DG ENV activities on ecosystem assessment

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Ecosystem assessment and ecosystem services mapping could indicate priority areas for the implementation of Green Infrastructure (links ecosystem – ecosystem functions – ecosystem services and the role of biodiversity, priority ecosystem services and potential trade-offs for GI, spatial distribution of ecosystem services, …)

An Expert Working Group on Green Infrastructure will provide recommendations on what the EC work on Green Infrastructure should tackle from the view of stakeholders, Member States and scientists (foreseen to be published in October 2011).

The EC commissioned sixservice contracts to analyse experiences made on GI-related issues, to elaborate cost-benefit figures, and to propose best practices. Results will be available end of 2011, and afterwards be published.The most relevant studies covering Green Infrastructure topics in the DG:

  • Green Infrastructure Implementation and Efficiency (led by IEEP; B.2)
  • Design, implementation and cost elements of GI projects (led by Ecologic; F.1)
  • Assessment of the potential of ecosystem-based approaches to CC adaptation and mitigation in Europe (led by Ecologic; B.2)
  • Costs, benefits and climate proofing of natural water retention measures (led by Stella Consulting; D.1)
  • Integration of nature & biodiversity and land use data (led by GeoVille; B.2)

Exploration of information and data sources on how to map Green Infrastructure has been started with EEA, ETC-BD and -SIA, and JRC.

BISE/WISE

There will also be a service contract for the further development of theBiodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE) - a portal to support post-2010 Biodiversity policies(€200,000 renewable twice)

This service contract will assist the European Commission and the European Environment Agency in the maintenance, improvement, possible updating of the content, and further development of BISE, in particular of the reporting tools and functionalities necessary for monitoring, assessing and reporting on the state of and pressures on biodiversity, on meeting the 2020 targets and on the delivery of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2011-2020 and the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

A similar contract will be renewed for WISE (freshwater and marine) and cross-cutting work is foreseen under both BISE and WISE contracts.

European Species Assessments (Red Lists) for ecosystem services-related species(€150,000 renewable twice)

The overall objective of this contract is the production of a set of European Red Lists according to IUCN criteria on pan-European and EU-level. The task is focused on two important ecological groups: Pollinators and Medicinal Plants.[1]. It will add an interesting dimension of linking the status of these species to the state of key ecosystem services, which are receiving more and more political attention in the EU and global post-2010 biodiversity policy frameworks.

Financing needs for implementing (restricted call EUR 124 500)

This contract will deliver a scoping study on the financing needs to implement Target 2 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. It is expected to compile existing information and undertake further analysis to provide an estimation of financing needs for implementing Target 2 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy focusing in particular on the restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems, based on the Actions outlined in the Strategy to reach this Target. It should also provide a general analysis of the main financing means that will need to be considered, looking in particular at the extent to which private sources could complement financing from the main EU instruments.

As part of this analysis, the Contractor will provide an assessment of the current extent of degradation of ecosystems and ecosystem services, based on the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline , the ongoing PRESS (PEER Research on Ecosystem Services) project , and other existing information at EU, national and local level. A baseline scenario should be developed, looking at the likely further degradation and/or improvement of ecosystems up to 2020, factoring in to the extent possible the amount of restoration expected through existing legislation, including the Habitats and Birds Directives, the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive .

The Contractor will further explore a number of potential key scenarios for implementing the target of achieving at least 15% of degraded ecosystems in the EU. This could include inter alia: achieving at least 15% of restoration for each main type of ecosystems as described in the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline, achieving at least 15% of restoration at the level of each EU Member State, or achieving at least 15% at EU level overall, with some flexibility on the contribution from each Member State (or through a 'burden sharing' scheme), or on the different types of ecosystem covered. Under each scenario, restoration would be guided by a prioritisation framework using criteria such as: extent of degradation of ecosystems; provision of key ecosystem services and cost-benefit ratios of restoration, but the level of application of this framework would vary, at EU or MemberState level, or within a specific type of ecosystem. The Contractor shall propose the set of criteria and agree upon it with the Commission. The implications of the amount of restoration expected to take place under the baseline scenario for each implementation scenario should be factored into the analysis.

EU science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services

DG ENV will soon commission a service contract towards an EU mechanism interfacing science and policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services (€125,000 renewable twice).

The overall objective of this contract is to contribute to the strengthening of the science policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe. In particular, this contract is to further develop and validate modalities and institutional options of interfacing science and policy on biodiversity and ecosystem services and to test them on cases to be selected with the Commission.

Restricted contract for TEEB follow-up study for Europe: a synthesis of approaches to assess and value ecosystem services in the EU

The multiplication of TEEB follow-up activities increases the need for a clear analysis of existing approaches, the methodologies used and the progress made. There is also a need to further explore how to build on these initiatives to work towards an ecosystem assessment at EU level.

The objectives of this contract are threefold:

1)building upon recent outlooks on ecosystem assessments in Europe and globally, to gather and synthesize information on, and evaluate, recent and on-going initiatives relevant to the assessment of the economic value of ecosystem services, and the integration of these values into accounting and reporting systems at EU and national level as required under Action 5 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020;

2)to explore how the different steps could be articulated in a coherent framework to assist Member States in implementing Action 5; and

3)to examine how the different approaches could be upscaled and combined, and to explore how this work could feed into an EU-level ecosystem assessment.The study should focus in particular on the economic valuation of ecosystem services, which has been the main focus of TEEB, and address other aspects of Action 5, such as the biophysical assessment of ecosystem services, to the extent that they are necessary for economic valuation.

Theses studies (and others) will be an integral part of the work on the Common Implementation Framework of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.

Follow-up work foreseen for 2012:

Priorities for restoration of ecosystems and their services in the EU (EUR 220 000)

The objective of this study is to develop a framework for prioritising ecosystem restoration work within the EU, to develop scenarios and options for implementing the 15% restoration target, and to review financing instruments to achieve the target.

The work will be structured around 5 key tasks:

  1. Review possible criteria for a prioritisation framework
  2. Develop spatially-explicit scenarios for restoration in the EU based on these criteria, and work on assessing and mapping ecosystems, and options for implementing the 15% restoration target
  3. Update and complete the assessment of costs and benefits of restoration options
  4. Investigate potential financing instruments to achieve the restoration target, with a specific focus on payments for ecosystem services
  5. Organise a stakeholder workshop to get stakeholder views on the different options

MS mapping of ecosystems and their services in the EU (200 000 renewable twice)

The aim of the contract is to help the Commission to set the methodological framework for assessing European ecosystems and ecosystem services, based on the work undertaken by the RUBICODE consortium and published in the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline. The tasks will focus on two main streams of work: the assessment and mapping of 1) main ecosystems; 2) main ecosystem services and 3) their interlinkages in Europe.

  1. Analyse how the outcomes of the current MS reporting obligations under the Habitats and Birds Directives (and in particular the assessment of good conservation status of species and habitats of European interest), under the Water Framework Directive (and in particular the assessment of good ecological status of freshwaters) and under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (and in particular the assessment of the good environmental status of marine environment) could underpin the data flow to support future assessment and mapping of main ecosystems and their main services in the MS and at EU level.
  2. Use the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline as framework and map existing initiatives, within DG ENV, EEA and ETCs, JRC and RTD (This task will cover app. 45% of the contract's resources: 90.000 EUR).
  3. Analyse how the outcomes of the current EU initiatives on the assessment of mapping of main ecosystem services within DG ENV, EEA, JRC, ESTAT and R&I, including relevant ongoing initiatives in the Member States and TEEB could underpin the work on assessment and mapping of main ecosystems services in the MS and at EU level.
  4. Use the EU 2010 Biodiversity Baseline as framework and map existing initiatives, within DG ENV, EEA and ETCs, JRC and RTD (This task will cover app. 25% of the contract's resources: 50.000 EUR).
  5. Based on analyses 1 and 2, identify main gaps and opportunities to fill some of these gaps. Consult with Biodiversity Group of Four (i.e. DG ENV, EEA, JRC, ESTAT, R&I) and MS on how to fill these gaps (This task will cover app. 15% of the contract's resources: 30.000 EUR).
  6. Prepare an implementation plan for an assessment and mapping of ecosystems and of their services in Europe by 2014 (This task will cover app. 10% of the contract's resources: 20.000 EUR).

No net loss of ecosystems and their services in the EU: review of relevant legislation and practices and future policy options (EUR 220 000)

The objective of this study is to evaluate the extent to which the objective of no net loss of ecosystems and their services can be reached through existing legislation, identify legislative and implementation gaps that might need to be filled in through an initiative at EU level, and explore options based on ongoing practices in EU Member States.

The work will be structured around 5 key tasks:

  1. Review existing legislation and identify gaps, including through case studies on the implementation of no-net-loss policies at national or pilot level in relevant Member States
  2. Estimate the current rate of incremental loss of ecosystems based on existing legislation (baseline)
  3. Develop possible policy options for further action at EU level
  4. Investigate costs and benefits of policy options
  5. Organise a workshop to get stakeholder views on the possible options.

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[1]The assessments shall supplement the current European Assessments for birds, mammals, fresh-water fish, amphibians, reptiles, dragonflies, butterflies, saproxylic Beetles, molluscs, and vascular plants, which have been published recentlySee for results of that assessment financed by the European Commission