1. CGBN
Co-ordination Group
for Biodiversity and Nature
12th meeting - 29/03/12
Agenda item Implementation of Target 2 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
Biodiversity Unit,
DG ENV, European Commission

2. Structure 2 Rationale and mandate: 2. Links between different actions
Aichi targets
Council conclusions EP
2. Links between different actions
3. Relevant studies
4. Relevant Working Groups and roadmap 2

3. ES in the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy
Council conclusions (15/3/2010), endorsed by the European Council on 26/3/2010 :
Adoption of a long term (2050) vision:
European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem
services it provides – its natural capital – are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity’s intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human well-being and economic prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided
Adoption of a mid term (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 3

4. Relevant Aichi targets of the CBD Strategic Plan
Global Target 14 'ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and wellbeing, are restored and safeguarded';
Global Target 15 'By 2020, ecosystem resilience and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks has been enhanced, through conservation and restoration, including restoration of at least 15 per cent of degraded ecosystems, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to combating desertification'.
Global Target 5 ‘[…] degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced […]‘
Global Target 11 " By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes 4

5. Council Conclusions 21 June 2011
WELCOMES the focus of the Strategy on biodiversity as a whole and ecosystems services - within but also beyond protected areas – in recognition of the essential services they provide as well as their intrinsic and economic value;
WELCOMES the emphasis on maintenance, including management, and cost-effective restoration of ecosystems to ensure the continued provision of ecosystem services, in particular given the climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits of many ecosystems and the relevance for human well-being; UNDERSCORES the importance of green infrastructure also as a contribution to further integrating biodiversity considerations into other EU policies; and WELCOMES the Commission’s commitment to develop a Green Infrastructure Strategy by 2012;
‘STRESSES the importance of further work to operationalise the 'no net loss' objective of the Strategy for areas and species not covered by existing EU nature legislation and of ensuring no further loss or degradation of ecosystems and their services’ 5

6. Council Conclusions 19 December 2011 (1)
STRESSES the need of maintaining, restoring as far as feasible and enhancing ecosystems and their services;
REITERATES that properly valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services can contribute to their conservation and sustainable use;
RECOGNISES the importance of promoting the integration of these values into decision making processes and accounting and reporting systems at EU and national level by 2020;
and ACKNOWLEDGES that this work should be supported by the results of ecosystem mapping and assessment of the state of ecosystems and their services. In view of the short timeframe for initiating this work, URGES the Commission and Member States to determine the modalities for and scope of these tasks building upon the work carried out by the Member States;
'agrees that a common approach is needed for the implementation in the EU of the NNL principle and invited the Commission to address this as part of the preparation of its planned initiative on NNL by 2015, taking into account existing experience as well as the specificities of each Member State, on the basis of in-depth discussions with Member States and stakeholders regarding the clear definition, scope, operating principles and management and support instruments in the context of the common implementation framework of the Strategy'. 6

7. Council Conclusions 19 December 2011 (2)
CALLS UPON the Commission to consider, within the scope of the Green Infrastructure (GI) Strategy under preparation, among others, the following issues:
a) possible scope and key components of GI;
b) possible framework for GI implementation based on existing experience, particularly in spatial planning, including coastal;
c) methodological issues related to GI, including with regard to spatial connectivity between protected areas and basic requirements for the delivery of the necessary ecosystem services;
d) options to integrate GI in existing policy instruments and importance of GI in terms of climate change adaptation;
e) identifying opportunities for financing GI;
f) communication and promotion of GI targeting different stakeholders and sectors, and in particular local authorities;

8. EP report EP ENVI Committee vote last week – Plenary April/May
Initial call for 30% target for the restoration of degraded ecosystems by replaced with a request that the EU sets ‘a considerably higher restoration target reflecting its own more ambitious headline target and its 2050 vision, taking into account country-specific natural conditions, and urges the Commission to define clearly what is meant by ‘degraded ecosystems’ and to set a baseline against which progress can be measured;
Urges the Commission to adopt a specific Green Infrastructure Strategy by 2012 at the latest, with biodiversity protection as a primary objective;
Endorsement of No Net Loss Agenda: ‘Urges the Commission to develop as a matter of high priority the ‘No Net Loss’ initiative, drawing also on the standards which form part of the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme’;

9. Target 2 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
By 2020, ecosystem services are maintained and enhanced through the establishment of Green Infrastructure and the restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems.
Action 5: Improve knowledge about ecosystems and their services in the EU
Action 6: Establish priorities for restoration and promote the use of Green Infrastructure
Action 7: Ensure no net loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services
Although logically all actions should take place in a chronological sequence, in practice, different actions will need to be developed in parallel given the urgency to act and policy deadlines in the Biodiversity Strategy.
Need to ensure close connections between the parallel developments and proceed in an iterative and interactive way. 9

10. Policy tools
Action 6a
Restoration prioritisation framework (by 2014)
Knowledge-base
Baseline
Target 2
By 2020, ecosystems and their services are maintained and enhanced by establishing green infrastructure and restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems
Policy initiatives
Target 1 Nature legislation
Target 3 Agriculture and forests
Target 4 Sustainable fisheries
Target 5 Invasive alien species
Other EU legislation, WFD, MSFD…
Action 5
Mapping & assessment of ecosystems and services (by 2014)
Economic value assessment and integration into accounting and reporting systems(by 2020)
Action 7a
Biodiversity proofing methodology (by 2014)
Strategic approach to compensation
Maintenance of ecosystem services
Action 7b
No Net Loss initiative (by 2015)
Action 6b
Green Infrastructure Strategy (by 2012) 10

11. Relevant studies Biodiversity proofing
Estimating Target 2 financing needs
TEEB follow-up study for the EU
Mapping of ecosystems and ES
Options for reaching restoration target
Options for NNL initiative

13. Roadmap and WG meetings
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services WG
Green Infrastructure and restoration WG
No Net Loss WG
1st Quarter
1st meeting (12 March)
1st meeting (17 Feb)
2nd Quarter
2nd meeting (18 June)
Soil remediation and land take conference
3rd Quarter
3rd meeting (Sept)
1st meeting (tbc)
2nd meeting (4 July)
Biodiversity proofing workshop (3 July)
Habitat Banking Demand and Supply workshop (5 July)
4th Quarter
Stakeholder workshop on ecosystem assessment (Oct)
3rd meeting (Oct/Nov)

14. Thank you for your attention
Ecosystem Assessment homepage:
Environment and economics webpage:
For more information, contact: 14