Cohesion policy investing in biodiversity

Mathieu FichterTeam leader "Sustainable

Growth"European Commission - DG

REGIO

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Content

1) Biodiversity in the current cohesion policy

2) Biodiversity in the proposal for the 2014-2020 cohesion policy

3) Project examples

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Biodiversity in the 2007-13 cohesion

policy

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Cohesion Policy 2007-13Cohesion Policy 07-

13(€ 348 billion)

European Regional

Development Fund

(ERDF)

Cohesion Fund

European Social Fund

(ESF)

DG REGIO DG EMPLOYMENT

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Investments into 'environment' in 2007-13 Cohesion Policy

Environmentalservices & infrastructure

Low Carbon

Economy

Eco-Innovation30% of total

available funding 2007-2013

€ 105 billion for the environment over 2007-2013

- € 54 B on 'environmental services': waste & water management, nature & biodiversity protection, risk prevention

- € 48 B on 'low-carbon': clean transport, energy efficiency & renewables

- € 3 B on eco-innovation in SMEs

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Investments

• Nature protection & biodiversity seen through the concept of ‘ecosystem services’

• Direct support to nature/biodiversity (including Natura 2000) :– € 3,9 billion (promotion of biodiversity and natural assets

and nature protection)

• Indirect support to nature/biodiversity:– € 19.3 billion (waste water treatment, rehabilitation of

contaminated sites, natural risk prevention)

• This amount is leveraged by national contributions!

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0

100,000,000

200,000,000

300,000,000

400,000,000

500,000,000

600,000,000

700,000,000

800,000,000

900,000,000

1,000,000,000

AT BE BG CB CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GR HU IE IT LT LV MT NL PL PT RO SE SI SK UK

Use of 2007-13 Cohesion Policy funding on 'Biodiversity' by end 2011 (EU average of 58%)

Planned amount by MS in €

Amount allocated to projects by end 2011 in €

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Biodiversity in the proposal for the

2014-2020 cohesion policy

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Cohesion policy 2014-20: mission & goals

• Adoption of EC proposal on 06/10/2010 COM(2011) 615

• Mission:– reduce disparities between Europe's regions

strengthening economic, social and terrritorial cohesion

– contribute to the Union Strategy of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

• Goals:– Investment for growth and jobs– European Territorial cooperation

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Thematic objectives

• Among the 11 thematic objectives, 3 on sustainable growth:

– Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors (Thematic Objective Nr 4)

– Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management (Thematic Objective Nr 5)

– Protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency (Thematic Objective Nr 6)

• For every thematic objective there’s a list of investment priorities which set the aims for intervention

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Thematic concentrationMinimum share of ERDF investments on:

• shift towards a low carbon economy • research & innovation

• competitiveness of SMEs

Less developed regionsMore developed & transition regions

80%

20%

50%

6%

Proposal for the 2014-2020 CP regulation

• ERDF Investment Priority on:•"protecting biodiversity, soil protection and promoting ecosystem services including NATURA 2000 and green infrastructures;• "action to improve the urban environment, including regeneration of brownfield sites and reduction of air pollution";

• Cohesion Fund Investment Priority on:• "protecting and restoring biodiversity, including through green infrastructures"• "improving the urban environment, including regeneration of brownfield sites and reduction of air pollution

•Differences between scope of ERDF vs. CF on:• Natura 2000 (not in CF)• Soil protection (not in CF)• Restoring biodiversity (not in ERDF)

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Common Strategic Framework

• Key targets and objectives of all the CSF Funds (ERDF, EAFRD, Cohesion Fund, EMFF, ESF)

• Key actions for each for each CSF Fund: identify those key actions with the greatest impact on growth and jobs

• General implementation principles of the CSF Funds

• Facilitate the development of Partnership Contracts & OP's

• Closer coordination of CSF funds to achieve simplification & increased synergies among funds

Common Strategic Framework

Investments in biodiversity &

ecosystem services

Soil protection

Prioritised Action Framework

Investments in green

infrastructure

Investment in Natura 2000

Financial instruments

Risk prevention

Water retention, wetlands…

Coastal protection

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Community led local development (CLLD)

• New possibility in 2014-2020 cohesion policy

• Have an integrated bottom-up approach & ensure involvement of local communities

• Integrated, multi-sectoral & area-based local development

• Led by local action groups (public & private local socio-economic interests): design & implement local development strategies

• Potentially good instrument for 'biodiversity type' projects/programmes

• MS need to 'select' it in the Partnership Agreement• http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/community_en.pdf

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Innovation for sustainable growth with the 2014-2020

cohesion policy

Photo credit: Kheng Guan Toh

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Cohesion Cohesion Policy funding Policy funding

for R&Ifor R&I

2007-2013 2007-2013

Cohesion Policy innovation support over total aid:

4% in 89’-93’

7% in 94’-99’

11% in 00’-06’

25% in 07’-13’

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Innovation • Invest in innovation for:

Water efficiency, water recyclingDevelopment & deployment of monitoring systems in:

• Biodiversity (bio-indicators…)• Air quality…

Ecosystem services, Payment for Ecosystem Services…

Geographic & Environmental information systems (GMES – Inspire Directive)

Resource efficiency Eco-innovations in companies/SMEs

Areas of investments in innovations

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Sustainable Urban Development

• Support integrated actions to tackle the economic, environmental, climate and social challenges affecting urban areas

• ERDF = increased focus on sustainable urban development:– to be achieved through earmarking of a minimum of 5%

of national ERDF resources for SUD

• Integrate biodiversity/nature aspects in sustainable urban development programmes/plans

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Regulations

Strategic programming

Common Strategic

Framework

PartnershipContract

Operational Programmes

Projects

Proposed by Commission

Commission delegated act

Prepared by MS in dialogue with Commission, approval if Commission observations taken into account

Drawn up by MS in cooperation with partners

MS, except major projects, where documentation submitted to Commission, approval needed

Increasing MS

competence

Thematic objectives contribute to EU 2020

Translates objectives and targets of EU 2020 into key actions

Alignment with EU 2020: evaluation, results expected, indicative allocation by thematic objective

Strategy consistent with CSF, thematic objectives, investment priorities, etc.

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Project examples

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Geographic information system in Caribbean's

• CARIBSAT: Caribbean Satellite Environmental Information System (www.caribstat.com)

• Launched in 2009 for 2 years - € 2.8 Million with € 1.9 Million ERDF - Lead Partner: Centre IRD Martinique-Caraïbes

• International partnership with public bodies, universities, research organisations

• Develop instrument to monitor the environment in the Lesser Antilles based on an online geographic atlas supplied by satellite images, ground environmental data & hydro-meteorological reports

• Targeted on preservation of the biodiversity in land and sea, the management of the natural risks & impact of climate change

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Azorean Biodiversity Portal• ERDF co-financed development of a

unique IT based information system on biodiversity in the Azores islands, www.azoresbioportal.angra.uac.pt

• Resource for fundamental research in biodiversity, education and conservation management

• Provides an original platform for bio-geographical and macro-ecological research on islands

• Species database comprised of spatial grid-based (500x500 m) presence-absence information for ca. 5000 species

• Many species are also accompanied by images from collections and/or live specimen

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Research on Biodiversity in Canarias Islands

• Centre for research in biodiversity & environment

• University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – 3 research groups to improve knowledge & management of natural areas in Canarias - www.bioges.org

• Creation of a biodiversity data bank http://www.biodiversidadcanarias.es

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Water retention in forests in PL

• Improving the surface water resources, soil and groundwater

• Re-naturisation of watercourses and wetlands

• Aligning and slowing water runoff during flood events (flood retention)

• Minimizing the risk and preventing droughts

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Small scale water retention in lowlands

Small scale water retention in mountain areas

Est.Investment:

ca. 50 M EUR (ca. 34,2 M by Cohesion Fund)

Number of structures:

over 3000

Water Storage

Capacity:

over 31 million m3 (including storage of groundwater)

Est.Investment:

ca. 43 M EUR (ca. 30 M by Cohesion Fund)

Number of structures:

over 3500

Water Storage

Capacity:

over 1,2 million m3 without storage of groundwater

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Green Infrastructure (eco-corridors) in FR

• Build a regional network of preserved areas based on ecological corridors (Green & Blue corridors)

• Deployment of territorial contracts on ‘biological corridors’

• Extensive work with local actors / municipalities / associations / environment and water authorities

• Investments in eco-bridges, restoration of wetlands, trainings in schools and municipalities…

• Planned costs over 5 years : € 3.6 million with 1.28 million ERDF.

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Conclusions

• Funding still available to invest in biodiversity through current Cohesion Policy in the next years (actual spending of current Cohesion Policy until 2015)!’

• Future Cohesion Policy provides clear support to biodiversity, Natura 2000 & Green Infrastructure

• Prepare now the post-2013 period!

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Many thanks for your attention