Introduction to the EEAits work on biodiversity indicators andlinks to policy

Sophie Condé, MNHN, European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity

Ben Delbaere ECNC, on behalf of European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity

Table of Contents

1. Institutional context

2. Common language on indicators

3. EEA activities on indicators

4. Links to policy needs

Table of Contents

1. Institutional context

What is EEA?

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an agency of the European Union.

• provide sound, independent information on the environment.

• major information source for those involved in developing, adopting,

implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public

• European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity: 9 partners including MNHN and ECNC

Thank you for your attention

What is EIONET?

European Environment Information and Observation Network

EIONET West Balkans activities

Extension of the main EEA topic areas to the West Balkan countries

funded by Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA)

1. CSI Core Set of Indicators2. SOE State and outlook reporting3. Sustainable consumption, production

And Waste4. Biodiversity5. Inland, Coastal & Marine waters6. Air emissions and air quality7. Spatial Information and Analysis

Table of Contents

2. Common language on indicators

What is an indicator? (1)

Several definitions according to the context, the needs and the goals

• Biological indicator/evaluative indicator: presence of a species that reacts sensitively to changes in environmental conditions (Heink et al, 2010) plants and soil

• Information based on measured data used to represent a particular attribute, characteristic, or property of a system (MA, 2005a) oxygen in freshwater

• A variable that describes the state of a system (Walz, 2000)

What is an indicator? (2)

Several definitions according to the context, the needs and the goals

• An indicator in ecology and environmental planning is a component or a measure of environmentally relevant phenomena used to depict or evaluate environmental conditions or changes or to set/assess environmental goals.

Environmentally relevant phenomena are pressures, states, and responses. OECD (2003)

• Scientific indicator versus Policy Indicator

What is needed for a policy indicator?

1. Simplification2. Quantification3. Standardisation

an indicator ‘d summarize complex, (disparate) sets of dataan indicator ‘d be based on comparable scientific observations or statistical measuresan indicator ‘d related on time-series data

4. Communication: an indicator ‘d provide a clear message

Four basic functions:

Criteria for selection of biodiversity indicators

1. Policy relevant and meaningful2. Biodiversity relevant3. Target relevant4. Well founded methodology: clear, well defined, simple5. Acceptance by stakeholders6. Routinely collected data: regular collected, clearly defined and

scientifically acceptable data7. Cause-effect relationship: in order to link pressures, state and

responses8. Good spatial coverage according to the studied area9. Temporal trend10. Sensitivity towards change11. Representative of the DPSIR model12. Small in number13. Aggregation & flexibility: ‘d be facilitated on a range of scales

Table of Contents

3. EEA activities on indicators

EEA Core Set of Indicators

Started in 2000’s and aimed to• provide a manageable and stable basis for indicator reporting by the EEA

on the web and in its indicators-based reports • prioritise improvements in the quality and geographical coverage of data

flows, especially priority data flows of the European environment information and observation network (Eionet)

• streamline EEA/Eionet contributions to other European and global indicator initiatives, e.g. structural indicators and sustainable development indicators.

In 2004, the EEA Management Board approved the Core Set of Indicators, a set of 37 environmental indicators with 3 biodiversity indicators.

In 2005, the Indicator Management System tool was launched to manage and put online a first version of the CSI.

EEA Core Set of Indicators: on-going revision

SEBI - Streamlining European Biodiversity Indicators

• Initiated in 2005 to select a set of indicators to monitor progress towards halting biodiversity loss by 2010 in Europe

• Partnership between: EEA & ETC/BD, EC, UNEP-WCMC, PEBLDS and Czech Republic

• SEBI built on the conceptual framework provided by the CBD, and worked with a set of headline indicators within the CBD focal areas

• Involvement of nearly 150 experts allowed to develop a set of 26 indicators

26 specific indicators

STATUS AND TRENDS OF COMPONENTS OF BIODIVERSITY1. Abundance and distribution of selected species2. Red List Index for European species3. Species of European interest4. Ecosystem coverage5. Habitats of European interest6. Livestock genetic diversity7. Nationally designated protected areas8. Sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives

SUSTAINABLE USE17. Forest: Growing stock, increment and fellings18. Forest: Deadwood19. Agriculture: Nitrogen balance 20. Agriculture: Area under management practices potentially supporting biodiversity21. Fisheries: European commercial fish stocks 22. Aquaculture: Effluent water quality from finfish farms23. Ecological Footprint of European countries

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY9. Critical load exceedance for nitrogen10. Invasive alien species in Europe11. Impact of climatic change on bird populations

CROSS-CUTTING24. Patent applications based on genetic resources25. Financing biodiversity management26. Public awareness

ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY, GOODS AND SERVICES12. Marine Trophic Index of European seas13. Fragmentation of natural and semi-natural areas14. Fragmentation of river systems15. Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters16. Freshwater quality

Representation of countries in the SEBI set

SEBI indicators publicly available online on EEA IMS (Indicator Management System)

2010 Assessments based onSEBI indicator set

SEBI support to EU policy

• Input to monitor progress of the 6th Environmental Action Programme

• Input into the 2010 assessment of Biodiversity Action Plan

• Supported heavily the EU 2010 Baseline• …

Assessment of role of SEBI in developing the national biodiversity indicator sets

• Questionnaire sent in May 2011

• 22 countries answered

• Questionnaire on the SEBI process, not on particular issues related to e.g. the indicator methodology

Some results

SEBI 2012 report

2 main purposes:

• summarise and document the achievements of the SEBI process related to measuring progress towards the 2010 target

• show strengths of both the process and the indicator set to underpin measurement of the 2020 targets as well as the challenges of making the proposed indicators a high quality, operational set.

Key strengths of SEBI

• mobilising existing data and expertise

• developing a stakeholder process to identify policy-relevant biodiversity indicators

• links to and anchoring in national, EU, pan‑European and global processes

• streamlining the process of biodiversity indicator development and reporting at several levels – reducing the burden of reporting requirements

• links to expert networks in Europe.

4. Links to policy needs

• At global level: CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity

• 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets under 5 Strategic Goals

• 5th national reports, due by 31 March 2014, should focus on the

implementation of the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan and progress

achieved towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020

• A new 2020 Pan European Strategy adopted in 2012

2020 Pan European Strategy

EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020

HEADLINE TARGET: halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss;

Council Conclusions March 2010

Targets

1. Conserving and restoring nature

2. Maintaining and enhancing ecosystems and their services

3. Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and forestry

4. Ensuring the sustainability of fisheries

5. Combating invasive alien species

6. Addressing the global biodiversity crisis

• ‘The Commission will work with Member States and the European Environment Agency to develop by 2012 an integrated (coherent) framework for monitoring, assessing and reporting on progress in implementing the strategy.’

• ‘The EU 2010 biodiversity baseline and the updated EU biodiversity indicators will be key components of this framework…..’

EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020

SEBI for 2020 targets

Mapping SEBI indicators to new global and EU targets:

an exhaustive analysis of the alignment of the current SEBI indicator set with the 2020 biodiversity targets, complemented by indicators from other relevant sets

Further development of SEBI set for monitoring of implementation of the strategy to 2020

guided also by EEA indicator review

Measurement of progress towards 2020 targets

• All SEBI indicators can be used to measure progress against the 6 new EU targets and the 20 Aichi targets

• Gaps have also been identified – which will need to be further considered by thematic experts

EEA work on indicators continues

• EEA indicator review and updating

• Update of the EU 2010 baseline report

• Support to the EU 5th CBD report mid 2014

• 2015 SOER report

More information, or comments?

SEBI: Katarzyna.Biala@eea.europa.eu

Sophie.conde@mnhn.fr

Project SEBI in West Balkan: torremarin@ecnc.org

Thank you!