Financing Natura nd French workshop report

Transcription

1 Financing Natura nd French workshop report The European Union funding period - Chances and challenges for the national implementation of Natura october 2006 Muséum d Histoire Naturelle, Orleans November 2006

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3 1. Introduction As the designation process set out in the Habitats Directive nears its conclusion, attention now turns more towards management of sites. The formulation of management plans (Docobs in French) has already started and should be completed in the coming 2 to 3 years. The implementation of these plans clearly raises the issue of the availability of the financial and other resources required. DG Environment launched an EU wide tender project called Financing Natura 2000 Guidance and Workshops. The Commission wishes to advise and support Member States in using the options of Community co-financing for Natura 2000 in the period This is intended to be achieved by two different means : Publishing detailed guidance on how the Community funds for the period can be used to support the Natura 2000 network Organisation of workshops in each Member State to eplain on the spot how the Community funds for the period can be used for the Natura 2000 network. On October 2005, the consortium WWF- Germany, Institute for European Policy and nova-institute signed the contract for the 1rst phase. In this contet, a funding Agreement was signed between WWF- Germany and ATEN for preparing and conducting a 2 day- workshop in France during which the Guidance handbook was presented and the access to Community funds for Natura 2000 was considered taking into account the concrete French situation. This first workshop has been launched un June 2006 (see previous report) A second workshop has been prepared by ATEN in close co-operation with Eurosite and it has been decided to organise this second workshop during the general assembly of Eurosite in Orleans, 25 to 27 October During summer 2006, ATEN was involved in the preparing and organising of the event: date and venue of the workshop were decided, the target groups were specified, speakers were selected, finance procedures were clarified. A letter of invitation with information concerning the workshop venue included in the overall event was sent by Eurosite. 3

4 2. Workshop characteristics The workshop was part of the Eurosite General Assembly, October Country France Date of workshop 26 October 2006 Duration 1/2 day Town, Place Orleans. Muséum d Histoire Naturelle Number of 20 participants National workshop G.I.P ATEN (responsible: Yves Verilhac) partner National authority Representative of the French Ministry of Ecology Available budget (in round term) Final budget on request 3. Target and target groups The objective of the workshop was to support and strengthen the Natura 2000 financing aspects in the programme planning process on European level. In the table below, please find how intensely the targets were focussed. Target To eplain the logic of the integration option to finance Natura 2000 To inform about EU funding opportunities to finance Natura 2000 To present national programming approach of EU funds To identify funding gaps To influence national programming To inform about national funding opportunities To create dialogue and networks Other targets: identify recommendations for Eurosite 4

5 About 20 persons participated to the workshop. Natura 2000 actors from NGOs and institutions from France, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Cyprus, Spain, and Netherlands. Target group How many representatives? Foreign participants Institutional 2 NGO s 5 Authorities: Ministry of environment 3 Ministry of agriculture, fisheries, forests etc. Ministry of work, industry, economy etc. Ministry of European affairs Ministry of Finance Other relevant authorities Stakeholders / umbrella organisations: Environmental NGO s and land managers 5 Farmers, foresters, hunters, fishermen, 3 aquaculturalists Private and public land owners 2 Others 5

6 4. Workshop content The programme has been defined as follows : - Presentation based on EU general frame for Natura 2000 financing beyond Open discussion to point out strength and weaknesses of the new integration option - Presentation of the framework that will be used to compare the Natura 2000 network in 10 EU countries. - Interactive discussion to echange participants eperiences Therefore the workshop was based on presentations and discussion. Since this workshop was aiming at networking between international level actors, and as the workshop was included within a general assembly of an European organisation (Eurosite) it was not recommended to strictly follow the proposed chart and evaluation frame given by the EU tender project team! Core modules: Integration of Natura 2000 Guidance handbook Framework conditions Optional modules: National funding information Good practice Success factors Using LEADER for nature conservation Follow-up actions Other / additional topics: 6

7 5. Summary results of the workshop The workshop summary is published on the Eurosite webpage: Workshop objectives: To disseminate the results of national seminars on financing Natura 2000 To take stock on European funding opportunities, their processes and priorities To discuss possible Eurosite involvement in the funding problem 1) Background: The EU tender: Initiative of the European Commission DG Environment Tender won by WWF Germany, Nova Institute and IEEP Seminars on Funding for Natura 2000 were organised in 27 member states with the support of national partners More than 1500 participants to those seminars so far Results are available from almost all seminars by 10 November Main conclusions from the national workshops so far: Positive points: Integration as an opportunity to mobilise all stakeholders at the same time Actors will be more involved in the planning and programming The EU funding manual available in all EU languages Negative points: 7

8 Strong doubt about the final results of integration (only 33% of participants are confident that it will work) The EU funding manual needs to be adapted to national and regional specifications The visibility of Natura 2000 in the whole body of the funds is low How to combine EU funding with the local and national funding options Low level of transparency and information about national funding National fund managers have given a low priority to Natura ) The situation in France 1674 sites, 12% of the French territory (More details see report of the first French workshop) 3) European Funding options intro and description ERDF LIFE + EAFRD LEADER Conclusion: Funding Natura 2000, it is like LEGO building blocks 4) Points of main discussion and recommendations given during the workshop work: Issue n 1 : Ongoing efficient field management continue the inventory and knowledge search about the Natura sites, be present in the implementation of the management plans be involved as a consultative actor Recommendation n 1 Be ready to eplain how nature conservation contributes to local socio-economic development. Be a consultative actor in the implementation and management. 8

9 Issue n 2 : How to get sufficient funding for the sites, Eurosite or some euros for the sites Stronger competition and compleity to access the funding Development of specific funding competences The feeling of field managers to be left alone Recommendation n 2 To develop practical guidance tools to be used by the site managers To think about how to get the needed new competence in financial engineering Issue n 3 : The net European steps 2007 Mid term review of the initial Conservation state 2008 Revision of the general financial agreement for Recommendation n 3 Be ready as European network to communicate on common difficulties 6. Feedback from participants The feedback from participants shows that most of the epectations were fulfilled and the organisation of the workshop was adequate. Nevertheless, doubts about the future funding of protected areas still prevail and people are worried about the unclear perspectives for financing Natura The lack of transparency of the national programming and planning as well as the lack of clarity concerning Life+ doesn t make people very confident with the future funding period. About fifty handbooks were distributed to participants of the Eurosite general assembly. 7. Anne Eurosite annual conference programme october 2006 Workshop programme Financing Natura 2000 within Eurosite conference 9

10 Contact: ATEN (address see below) Emmanuel Thevenin emmanuel.thevenin@espaces-naturels.fr G.I.P ATELIER TECHNIQUE DES ESPACES NATURELS ENSAM ADRESSE POSTALE : 2 place Viala Montpellier cede 2 SIEGE ET LIVRAISON : Annee Mandon bât , rue de Las Sorbes Tél Fa aten@espaces-naturels.fr GIP ATEN - Groupement d intérêt public M i n i s t è r e d e l 'É c o l o g i e e t d u d é v e l o p p e m e n t d u r a b l e, P a r c s n a t i o n a u, C o n s e r v a t o i r e d e l e s p a c e l i t t o r a l e t d e s r i v a g e s l a c u s t r e s, R é s e r v e s n a t u r e l l e s d e F r a n c e, F é d é r a t i o n d e s P a r c s n a t u r e l s r é g i o n a u d e F r a n c e, S t a t i o n b i o l o g i q u e d e l a T o u r d u V a l a t, F é d é r a t i o n d e s c o n s e r v a t o i r e s d 'e s p a c e s n a t u r e l s.