1. REPORTING PURSUANT TO ART. 17 OF THE HABITATS DIRECTIVE
Training on species monitoring – Biškek, Kyrgyz Republic, 19 – 20 March 2014
REPORTING PURSUANT TO ART. 17 OF THE HABITATS DIRECTIVE
Petr Roth
UBA Vienna

2. Art. 17 of the Habitats Directive
“Every six years …MS shall draw up a report on the implementation of the measures taken under this Directive. It shall include … information concerning the conservation measures referred to in Article 6 (1) as well as evaluation of the impact of those measures on the conservation status of … habitat types of Annex I and species in Annex II and the main results of the surveillance referred to in Article 11. The report … shall be forwarded to the Commission and made accessible to the public.”

3. Reporting – focus on 3 items:
conservation measures for Natura 2000 (Art. 6.1)
impact of those measures on conservation status of habitats & species
main results of Art. 11 surveillance

4. Output: Thus, the purpose of reporting is:
to show how Natura 2000 contributes to the HabDir objectives
to see what is the conservation status of all phenomena of the Directive
Output:
“Composite report” for all the EU pursuant to Art. 17(2)

5. Composite report
Art. 17.2: „The Commission shall prepare a composite report…“

6. EU reporting up to now First reporting in 2001: EU 15
mainly general info on status of Natura 2000 preparation, no information on conservation status
Reporting 2007 (for ): EU 25
Mainly conservation status assessment
Reporting 2013 (for ) : EU 27
Mainly conservation status assessment + contribution of Natura 2000

7. Conservation status

8. Objective of the directive
Habitats Directive Art. 2:
The aim of this Directive is to contribute towards ensuring bio-diversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora in the EU
Measures taken pursuant to this Directive shall be designed to maintain or restore, at favourable conservation status, natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora of Community interest.

9. conservation status
Conservation status of a species means the sum of the influences acting on the species concerned that may affect the long-term distribution and abundance of its populations within the EU

10. Favourable conservation status
The conservation status of a species will be taken as ‘favourable’ when:
population dynamics data on the species concerned indicate that it is maintaining itself on a long-term basis as a viable component of its natural habitats
and
the natural range of the species is neither being reduced nor is likely to be reduced for the foreseeable future
there is, and will probably continue to be, a sufficiently large habitat to maintain its populations on a long-term basis

11. COMPONENTS OF CONSERVATION STATUS
Species
Range
Population
Habitat for the species
Future prospects

12. conservation status
is a policy-dependent, agreed quantity, not an ecological term
is not linked to particular sites (except for endemics) – no direct relationship to the Natura 2000 network!
is to be recorded separately for individual biogeographical regions in the country

13. CONSERVATION STATUS ASSESSMENT IN REPORTING FORM
Reporting format (by EEA & ETC/BD) – developed through a complex process:
meeting Directive´s requirements
meeting political agenda
reflecting different attitude of MS

14. Reporting form 2013 adopted by the Habitats Committee in May 2011
binding for EU 27
5 annexes: 3 forms, 2 matrices
Guidance document – issued by ETC/BD

15. CONSERVATION STATUS ASSESSMENT – SPECIES („TRAFFIC LIGHTS“)
COMPONENT
Favourable
('green')
Unfavourable - Inadequate
('amber')
Unfavourable - Bad
('red')
Unknown
(insufficient information)
Range
defined
any other combination
insufficient information
Population
Habitat for the species
Future prospects
OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF THE CS
All 'green' OR
three 'green' and one 'unknown'
One or more 'amber' but no 'red'
One or more 'red'
Two or more 'unknown' combined with green or all “unknown”

16. range

17. conservation status Favourable ('green') Unfavourable - Bad ('red')
Range
Stable (loss and expansion in balance) or increasing AND not smaller than the 'favourable reference range'
Large decline: Equivalent to a loss of more than 1% per year within period specified by MS OR
more than 10% below favourable reference range

18. definition
= spatial limits within which the species occurs, includes permanent occurrences + migration routes (not vagrant/occasional occurrences)
Dynamic concept, range can:
decrease
expand (naturally, or due to reintroduction/restoration)

19. maps

20. Distribution map
The distribution map should provide information about the actual occurrences of the habitat type or species
It is based on the results of a comprehensive national mapping or inventory of the habitats and species wherever possible

21. Range map Format of data defined by INSPIRE guidelines: Grid format
10 x 10 km ETRS 89 grid cells in the ETRS LAEA projection (EPGS code: 3035). Only for some species - widely ranging but poorly known (i.e. Cetacens) - maps of 50 x 50 km

22. REFERENCE GRIDS (EXAMPLE OF HR)
Terrestrial – 828 grid cells (further devided in biogeographical regions)

23. Distribution x range
Example: Italy

24. Distribution x range (CZ)
Pipistrellus pipistrellus
range
distribution

25. population

26. conservation status Favourable ('green') Unfavourable - Bad ('red')
Population
Population(s) not lower than ‘favourable reference population’ AND reproduction, mortality and age structure not deviating from normal (if data available)
Large decline: Equivalent to a loss of more than 1% per year (indicative value MS may deviate from if duly justified) within period specified by MS AND below 'favourable reference population' OR
More than 25% below favourable reference population
Reproduction, mortality and age structure strongly deviating from normal (if data available)

27. Population size
It should be possible to report the population size estimate as:
number
range (minimum & maximum)
class (predefined)
Reporting format gives a possibility to report on problems encountered to provide population size estimation. This information will serve the future development of the use of population units.

28. Trend x fluctuation
Trend is a directed change of a parameter over time. Trends should ideally be the result of a regression of a time series.
Fluctuation (or oscillation) is not a directed change of a parameter, and therefore fluctuation is not a trend.

29. Population structure
Information on reproduction, mortality and age structure
Unnaturally low recruitment or unnaturally high mortality would indicate an unfavourable population structure.
The lack of young individuals in many monitored local populations may also indicate an unfavourable population structure.

30. Habitat for the species

31. conservation status Favourable ('green') Unfavourable - Bad ('red')
Habitat for the species
Area of habitat is sufficiently large (and stable or increasing) AND habitat quality is suitable for the long term survival of the species
Area of habitat is clearly not sufficiently large to ensure the long term survival of the species OR
Habitat quality is bad, clearly not allowing long term survival of the species

32. Habitat for the species
The reporting format asks for the following:
habitat area
habitat quality
trend
information on data quality
reasons for change
optional: area of suitable habitat for the species

33. FUTURE PROSPECTS

34. conservation status Favourable ('green') Unfavourable - Bad ('red')
Future prospects (as regards to population, range and habitat availability)
Main pressures and threats to the species not significant; species will remain viable on the long-term
Severe influence of pressures and threats to the species; very bad prospects for its future, long-term viability at risk.
Future prospects (as regards range, area covered and specific structures and functions)
The habitats prospects for its future are excellent / good, no significant impact from threats expected; long-term viability assured.
The habitats prospects are bad, severe impact from threats expected; long-term viability not assured.

35. Future prospects
If the future prospects are not good (e.g. the population of a species is likely to decrease) then the species/habitat cannot be at favourable conservation status.
Details not requested in the report – only assessment. The most subjective component of CS – evaluated using expert judgement (approach used most often for the report).

36. Future trends
Dependent on threats which will have a negative influence x action plans, conservation measures and other provisions can have positive influence.
Assessment has to take into account whether positive and negative influences (threats) will be in balance for the respective parameter of the habitat type or species under consideration or whether the one will exceed the other.

37. Assessment table Parameter Future Trend Future Status Prospects Range
Population
Habitat
Future Prospects

38. Assessment table Examples: Parameter Future Trend Future Status
Prospects
Range
Stable On
Good
Population
Above
Habitat
Future Prospects FV
Parameter
Future Trend
Future Status
Prospects
Range
Decreasing
Under
Bad
Population
Habitat
Unknown
Future Prospects U2

39. Thank you for your attention.