protected areas to re-establish a coherent network of
semi-natural and natural habitats nationwide.
Ecosystem assessments using accounting and valuation measures are being undertaken. One
such project is the Cost benefit analysis of river Skjernaa.
ESTONIA
There is currently no plan for follow-up to the MA, although there are plans to do so by 2010.
Valuation or accounting methods are not expected to be used for this.
FINLAND
There are no plans to follow up the UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
FRANCE
There is a plan in France for a follow up to the Millennium Assessment, which will focus at
the national level, with some elements of specific interest addressed at the sub-national level.
A number of different systems and ecosystems services will be included. The process is due
to begin shortly and will continue until mid-2009. The systems and sources, as well as
valuation methods, will be specified at the beginning of the process.
GERMANY
Germany contributes to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goal, especially
the 7th target (“Ensure environmental sustainability”), through conducting a follow-up to the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The systems assessed include: marine, inland water and
wetland, coastal and island, cultivated, forest, heath and shrubland, and urban. The services
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assessed include: biodiversity, fresh water quality, food, fish, timber, climate and air
regulation and cultural and amenity services.
GREECE
It is not clear whether Greece has any plans for a follow-up to the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment.
HUNGARY
Hungary’s follow-up to the MA is a sub-national project assessing cultivated, forest and
natural grassland systems and looking in particular at the following ecosystem services:
biodiversity, food, timber and fibre, nutrient cycling and cultural/amenity services. The
project is being carried out in the Great Hungarian Plain by HAS Institute for Ecology and
Botany in collaboration with leading Hungarian research centres in botany, zoology, soil
science and agro-environmental research. The overall objective of the proposed research is to
assess the relationships between land-use, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The major
outcome of the project will be an on-line expert system on landscape ecology and land-use,
which provides recommendations on rural development and sustainable land-use.
IRELAND
Ireland does not have plans or a strategy to follow-up the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
ITALY
There was no information on whether Italy is planning a follow-up to the MA.
LATVIA
Latvia does not have a strategy or plan for a follow-up for the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment.
LITHUANIA
It is not known whether there are plans to follow up the MA at the national, sub-national or
local level. A number of systems are currently assessed, but not all those listed.
LUXEMBOURG
There is no information on whether Luxembourg is planning a follow-up to the Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment.
MALTA
There is no information on whether Malta plans a follow-up to the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment.
NETHERLANDS
There is no assessment proposed to specifically integrate the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment into national assessment programme, but there are various national assessments
related to biodiversity issues, such as periodically reported in the ‘Natuurbalans’,
‘Milieubalans’, ‘Natuurverkenningen’, and ‘Duurzaamheidsverkenningen’. These
assessments cover ecosystems including: marine, inland water and wetland, coastal and island,
cultivated land, forest, natural grassland, and healthlands/shrubland/tundra. They are assessed
in regards to services such as biodiversity, fresh water quality, fish, water flow regulation,
nutrient cycling, climate and air quality, and fuel and energy. To a limited extent, cost-benefit
analyses are applied. A further application of cost-benefit analyses is under consideration. In
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2007, research started on the actual and potential use of ecosystem services in three different
areas (town, peat-meadow agricultural area and a sandy nature area). The first data will be
expected in autumn 2008, and will lay the foundation of more extensive research on this topic.
This research is part of the new Dutch policy programme ‘Biodiversity works: for nature, for
people, forever’ (‘Biodiversiteit werkt: voor natuur, voor mensen, voor altijd’).
POLAND
There is no information on whether Poland has plans or strategies for a follow-up to the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
PORTUGAL
No information was available regarding whether Portugal is planning or considering a followup to the MA.
ROMANIA
Romania is applying for a GEF 4 project for the implementation of the Clearing House
Mechanism in Romania as part of their responsibilities under the Convention on Biological
Diversity. A new biodiversity strategy for Romania is expected to be developed through this
project, and would include the possibility of implementing follow-up to the MA.
Although nothing has yet been developed at national level, some independent studies are
already ongoing, for example such as a case study in Romania for the Integrated
Sustainability Assessment (ISA) of the SERI project.
SLOVAKIA
There is no information available on whether Slovakia has any plans for a follow-up to the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
SLOVENIA
No information was provided on plans to follow up the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
SPAIN
No information was available on whether there are plans for a Millennium Assessment
follow-up.
SWEDEN
Sweden does not currently have a programme to follow-up on the MA, but may set up such a
mechanism by 2010. Whilst valuation and accounting mechanisms are not routinely used in
the assessment of ecosystem services, they are used where appropriate and possible. A
priority issue for Sweden is the development of tools for ecosystem assessment and valuation.
UK
The UK is considering conducting a follow-up to the MA and is working to enable and embed
an ecosystems approach into policy making across government at all levels in England (see
“Securing a healthy natural environment: an action plan for embedding an ecosystem
approach (December 2007)”). Any future “MA-style” ecosystem assessment in the UK would
probably have national, sub-national and local/community components. No commitment has
been made to undertake an ecosystem assessment until a scoping study is completed but
smaller scale assessments of ecosystems services are being undertaken through a number of
research projects concentrated on marine, inland water and wetland, coastal and island,
cultivated, forest, heathland and urban systems, and on assessing the following ecosystem
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services: biodiversity, fresh water quality, food, fish, timber and fibre, carbon sequestration,
water flow regulation, climate and air regulation, cultural/amenity services, and fuel and
energy.
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