EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL ENVIRONMENT Directrate B - Natural Capital ENV.B.2 - Bidiversity ENV.B.3 - Nature CGBN C-rdinatin Grup fr Bidiversity and Nature 22 nd meeting 15/03/2017 Agenda item 4 Planned Cmmissin reprt t the Eurpean Parliament, the Cuncil f the Eurpean Unin, the Eurpean Ecnmic and Scial Cmmittee and the Cmmittee f the Regins, n the review f prgress in the implementatin f the EU Green Infrastructure Strategy 1. Cntext NFODOC.4) Respnding t the Eurpe 2020 Strategy, the Resurce Efficiency Radmap, and the EU Bidiversity Strategy t 2020, the Cmmissin adpted an EU Green Infrastructure Strategy in 2013 (COM(2013) 249 final) 1, with a view t help cnserving and enhancing ur natural capital and cntributing t achieving Eurpe's bidiversity by 2020. The strategy prvides fr an enabling framewrk cntaining a cmbinatin f plicy signals and technical r scientific actins. As stated in the strategy, at the time f its adptin it was deemed that it culd be implemented within the cntext f existing legislatin, plicy instruments and funding mechanisms. The strategy cntains a number f pririty wrk streams and suggested actins such as i) prmting Green Infrastructure (GI) in the main plicy areas; ii) imprving infrmatin, strengthening the knwledge base and prmting innvatin; iii) imprving access t finance; and iv) develping EU-level GI prjects by e.g. assessing the pprtunities (csts and ecnmic, scial and envirnmental benefits) f develping an EU TEN-G initiative (EU Trans Eurpean Netwrk fr Green Infrastructure). Besides, the strategy fresees that by the end f 2017, the Cmmissin shuld review prgress n develping GI, and publish a reprt n the lessns learnt tgether with recmmendatins fr future actin. This initiative is aimed at respnding t the call fr such a review. 1 http://ec.eurpa.eu/envirnment/nature/ecsystems/strategy/index_en.htm
2. Cntent and prcess Prgress at EU level The Cmmissin will take stck f the actins it has develped at EU level, as regards the 4 wrk streams identified in the Strategy, and f prgress in their implementatin. The cmmissin will als draw lessns frm this review fr the future, including by suggesting areas in which further effrts and initiative(s) may be necessary t scale up the deplyment f GI thrughut the EU in cnjunctin with the Nature Actin Plan. It will als feed in the final review f the EU Bidiversity Strategy t 2020. Prgress in Member States With the help f cntractrs (a relevant cntract is being led by IEEP, with supprt frm Trinmics, IUCN and WCMC), and f the EEA-ETC BD 2, the GI-related cuntry fiches available in the Bidiversity Infrmatin System fr Eurpe (BISE 3 ), as well as the GI-related cuntry infrmatin cmpiled fr the recent Envirnmental Implementatin Review 4, will be updated and cmplemented. The cntractrs will cnsult Member States in the cming weeks with targeted questins abut the implementatin f the EU GI Strategy in their territry, including the prgress made and the difficulties encuntered. The resulting fiches, nce finalised in cperatin with the MS, will be made available in BISE. The structure f such fiches is indicated in annex t this nte. We wuld like t thank very much Member States and stakehlders in advance fr their cperatin. 3. Timelines The cntractrs will cntact Member States' authrities (and ther stakehlders) with sme targeted questins in the curse f March/April, fr respnses by the end f May 2017. The cuntry review shuld be finalised by July 2017. In parallel, the Cmmissin will wrk n a synthesis reprt, which will build n the review f prgress made at EU level as well as at Member State level. The Cmmissin will share infrmally the main findings f its review with the Members f the CGBN and the Wrking Grup n Green Infrastructure and Restratin by September 2017. The Cmmissin reprt will then be cnslidated and finalised thrugh apprpriate internal prcedures during Octber and Nvember, fr a final adptin by December 2017. * * * * * * 2 3 4 http:// bd.einet.eurpa.eu http://bidiversity.eurpa.eu/cuntries/gi http://ec.eurpa.eu/envirnment/eir/index_en.htm 2
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Annex: structure f cuntry fiches 1. POLICY SETTING What natinal r reginal plicies (e.g. strategy, plans, prgrammes, legislatin, guidelines, standards, and framewrks) related t GI are in place? Please include plicies which explicitly cver GI, as well as any plicies that are implicitly related t GI (e.g. plicies regarding cnnectivity, restratin). Are there any further plicy initiatives in preparatin? Is there any infrmatin available abut the natinal prgress twards Target 2 f the EU Bidiversity Strategy, in particular is there a natinal restratin Priritisatin Framewrk, and t what extent d GI initiatives in the MS cntribute t this, r achieving the 15% restratin target in general? 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF GI What are the mst ntable GI prjects r initiatives implemented in the Member State? If pssible, please include examples frm different levels: Lcal Reginal Natinal Crss-brder 3. MAINSTREAMING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Are GI cnsideratins integrated int ther plicy areas? GI can be cnsidered explicitly, but als implicitly as, fr example, multifunctinal natural slutins r greening measures. Please indicate whether/hw GI is integrated in the fllwing plicy areas: Agriculture Frestry Urban plicy 4
Spatial planning Water management Disaster risk reductin Marine and castal plicy Transprt infrastructure Energy infrastructure Turism and leisure Ecnmy Health Educatin, sprt and culture Other 4. FINANCING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE Hw is GI being funded in the Member State? What funds are available that can be used fr GI? Is there any estimate f the amunts available frm different surces and instruments? What is rughly the prprtin f financing frm different surces (EU, natinal, reginal, private sectr)? Is there a financing gap that hampers the achievement f GI plicy gals? Fr which type f GI in particular? Have any studies been carried ut f the csts f GI initiatives, and if s what were the verall csts and their breakdwn? 5
5. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GI DEVELOPMENT Best practice/pints f excellence: What are the pints f excellence f this Member State regarding GI? Can they be replicated in ther Member States? Challenges/gaps/needs: What are the main challenges fr GI develpment? Are there any gaps between plicy gals and implementatin r between current plicies and achievement f Target 2 f the EU Bidiversity Strategy? What kind f supprt is needed t fill the gaps and t vercme challenges? Opprtunities: Are there any elements that can be explited t the advantage f GI develpment, fr example changes within plicy r markets, r demgraphic r scial changes? Benefits: Have any mnitring studies been carried ut f the impacts f any GI initiatives (r related prgrammes) in terms f bidiversity, ther envirnmental issues, ecsystem services, scial, ecnmic and welfare benefits? 6. KNOWLEDGE BASE: What methds, tls, maps and databases have been develped and successfully used fr GI develpment by this Member State? Fr example: GIS data cllectin and tls Ecsystem (services) assessment and mapping (MAES) activities Selected research prjects in the scientific cmmunity 7. FURTHER RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS List f relevant and interesting websites, articles, brchures etc. 8. LIST OF CONSULTED REFERENCES Please prvide full references details, e.g. names and initials f all authrs, and full jurnal names and pages numbers, r full bk titles, publishers and place f publicatin. 6