Annexes to COM(2001)162 - Biodiversity Action Plans in the areas of Conservation of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Development and Economic Co-operation - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2001)162 - Biodiversity Action Plans in the areas of Conservation of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Development and ... |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2001)162 |
| date | March 27, 2001 |
23. The Biodiversity Action Plan on Agriculture starts with an analysis of the interrelations between agriculture and biological diversity, focusing on both the reciprocal benefits and the negative effects on biodiversity of farming activities. This analysis results in seven priorities for actions: (a) ensuring a reasoned intensification in agricultural practices, (b) maintaining an economically viable and socially acceptable agricultural activity, in particular in biodiversity-rich areas, where these activities have been weakened, (c) using the potential of agri-environmental measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, (d) ensuring the existence of an ecological infrastructure at the level of the whole territory, (e) supporting actions aimed at the enhancement of genetic diversity in agriculture and at the maintenance of local and traditional varieties and breeds, (f) encouraging the marketing of landraces and varieties that are naturally adapted to the local and regional conditions, (g) preventing the abundance and spreading of non-native species.
24. Based on the experience gained with agri-environmental measures, five essential guiding principles for devising the Action Plan are identified: (a) production methods may affect biodiversity conservation, (b) while action should be taken throughout the whole territory, intervention methods or tools should be tailored to local specific conditions, (c) a decentralised approach should be favoured, where Member States are responsible for the choice and implementation of appropriate measures, (d) priority should be given to a systematic and co-ordinated approach, based on complementary of Community and national instruments, as well as of environmental and agricultural policy instruments, (e) co-ordination should be ensured among the various Community sources of funding.
25. Within this conceptual framework of priorities and principles, core instruments relevant to the achievement of both sectoral and horizontal objectives identified by the European Biodiversity Strategy, are proposed: (1) the so-called "horizontal" Regulation and in particular its Article 3 ("environmental protection requirements"), (2) the agri-environmental measures under the Rural Development Regulation, (3) the other measures provided by the Rural Development Regulation, (4) the environmental components of Common Market Organisations, (5) the Regulation on genetic resources in agriculture and, finally, (6) the environmental components of market related instruments, concerning the quality policy. Attention is also given to other instruments, such as the legislation on Plant Protection Products and SAPARD. Finally, the Action Plan indicates specific targets and a timetable for achieving the priorities identified. The effectiveness of the Action Plan depends on the appropriate implementation by the Member States of all of these instruments. A prioritytask for monitoring and evaluating the different integration components is the development of operational agri-environmental indicators, permitting a better understanding of the complex relationships between agriculture and the environment.
26. The Biodiversity Action Plan on Fisheries identifies coherent measures aiming to preserve or rehabilitate biodiversity where it is under threat due to fisheries and aquaculture activities.
27. The measures in this short to medium term Action Plan have been identified at three levels: the conservation and sustainable use of fish stocks, the protection of non-target species, habitats and ecosystems from fishing activities and preventing aquaculture having an impact on different ecosystems. For the first two levels the required measures include a reduction in fisheries activity, the application of technical measures, as well as the strengthening of research and monitoring. For aquaculture, measures seek to reduce the environmental impact of aquaculture, limit the introduction of alien invasive species, secure animal health and strengthen research to enhance knowledge in this area. Continuous research and monitoring will be crucial to the success of the measures identified in the Action Plan.
28. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which is based on scientific advice, has begun to integrate the environmental dimension. The 2002 CFP review provides an excellent opportunity to introduce new or strengthen existing measures and the proposed actions under this Action Plan will contribute to that process.
29. The Biodiversity Action Plan on Economic and Development Co-operation should be seen in the context of the International Development Targets agreed for 2015. Among them, the reduction of poverty and reversing the trends in environmental degradation and natural resource loss are closely linked to biodiversity. Furthermore, development co-operation instruments are particularly relevant for achieving the CBD objectives regarding the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
30. The Action Plan points to the need for improved links with EU Member States and international development co-operation agencies, programmes and institutions in the Member States and at international level (e.g. World Bank and GEF). It also considers the need for building up capacity to manage development and environment issues within the Commission.
31. The Action Plan lists 'guiding principles' that need to be followed (including the ecosystem approach, stakeholder participation, and integration into wider policy frameworks) and sets out the actions to be taken in 3 inter-linked contexts: a) in intensive production systems (agriculture, livestock, aquaculture, tree plantations, etc), with attention to their life-support functions and services, maintenance of genetic biodiversity, and caution regarding alien invasive species and living modified organisms; b) in production systems involving non-domesticated species (forestry, wildlife, fisheries, etc) where the focus should be on maintaining an array of ecosystems and habitats in productive landscapes; c) in protected areas, where stronger links are needed between conservation action and sustainable development strategies.
32. The Plan emphasises the importance of improving the use of Strategic Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments, and focuses on support for building up capacity in this field.
4. Towards a transparent and targeted monitoring and assessment
33. The implementation of the Action Plans must address some crosscutting issues in order to measure effects on the ground. These include methods to interlink monitoring of the implementation of the Action Plans and measuring their success by identifying a set of indicators to assess their performance. Pulling together relevant information, using it as a basis for reporting and making it accessible to the public is equally important. Finally, research will be needed for implementing some activities and this will be developed through relevant Community programmes.
4.1. Indicators
34. The Biodiversity Strategy says that, "each Action Plan should as a general rule set out clear tasks, targets and mechanisms to assess their performance and to evaluate progress in the implementation of the strategy. The Commission will in co-operation with relevant bodies identify indicators in order to enable an evaluation ex ante and ex post of the implementation of the Action Plans. Species and ecosystems likely to be affected by each policy area mentioned in section III, and for which action is needed to ensure their conservation and sustainable use, will be the basis for the establishment of indicators. Economic indicators will also be considered".
35. The development of indicators for assessing the performance of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Action Plans calls for a two-level approach: a) Indicators for specific policy instruments and initiatives. Indicators need to be identified to link the trends in the status of species and ecosystems with individual Community actions and their implementation at Member State level. b) Headline indicators. There is also a need for indicators to assess the overall effectiveness of the Community Biodiversity Strategy and its Action Plans.
36. During the last two years, the Commission, the European Environment Agency, Member States and relevant international organisations have devoted considerable efforts to these two areas. However, the current state of knowledge does not yet allow one to come up with a precise set of meaningful biodiversity indicators for many of the elements considered in the Action Plans. The Report from the Commission to the Helsinki Summit provides detailed information on the state of the art and on-going activities regarding indicators.
37. The difficulties in setting monitoring and assessment baselines result mainly from the fact that the characteristics of biodiversity and the effects of policies differ across the Community. Consequently, appropriate indicators should be based on a bio-geographical approach. This requires indicators to be identified at local level, yet the information they provide should be comparable. In order to identify indicators which meet these exacting requirement the Commission envisages:
* Developing an analytical framework for identifying indicators;
* Identifying, in collaboration with Member States, a set of criteria for the selection of priority indicators;
* Inviting Member States to submit proposals, in line with the analytical framework and criteria, for biodiversity indicators to assess the performance of each action of the Action Plans and measures for other relevant policy instruments vis à vis their local biodiversity;
* Establishing an integrated information system for the Biodiversity Strategy and its Action Plans in the light of scientific advice and the proposals submitted by Member States.
38. The development of indicators for forests will take into account the work of the Working Group on "Biodiversity, Protected Areas and Related Issues" of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe and its work on identifying indicators for assessing biodiversity of forest ecosystems.
39. In the case of the Action Plan on Economic and Development Co-operation a similar approach should be followed, by inviting our partner countries to provide the necessary information.
40. The Commission will establish a set of biodiversity indicators as soon as the necessary information is available. Thereafter, the European Environment Agency, or where appropriate other relevant institutions, will define the mechanisms required for monitoring such indicators. The Second Report to the Council and the Parliament on the Implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy, due in 2003, will focus on the establishment and monitoring of indicators.
4.2. Exchange of information
41. The European Community is committed to facilitating public access to information relevant to biodiversity. This includes information on sectoral policies and instruments considered in the Action Plans. The European Community Clearing House Mechanism under the Convention on Biological Diversity (EC-CHM) [8], whose pilot phase was launched on 8 June 2000, is a one-stop-shop for such information. It offers, in particular, information on policies, legislation, funding opportunities, databases, sources of expertise, etc held by European Community institutions and has links to other institutions and organisations (governmental, private and NGOs). It also links to web sites of global organisations such as the CBD Secretariat. It is an important tool for promoting and facilitating scientific and technological co-operation not only within Europe but also with countries around the world, especially with developing countries.
[8] http://biodiversity-chm.eea.eu.int
42. It is important to consolidate and build upon this facility, in particular there is a need to encourage the consolidation of information gathering methods, and to allow more user interactions and geographical retrieval mechanisms. It is also important for the Community to use its unique role to encourage a European co-ordination forum for Biodiversity CHMs and to enhance co-operation between the EC-CHM and other Clearing House Mechanisms established in Europe.
4.3. Research
43. The objectives of the Biodiversity Strategy set a general policy framework for furthering Community research on biodiversity. This was subsequently incorporated into the Fifth Framework Programme on Research and Development. As the general objectives in different sections of the Strategy are now being translated into more specific actions, research initiatives should respond by sharpening their focus. The Commission is in the process of identifying research needs emerging from the different Action Plans and the other initiatives arising from the Biodiversity Strategy. This will enable biodiversity issues to be properly addressed in the forthcoming Sixth Framework Programme on Research and Development.
5. Follow-up
44. The First Report to the CBD on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity by the European Community [9] provides an account of Community policies, legislation and other instruments in place when the Biodiversity Strategy was adopted. Since then, a substantial number of new Community initiatives relevant for achieving the objectives of the Strategy have been developed. An up-to-date picture will be provided in the First Report to the Council and to the Parliament on the Implementation of the Community Biodiversity Strategy.
[9] SEC (1998) 0398
45. Implementing the Biodiversity Strategy and, in particular, its Action Plans requires close co-ordination between the services of the Commission directly responsible for or relevant to the policy areas concerned. An Inter-service Group on Biodiversity ensures this co-ordination. In implementing the Action Plans all necessary Community funds will be provided for under existing programmes.
46. Finally, successful implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy and its Action Plans depends, to a large degree, on the effects of relevant measures at Member State level. It is therefore essential to enhance the complementarity between the Community and its Member States biodiversity strategies and action plans. The Commission therefore envisages the establishment of a Biodiversity Expert Committee with a mandate to share information and promote the complementarity of actions taken at Community and Member State levels. Given the important role of NGOs, industry, producer associations and other civil society stakeholders in this area, the Commission envisages inviting representatives of these groups to participate in meetings of this Expert Committee as observers.
47. The Commission will prepare by 2002, a study on complementarity in the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity by the European Community and its Member States.