Dr Vedran Nikolić

European Commission

DG Environment/Nature protectionAnchors away, Natura 2000 networking event

Athens, 21-22 November 2019

Protection of Posidonia oceanica under

the Habitats Directive and requirements for the management of Natura 2000 sites

• ‘natural habitat types in danger of disappearance’ for whose conservation the European Union has ‘particular responsibility’

• Final aim of the Directive is to reach the favourable conservation status:

• natural range and areas are stable or increasing

• specific structure and functions exist and are likely to continue to exist for the foreseeable future

• conservation status of its typical species is favourable

Posidonia beds (*1120) - priority habitat type protected under the Habitats Directive

https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/state-of-nature-in-the-eu/article-17-national-summaries

Posidonia beds (*1120) - priority habitat type protected under the Habitats Directive

Natura 2000 sites – marine protected areasSpecial areas of conservation (SACs) should be designated, protectedand effectively managed - conservation measures should be in accordancewith the ecological requirements of the species and appropriate to reach thesites’ conservation objectives.

Outside Natura 2000 sitesMeasures shall be designed to maintain or restore, at favourable conservation status, natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora of Community interest.

Where necessary, Member States shall endeavour to improve the ecological coherence of Natura 2000 by maintaining, and where appropriate developing, features of the landscape which are of major importance for wild fauna and flora.

-National legislation protects P. oceanica as species in many

countries (Bern convention)

Marine Natura 2000 – state of play

• More than 3200 marine sites (out of ˃27000)

• Covers ~10% of EU seas (˃552000

km2)

• Network is not complete in the offshore area and big differences across regional seas

• Collective EU effort: the area under marine Natura 2000 has doubled in the last 5 years!

• Marine Natura 2000 is the main driver of MPA designation in the EU and makes the main contribution to reaching international targets ('Aichi Target 11' and SDG 14)

https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/dashboards/natura-2000-barometer

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/marine/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/platform/knowledge_base/212_marine_regions_en.htm

Country Area of Natura 2000 sites designatedforPosidoniabeds (km2)

Cyprus 193

Spain 8 616

France 7 248

Greece 13 824

Croatia 978

Italy 6 650

Malta 202

Slovenia 0,04

Posidonia beds in Natura 2000

Natura 2000 sites designated for the protection of Posidonia beds:• Number of sites: 488• Surface of sites: 37 714 km2

More than 60% of the total area covered by Posidonia beds should be protected within Natura 2000 sites.

Management plans and conservation measures? • Number/surface of sites indicated to have a management plan: 137 (5 472 km2)• Currently only 1/3 of sites and 1/7 of area could be under some form of

management!

Priority of the Commission’s Action plan for nature, people and the economy (2017-2019): complete the designation and establish conservation objectives and measures for all Natura 2000 sites.

Natura 2000 management framework

•Conservation measures which correspond to the ecological requirements of habitats and species

Conservation measures - Article 6(1) HD

•Avoid the deterioration of habitats of species as well as disturbance of the species

Avoid deterioration - Article 6(2) HD

•Plan or projects can be approved only after having ascertained that they will not adversely affect the integrity of the site

“Appropriate assessment” of plans and projects - Article 6(3) HD

• Strong legal basis

• Stakeholders involved

• Precautionary principle

Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive

Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid, in the special areas of conservation, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of this Directive.

• Obligation of general protection - on-going in nature – preventive measures

• Margin of discretion for competent authorities in application, but effectiveness needs to be ensured (clear rules-effective enforcement)

• It is also applicable to activities not requiring authorisation and to natural developments (incl. climate change)

PRIORITY HABITATS

• Permanent and irreparable loss of part of a priority natural habitat type qualifies as an adverse effect on the integrity of the site.

• If an area, even limited, of the habitat type that cannot recover is lost, this is violating Article 6(2) (and 6(3) where applicable) - the conservation objectives of the site cannot be reached!

• Deterioration of Posidonia beds in Natura 2000 sites by damaging activities such as anchoring is a violation of Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive!

Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive

Solutions: guidance and support

• Natura 2000 biogeographical process

• Bilateral dialogues with authorities and stakeholders

• …

The context – climate and biodiversity crisis

• European Green Deal – new ambitions for biodiversity and climate

• EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030

• Lead the world in protecting biodiversity CBD CoP15

• Posidonia oceanica – impacted by climate change but also part of the solution - only if healthy and resilient!

Percentage of P. oceanica shoot density in the twenty-first century:Pink-warming but local impacts removed by 2030Blue-absence of warmingNature Climate Change, 2, 821–824 (2012)

European Green Deal

Thank you

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature