ECNC

Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) and Marine Biodiversity is this year’s theme. Designation of IDB 2012 on the theme of marine ecosystems provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and everyone interested in marine life, the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and increase practical action.

For this occassion, the Secretariat of the CBD published a booklet 'One Ocean, Many Worlds of Life' on Marine Biodiversity, with many colourful photo's and interesting backgrounds about the theme. You can download the booklet on the CBD website: http://www.cbd.int/idb/2012/

On 14 & 15 June 2012, the annual ELN-FAB European seminar will take place in Avignon, France. This event provides a unique opportunity for all those interested in functional agrobiodiversity to share knowledge and experiences and create new partnerships. It aims at stimulating the uptake of functional agrobiodiversity throughout the Mediterranean region as a contribution to sustainable agriculture.

The European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) aims to provide a platform for farmers, policymakers and scientists in Europe and to accumulate knowledge on how biodiversity can be mobilized to increase sustainable agricultural production. This seminar is the latest in a series of annual seminars that bring together people from all over Europe to collect and exchange experiences about functional agrobiodiversity.

The seminar is organized by ECNC in cooperation with DIVERSITAS and the Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture Biologique (GRAB), and hosted by INRA in Avignon, France.

Please find all relevant background information (invitation, programme, travel and hotel information, and brochure about the concept of FAB) and the registration form here: http://www.ecnc.org/programmes/business-and-biodiversity-ongoing-projects/eln-fab-seminar

If you require any further information, please visit www.eln-fab.eu or contact Veronika Mikos by email at mikos@ecnc.org or phone +31 (0)13 5 944 944.

The kick-off meeting of the project ’A Local Biodiversity Action Planning (LBAP) Network in the Western Balkans’ was held on 9 and 10 May 2012. The project team met in Szentendre, Hungary.

The project is being implemented by ECNC in cooperation with REC Regional Environmental Center. It supports Western Balkan municipalities in integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into their planning and decision-making processes. This project is based on the highly successful approach developed in the first phase of SEE-BAP, with additional innovation provided by the integration of key learning points and lessons learned from the first phase, together with a case study showing the methods applied and actions available. The capacity-building programmes will include thematic workshops and a European study tour. The project will also launch a new website to integrate the current and new regions into a learning network for local biodiversity, and undertake other activities to further enhance communication and knowledge management.

Eight new municipalities will be mobilized in a process that will focus on participatory learning for identifying opportunities and developing and implementing priorities and partnerships.

The project is financially supported by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which is committed to contributing to the alleviation of poverty, sustainable development and capacity building in the Western Balkan region.

For more information please contact Ayşegül Çil.

Photo: Szentendre, Hungary, Ayşegül Çil ©

The May 2012 issue of the ECNC Update newsletter has been published. Contents include:

• Meeting of Dinaric Arc Initiative decides on its future
• New project: A Local Biodiversity Action Planning Network in the Western Balkans
• Facilitation assistance for projects preparation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

and more…

You can read it here.

In his letter to ECNC, the Executive Secretary of the CBD Mr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias welcomed the EBS as a contribution to the implementation of decisions on business engagement and application tools and efforts made during the 10th CBD Conference of the Parties in Nagoya (held in October 2010). He stated:
“In engaging with business, the crux of our activities must be to help create a ‘level-playing field’ where companies can compete without fear that efforts to act sustainably will put them at a disadvantage. This is where the power of standards comes into play. Standards allow companies to benchmark their progress and activities against established guidelines that other businesses must (or should) follow. In many sectors, from seafood to wood products to cosmetics to mining, consumers are demanding that companies follow sustainable procedures and principles. Those failing to react to these pressures may be punished by the market”.

The European Biodiversity Standard is on the CBD Global Platform for Business and Biodiversity website from now on as well: www.cbd.int/business.

ECNC and the CBD Secretariat will continue to exchange information and experience as regards business and biodiversity issues, including on standards and tools.

For more information please visit www.europeanbiodiversitystandard.eu or contact Andrew Schrauwen.

ECNC participated in a workshop on the mapping and assessment of ecosystem services, organized as a response to Action 5 of the new EU biodiversity strategy to 2020, as well as to the CBD’s new targets for 2020. The workshop was organized by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, and held at the JRC’s premises in Ispra, Italy, on 18 and 19 April 2012.

The EU and its Member States aim to assess and value ecosystem services within their territories. The aim of the workshop was to give scientific support to and facilitate knowledge exchange between EU Candidate Member States, including Turkey, in order to support the national implementation of the requirements of the CBD and the EU biodiversity strategy.

The workshop gave participants a state-of-the-art overview of ecosystem services assessments in Candidate Member States. Each country was represented by technical experts in conservation planning and ecosystem services assessment from both the scientific and government sectors. ECNC’s Programme Manager for Nature and Society Ayşegül Çil presented ECNC’s project on local biodiversity action planning in Western Balkan countries. This project aims to exchange knowledge and experiences and to support the mapping and assessment of biophysical flows of ecosystem services in relation to natural resources and globally agreed conservation targets.

For more information: Ayşegül Çil.

Photo: Ispra harbour, Ayşegül Çil ©

On 11 and 12 April the Large Herbivore Network (LHNet) joined the Wilderness Working Group (WWG) meeting in Brussels. This working group brings together leading wild area practitioners from across Europe.

The WWG’s work includes assessing practical definitions, mapping, support for new initiatives such as the Wilderness Register, and fundraising proposals for a pan-European communications strategy. It functions as a technical expertise group to the Wild Europe Initiative.

The main topics discussed at the meeting were the Wilderness Register and a discussion and agreement on the definition of wilderness.

The Dutch zoo ‘Natura Artis Magistra’ in Amsterdam, has confirmed it is to continue its funding for the Large Herbivore Network programme this year. As part of a Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed five years ago, LHNet has been supported by Artis for conservation activities related to one of LHNet's key species, the European bison. The bison has long been included in the Artis collection. Cooperation also made it possible to support the conservation of bison in the wild.

In connection with this agreement, last year LHNet visited two areas in Russia where bison can roam without boundaries. The stunning ecological consequences in nature, caused by this, the largest herbivore on our continent, were clearly visible. This year LHNet will attend a conference in Poland, organized by the EBCC-European Bison Conservation Centre. Furthermore, a project is being developed to support wild bison in cooperation with local people in northern Russia.

Visit www.lhnet.org to read more about LHNet or contact Ben Delbaere.

On 17 and 18 April 2012, the first European Biodiversity Summit was held at the company Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart, in the framework of the 8th German CSR-Forum.

During the two-day summit with approximately 500 participants, business representatives showed ways that their organizations can, through the protection of biological diversity, secure competitive advantages while at the same time saving costs. Examples of green innovation strategies and how businesses can take advantage of the opportunities that biodiversity and ecosystem services offer, among other topics, were discussed by representatives from different companies, NGOs and governmental organizations. Tools that can be used by companies to assess and address their biodiversity performance, as well as ways for companies and NGOs to work together towards common goals, were also important topics for discussion.

ECNC, as a partner of the Business & Biodiversity Campaign, participated in the summit and gave a presentation on the European Biodiversity Standard which has been designed specifically for business and industry. ECNC was also an active participant in the round table for partners within the Business & Biodiversity Campaign, which was held on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 April, prior to the summit.

During this round table, the partners discussed the potential for increasing the synergy that could be achieved from the cooperation in relation to the assessment of biodiversity performance by the business sector and began a process for developing a roadmap to further structure their combined efforts.

For further information visit: http://www.business-biodiversity.eu/ and http://www.europeanbiodiversitystandard.eu/.

ECNC and its local partner, REC Country Office for Bosnia and Herzegovina, gave a two-day training workshop on project preparation in Kozara National Park on 4 and 5 April 2012. The workshop was part of the project ’Facilitation assistance: Local initiatives in biodiversity conservation’. Topics covered were: project cycle management, project components, logical framework, monitoring and evaluation, project budget and project management, as well as the Pro-Biodiversity Business concept as one of the possibilities for project proposals and income generation.

The training workshop was attended by 25 stakeholders from and around the four protected areas involved in the project: Kozara and Sutjeska National Parks and Lom and Janj Forest Reserves. They are interested in submitting projects to a small grant programme published by the Ministry of Physical Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska.

The tender for project proposals is open until 25 April 2012. During this time REC and ECNC will provide further assistance on request to the attendees of the workshop who are preparing project proposals.

This project is funded by the World Bank via the Ministry of Physical Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska. For more information please contact Kristijan Čivić.

On 27 March 2012 ECNC attended the closing workshop of the CEEweb project ‘Conserving our natural heritage in the Visegrad countries through integrated spatial planning’.

The topic of the workshop, held in Brussels, was ‘Possibilities of land management integration into the Green Infrastructure Strategy and the 7th EAP – the Visegrad experience’. The workshop presented the results of CEEweb’s Green Infrastructure analysis of the Visegrad countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). The current state of affairs with respect to EU policies on land use and habitat connectivity was discussed. The workshop also aimed to inspire a discussion on saving the remaining natural heritage.

The conclusions reached include that there should be good policies in place, which are implemented accordingly; more innovation and platforms for stakeholders to exchange views; biodiversity-focused plans at all scales; integrated spatial planning which takes resource use into account; adequate data monitoring; accounting systems which incorporate economic values; and partnership programmes.

The full report of the workshop is available at: http://www.ceeweb.org/work-areas/priority-areas/sustainability/land-use/brussels_ivf/

In a letter to ECNC’s President Sir Brian Unwin, EU Commissioner of the Environment Janez Potočnik highlighted the important role that protecting our natural capital plays in linking green growth, poverty alleviation and food security. He stated that also for economic reasons full implementation of EU environmental legislation is fully justified.

The Commissioner welcomed ECNC’s efforts in the field of the European Biodiversity Standard (EBS). He said: "I would like to thank you very much for your European Biodiversity Standard initiative, designed to provide tools for companies and institutions to measure, improve and demonstrate publicly their ecological performance. The concept is extremely interesting for us and we would like to hear from you on how you are progressing regarding its implementation in practice by small, medium and large companies”.

Mr Potočnik hopes that companies will take an interest in the EBS concept and suggests that the Commission's EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform, in which companies participate, is a place to start examining the EBS.

For more information about the EBS please contact Andrew Schrauwen or see www.europeanbiodiversitystandard.eu.

The Journal for Nature Conservation is a scientific journal focusing on methods and techniques used in nature conservation. It is published by Elsevier Science in affiliation with ECNC.

The year 2012 sees the Journal for Nature Conservation published in its 20th volume. Founded in 1992 by Harald Plachter as the Zeitschrift für Ökologie und Naturschutz, it was changed into an English language journal in 2002. It has grown and matured steadily over the years, currently holding an Impact Factor of 1.545 (Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Report Science Edition 2010).

Two ECNC-authored publications found their way into the JRC's 'Top 25 Hottest Articles' at the end of last year. Biodiversity and stakeholder participation, by Lawrence Jones-Walters and Ayşegül Çil , both of ECNC (Journal for Nature Conservation, Volume 19, Issue 6, December 2011, pp.327-329) found itself at number 1 in the top 25, and Valuing Nature: the economics of biodiversity, by Lawrence Jones-Walters and Ivo Mulder (Journal for Nature Conservation, Volume 17, Issue 4, December 2009, pp.245-247) was at number 3.

To celebrate, you can access the first issue of the celebratory volume for free and examine the Journal's top 25 hottest articles.

Free access to the first issue of volume 20 >>

Most downloaded articles of this journal on ScienceDirect >>

ECNC and REC Regional Environmental Center recently finalized the three-year project ‘Local Biodiversity Action Planning for Southeastern Europe (SEE-BAP)’ in ten municipalities in Southeastern Europe. The project aimed to integrate biodiversity and ecosystem services into local sustainable development policy and actions.

A follow-up project has started this month (April): ‘A Local Biodiversity Action Planning Network in the Western Balkans’. It will continue to support municipalities and train their staff to achieve a comprehensive and integrated approach to biodiversity and ecosystem services for the sustainable development of rural municipalities and their local communities in the Western Balkans. This is part of the effort to reduce the downward spiral of poverty, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation and to further increase overall human well-being within the wider context of ensuring regional peace and stability.

Project delivery will be based on the implementation of the highly successful approach launched in the first phase of SEE-BAP, with additional innovation provided by the integration of key learning points, thematic workshops, a website, an updated case study booklet to complement the current LBAP handbook, a learning network for local biodiversity and other activities to further enhance communication and knowledge management.

Local Biodiversity Action Plans will be established in the eight new municipalities selected and mobilized in a process that will continue to be based on stakeholder participation and capacity building, identifying pro-biodiversity business opportunities and developing partnerships, in this instance with a particular focus on cross-border and coastal areas.

The project will be implemented under the lead of ECNC and in partnership with REC together with substantial involvement of and support to local communities. It is again financially supported by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which is committed to contributing to the alleviation of poverty, sustainable development and capacity building in the region.

Please contact Ayşegül Çil for more information: cil@ecnc.org.

The 14th Dinaric Arc Initiative (DAI) meeting was held in Vienna on 30 March 2012. During the meeting, hosted by the UNEP Vienna office, participants reviewed the functioning of the DAI and decided to take the Initiative forward in order to be able to continue creating synergies between programmes and activities of the individual DAI partners. The meeting also decided to focus more on supporting a possible Dinaric Arc Convention. The idea of such a convention has been discussed at ministerial meetings in previous years.

The Dinaric Arc Initiative was established in 2004. It is a broad framework of cooperation which aims to give added value to the ongoing work of the DAI Partners in the Dinaric Arc region. This region is situated in South-Eastern Europe and covers an area of approximately 100,000 km², with more than 6,000 km of coastline; it encompasses the whole region facing the eastern Adriatic, from the area of Trieste (Italy) to Tirana (Albania).

The DAI Partners keep in contact through regular meetings, projects and exchange of information and views.

In addition to ECNC and UNEP, other DAI partners present at the Vienna meeting were EuroNatur, FAO, IUCN and REC. WWF participated via Skype for part of the meeting.

For more information please contact Ayşegül Çil, cil@ecnc.org.

ECNC participated in the 5th Forum for the Future of Agriculture, held in Brussels on 27 March 2012. The topic of the forum was ‘Meeting the Food & Environmental Challenge’, covering resource efficiency, innovation and governance.

The FFA celebrated its fifth anniversary with a call for the EU to put in place an ambitious new agricultural policy fit for the 21st century. The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must enable Europe to make an effective contribution to food and environmental security at home and abroad. This means greater focus on knowledge transfer and innovation in farm technology and practices as well as incentivizing farmers to provide the public goods and services that Europe needs.

At FFA2012 EU Commissioners Dacian Cioloş (Agriculture & Rural Development) and Janez Potočnik (Environment), as well as MEP Paolo De Castro and Frans van Daele, Head of Cabinet to the President of the European Council, were amongst the speakers addressing more than 1,300 delegates. Other speakers included representatives from across the food and farming chain, NGOs, and civil society. The floor was also given to the younger generation, who shared their visions for the future of agriculture.

Read more on the FFA2012 website: http://www.forumforagriculture.com.

On 22 March 2012, the EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform organized the workshop ‘Implementation and further development of the EU B @ B Platform: EU and national B&B initiatives and their role in implementing the EU biodiversity strategy’.

ECNC participated in the workshop as coordinator for the agriculture and finance sectors. The workshop was hosted by DG Environment, which also acted as facilitator.

In contrast to previous Platform workshops, the participants from the six business sectors involved discussed the topics together, instead of separately per sector. The discussions covered the Platform’s future role and position in relation to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020, including the possible role for the Platform participants regarding the implementation of the Strategy and how the Platform could support businesses in this process. In addition, the future coordination of the Platform and its role in relation to national platforms and business and biodiversity initiatives were discussed.

Throughout the workshop there was very lively discussion from all of the different sectors and coordinators. The findings of the workshop are not for publication, but will form the basis for further discussions and decision-making in relation to the further development and continuation of the Platform.

Professor Dr Mustafa Kemal Yalinkiliç, ECNC Board member and former Director-General of the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry, launched the European Biodiversity Standard (EBS) during a high-level Energy and Environment meeting in Ankara, Turkey, last week. The meeting was attended by many top Turkish government officials and business representatives.

In his speech to the meeting, Mr Yalinkiliç stressed the advantages of the EBS in greening the operations of enterprises. He said that the EBS is a practical tool  for companies to assess, upgrade and profile their biodiversity performance. Mr Yalinkiliç stated: 'By utilizing EBS in the business’ production line and sites, and by making biodiversity their own business and responsibility, companies will get more easily investment permissions of authorities, but, more importantly, they will work on the acceptance of future generations of wisely using their natural resources!'

Mr Yalinkiliç addressed questions about the relationship between strategic impact assessment and the EBS procedure, and announced that the EBS will also be translated into Turkish. More information about the EBS can be found on the website: www.europeanbiodiversitystandard.eu.

Photo: Professor Dr Mustafa Kemal Yalinkiliç

The ECNC Update is now available in a completely digital format, replacing the pdf we used to send out. This makes it faster and easier for our readers to browse for news items that interest them. ECNC Update is one of ECNC’s communication tools for bringing news of recent developments and activities to our network of partners and other interested readers. The newsletter is produced six times per year. You can download the current and past issues here.

The EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform offers guidance to business sectors on how to integrate biodiversity into their economic activities. The Platform works with the priority business sectors identified by the European Commission to promote their awareness of and engagement in biodiversity protection. Sectors covered are agriculture, food supply, forestry, extractive industry, the financial sector and tourism.

The third phase of the project (until October 2012) will be focusing on strengthening the role of the Platform as a facilitator for stronger business involvement for biodiversity in Europe. Activities proposed through the B @ B Platform will provide tools and methodologies to companies to promote value creation and mitigate risk thanks to biodiversity conservation programmes.

The EU Business @ Biodiversity Platform is funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General Environment. The project team is composed of IUCN Regional Office for Europe (Project leader), PwC (France), ECNC, ELO and Blue4You. ECNC has particular responsibility for the sectors of agriculture and finance.

For more information, contact the project coordinator Lawrence Jones-Walters.

In the December 2011 issue of the ECNC Update we informed you about some of the results of the project ‘Local biodiversity action planning for Southeastern Europe’. The project has had a very positive impact on local communities with respect to understanding biodiversity and sustainable development. The ten municipalities involved have learned the long-term benefits of biodiversity conservation and wise use of ecosystem services. More sustainable and stronger ownership at the local level has been promoted by the project’s participative approach. 

Actions undertaken by five of the partner municipalities are summarized below; the other five municipalities were dealt with in the previous issue of the ECNC Update.

In Dragash, the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP), as foreseen in the Nature Protection Law of September 2010, and the biodiversity map have been prepared. The municipality is willing to include most of its territory in Šar National Park. Special attention has been given to improving ecotourism and organic farming.

In Goražde, protection of Drina river habitat has started. This is being achieved through the protection of selected species of flora and fauna, introduced in a series of stakeholder workshops. Biodiversity was taken up as a leading concept during drafting of the spatial plan for Goražde Municipality.

In Gostivar, priority has been given to education and awareness-raising activities. An information centre for visitors (mainly tourists and schoolchildren) is to be built at the source of the Vardar River in Vrutok. Informative meetings and targeted workshops have been held with stakeholders.

In Mavrovo and Rostuša, restoration of the Radika River was recognized as a priority in the implementation of the biodiversity targets. In cleaning up the river bank the national park authority engaged in a public information and consultation process.

In Plevlja, protection of natural resources was the main priority for implementation targets in the LBAP. This includes protection of the city park in order to raise awareness of biodiversity in the municipality. Around 30 species in the park have been selected, and are identified by signs.

The project is officially about to end, but activities at the local level are continuing and are giving rise to new opportunities in the form of new projects and new partnerships.

The project is being implemented by ECNC and REC-Regional Environmental Center, and financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

For more information: Ayşegül Çil, Programme Manager – Nature and Society, and the project web page.

The new issue of the European Learning Network on Functional Agrobiodiversity (ELN-FAB) Newsletter has been published today. This newsletter exists to inform the partners, intermediaries and interested stakeholders of the ELN-FAB initiative. Contents include:

• ELN-FAB European Seminar in 2012
• Making the link to soil biodiversity research
• Gaia Biodiversity Yardstick

and more...

You can find it here: ELN-FAB Newsletter, No. 5, February 2012

From 5 – 9 March a round of workshops with local stakeholders is held in and around the four Bosnian target areas in ECNC’s facilitation assistance project
‘Local Initiatives in Biodiversity Conservation’. ECNC and the Regional Environmental Center (REC) will facilitate these workshops to generate project ideas for small grant funds which will be allocated to support biodiversity conservation efforts, and also generate wider biodiversity benefits and improve economic returns to local stakeholders.

Photo: Lom Forest Reserve, Kristijan Čivić ©

ECNC’s Large Herbivore Network (LHNet), together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, started work on a feasibility study financed by the WNF INNO fund for international nature conservation activities. The wild reindeer population of the Yamalo-Nenetsky Autonomous District in Russia is under increasing pressure from oil and gas exploitation. The aim of this study is to identify conflicts between reindeer and the oil and gas industry and to eventually define management measures which will reduce and, where possible, avoid conflicts.

The feasibility study is the first of three phases in the project. The overall outcome of the project as a whole will be the conservation of critical habitats and habitats and calving grounds, and preservation of migration routes of wild reindeer. It will also consider the interests of the indigenous communities of reindeer herders, who are to some extent in conflict with wild reindeer, which compete with domestic reindeer for pasture. It is hoped that the project will demonstrate that cooperation between conservationists and industry can contribute to improving the status of threatened wildlife in the Russian Arctic region.

For more information, please contact Ben Delbaere or visit the project’s web page.

Photo: Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), Saxifraga-Mark Zekhuis ©

ECNC and the Regional Environmental Center (REC) are providing facilitation assistance to the 'Local initiatives in biodiversity conservation' component of the ‘Forest and mountain protected areas project’ (FMPAP) in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The aim is to assist local stakeholders in and around protected areas (PAs), through capacity building and technical assistance, in preparing subprojects that meet the funding criteria of the small grant funds which will be allocated to support biodiversity conservation efforts.

From 31 January to 2 February 2010 the project team held four kick-off meetings in the PAs targeted by the project: Kozara and Sutjeska National Parks and Janj and Lom Forest Reserves. During the meetings the planned activities of the project component were presented to the authorities of the four PAs. The participants discussed the current situation in the four PAs, possible issues and opportunities. All of the areas face the problem of inexistent or neglected and outdated infrastructure. This is a barrier to the development of sustainable tourism as well as educational and scientific activities.

The project team and PA authorities also identified potential stakeholders in and around the PAs who might be interested in applying for projects that could contribute to both local well-being and improved biodiversity conservation. Unfortunately, further project activities had to be postponed due to the heavy snow storms in most of the country.

This project is funded by the World Bank via the Ministry of Physical Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska.

For more information: Kristijan Čivić, Project manager.

Photo: Lom Forest Reserve, Kristijan Čivić ©

A handbook is under preparation by the European Learning Network on Functional Agrobiodiversity (ELN-FAB) to help the stakeholders to strengthen the role of FAB in their operations, and to promote and disseminate examples of best practice. The editorial team recently met at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. The key issue discussed during the meeting was how to integrate FAB into practices. The participants reached consensus on the content of the handbook and agreed on the next steps. The final draft of the handbook is planned to be ready by June 2012.

The European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC/BD) Implementation Plan for 2012 has been launched. ECNC has been a consortium partner of the ETC/BD since 1994 and in this role it carries out part of the Topic Centre's annual work plans. This year ECNC will:  

• continue providing expert input in the fields of biodiversity and ecosystem assessment processes, protected areas and climate change;
• support the streamlining of global, pan European and EU processes, the development of indicators and the Biodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE); and
• contribute to the revision of the SEBI (Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators) set of indicators in relation to new global and European targets.

During 2011 ECNC had a key role in the elaboration of the Protected Areas report (which will be published early summer 2012), preparing the chapters on policy context, protected areas beyond biodiversity conservation and environmental context and participating in the advisory group meetings. ECNC also prepared an analysis of indicators used by European countries in their forth national reports to the CBD linked to the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 targets and the CBD Aichi Biodiversity Targets and presented the main results at the European Environment Agency EIONET (European Environment Information and Observation Network) meeting in Copenhagen. Furthermore ECNC contributed to the development of the BISE website on protected areas, to SEBI Coordination Team Meetings and the SEBI inter-linkages report. Finally, ECNC hosted the ETC/BD Management Committee Meeting in October.

The work of ECNC as part of the contract for the ETC/BD is funded by the European Environment Agency.

For more information, please contact the project leader: Ben Delbaere.

From 25 to 27 January 2012, 28 participants from five North-West European countries came together at Camp Reinsehlen (Schneverdingen, Lower Saxony, Germany) to test the first version of a training package for local biodiversity. The workshop was organized by the lead partner for this activity, Alfred Toepfer Naturschutzakademie, together with ECNC.

During a three-day programme the participants tested and evaluated the biodiversity training package for planners, which includes lectures, on-site visits, case studies and working groups. All modules will be presented online on the project website for interested parties to use.

Integrating biodiversity into local plans and actions offers many opportunities for local sustainable development. As a result of ongoing decentralization, local administrations have increasing responsibilities for the implementation of biodiversity-related policies.

The ECNC-led project ‘Local Skills for Biodiversity’ (BD SKILLS) is developing a biodiversity training approach for local administration staff based on best available practice. Staff will be trained with the new material, allowing them to better integrate biodiversity into local plans and actions. This will improve their technical knowledge, skills and personal development and increase their value on the labour market, which is being influenced by the greening of the economy. As a result, national and regional biodiversity-related policy objectives will be better integrated at the local level.

The results of the testing and evaluation of the training package will be used to improve the
materials, which will later be translated into Dutch, French and German. Training for local authorities will be offered as part of the project. The project results will be discussed at an international conference towards the end of the project in autumn 2012.

BD SKILLS is being carried out by a consortium of seven partners from five North-West European countries. The project is co-funded by the EU Leonardo da Vinci programme for Lifelong Learning.

For further information: www.biodiversityskills.eu.

Photo: The training participants, Aysegul Cil ©

On Wednesday 25 January the main hall of the Province House in ’s-Hertogenbosch was transformed into a biodiversity marketplace, whose theme was ‘Brabant: Good health from natural wealth’. The event was attended by about 400 participants who are engaged in various aspects of the relationship between biodiversity, health and nutrition.

The marketplace resulted in 50 matches between parties engaged in the management of nature and green spaces, food and agricultural production, and health care. The aim of the matches is to lead to agreements which result in benefits for nature and society in Brabant. Seven Brabant Green Deals were also signed. The deals involve cooperation between two or more organizations in Brabant, working together for better biodiversity, healthier food production or improved health for the people of Noord-Brabant.

Johan van den Hout, Regional Minister for Ecology and Conservation, opened the marketplace. He emphasized the role of biodiversity conservation as a vital pillar of the healthy economy of Brabant. He argued that building bridges between organizations and businesses, as the marketplace is doing, is the way to ensure a continued livable Brabant that is an attractive location for businesses. He stated: “We must show confidence in new initiatives and support cooperation between biodiversity, economy and health care.”

The event was chaired by Frank Petter, chairman of the Noord-Brabant Task Force on Biodiversity, chairman of the Provincial Health Council and Mayor of Woudrichem. He concluded that Noord-Brabant is leading the way in forging practical agreements between parties to promote biodiversity, health and sustainable food. He said: “Brabant must be greener and healthier – it’s wonderful that different companies, as well as ZLTO and the Provincial Health Council of Brabant, are participating so actively.”

Deals were made between a beekeepers association and the farming sector, aimed at introducing more flowers into the agricultural landscape in order to iincrease the bee’s chances of survival and to improve crop pollination. Twelve institutions – from nature associations, municipalities and water board to sheep farmers – have joined together to work for the conservation of the Kempen Heath by making greater use of sheep to manage nature in Brabant and marketing lamb as a regional product. Cooperation between the Provincial Health Council and several recreational enterprises will help to ensure that three care homes fit into their natural surroundings, at the same time using the surroundings to promote the well-being and health of the care-dependent guests.

ECNC organized the marketplace at the request of the Province of Noord-Brabant and the Noord-Brabant Task Force on Biodiversity. The marketplace was financially supported by the Province of Noord-Brabant. The biodiversity marketplace ‘Brabant: Good health from natural wealth’ was in part inspired by the NME package ‘Brabant pearls of biodiversity’, financed by the Province of Noord-Brabant and the Dutch national programme office for Nature and Environmental Education (Agentschap NL).

Photo: Biodiversity marketplace, Peter von Meijenfeldt ©

The SUSTAIN project team held its kick-off meeting, hosted by the University of Rennes, France, on 10 and 11 January 2012. SUSTAIN (Soil Functional Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, a Transdisciplinary Approach) is a research project funded by the ERA-NET SNOWMAN under the EU 6th Framework Programme. ECNC, host of the secretariat of the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB), is a project partner and will play a role in disseminating the project results.

The main objectives of SUSTAIN are to understand how reduced tillage systems, as compared to conventional tillage systems, impact soil functional biodiversity and soil functions such as soil structural maintenance, organic matter and nutrient cycling, water regulation, filtering and pest regulation. SUSTAIN will also quantify the consequences of reduced tillage systems on the soil ecosystem services of food production and greenhouse gas mitigation, and investigate the socio-economic sustainability of reduced tillage systems.

The involvement of the ELN-FAB will ensure Europe-wide dissemination of the results to the various stakeholder groups. The SUSTAIN project runs for three years (2011-2014).

For more information see: http://www.snowmannetwork.com/main.asp?id=110

ECNC has recently started work on the new EU biogeographic seminars process. The European Commission initiated this programme of new Natura 2000 seminars, based on biogeographic regions and involving ministries, experts, NGOs and other representatives from the relevant Member States. The aim of the seminars is to provide an interactive forum, supported by technical and stakeholder generated documentation, in which region specific solutions can be found to the problems of delivering sustainable site management now and in the future. The process of stakeholder engagement is intended to provide real-time identification and assessment of the key management issues in relation to Natura 2000 sites and to deliver ownership for the solutions, where necessary across boundaries. ECNC will provide technical and scientific support to the Commission in relation to the implementation of the new seminars process, including the logistic preparation of the Natura 2000 seminars and the preparatory workshops. 

ECNC's work is funded by the European Commission, DG Environment. For more information, please contact the project leader: Lawrence Jones-Walters.

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