The Pan-European Ecological Network
> 10 October 07
Kyiv commitments
By 2006, the Pan-European Ecological Network (core areas, restoration areas, corridors and buffer zones, as appropriate) in all states of the pan-European region will be identified and reflected on coherent indicative European maps, as a European contribution towards a global ecological network.
By 2008, all core areas of the Pan-European Ecological Network will be adequately conserved and the Pan-European Ecological Network will give guidance to all major national, regional and international land-use and planning policies as well as to the operations of relevant economic and financial sectors.
Assessment
For the implementation of the first target, a high-level cooperation has been established between the Council of Europe, the European Centre for Nature Conservation, the EEA’s European Topic Centre/Biological Diversity and the Committee of Experts for the Pan-European Ecological Network, in particular with regard to the preparation of indicative maps. These have been prepared for Central and Eastern Europe and Southeastern Europe, and a map for Western Europe is in preparation.
Ecological network programmes are being developed at a variety of levels and by a range of different organizations, both government and non-government. Currently about 20 countries have national-level ecological network programmes, although some of these are non-governmental initiatives. In implementing the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN), some countries have chosen to include their ecological networks in binding legislation (such as Germany, Hungary and the Ukraine). Others have adopted legislation that infers the development of an ecological network (such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania). In other countries, lower government authorities have taken the initiative to develop ecological networks (such as the Russian Federation – republics, regional governments and municipalities – the TEN network in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, and the RENPA network in Andalusia). Other ecological networks are being developed by independent organisations (such as ECONET – Poland and the Sava River Ecological Network). Regional transboundary initiatives also contribute to PEEN (such as the Alpine Network of Protected Areas, the Lower Danube Green Corridor and the European Green Belt involving 23 countries along the former Iron Curtain). Also, as part of the Ecoregional Conservation Plan for the Caucasus that was endorsed during the Caucasian countries’ Ministerial Conference in March 2006, a map of priority conservation areas and corridors in the Caucasus ecoregion has been prepared. UNEP/GEF and WWF are implementing the Development of the Econet for long-term conservation of biodiversity in the Central Asia ecoregions project to develop a regional network of protected areas, including ecological corridors and buffer zones.
With regard to the second target on conserving the core areas of PEEN, it is evident that substantial work still has to be completed before 2008. The October 2005 report on the implementation of PEEN showed marked variation in implementation between the member countries. Within the EU, Natura 2000 sites make up most of the core areas of PEEN. In the EU Member States, designated Natura 2000 sites now number nearly 30,000 and their aggregate area covers more than 20% of the territory of the EU-25 (equivalent to the area of Germany). However, the challenge is now to provide a coherent natural structure to Natura 2000 in a more and more urbanised Europe and to prepare linkages that might help natural species and habitats to adapt for climate change. As part of the Natura 2000 implementation process, all parties need to be actively involved and sufficient resources need to be made available.
Crucially, in most EU Member States the conservation measures required to fully protect Natura 2000 sites and to meet their conservation objectives are still in the early stages of development. Further, as is shown by European Court of Justice rulings and also in WWF’s recent NGO assessment of the implementation of the Habitats Directive, the legal requirements to protect sites from harmful developments are often poorly enforced. Member States are still in the process of reporting on the conservation status of habitats of European interest. Such reporting will provide valuable information on the effectiveness and implementation of Natura 2000 measures.
The Emerald network, initiated under the Bern Convention, aims to extend to non-EU countries in Europe and northern Africa a common approach to the designation and management of protected areas – equivalent to the EU’s Natura 2000. Pilot projects were implemented in 12 candidate Member States before they joined the EU, and also in Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, the western Balkans, Turkey, Moldova, the Russian Federation, the Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso and Senegal. The purpose of these pilot projects is to identify Areas of Special Conservation Interest containing the relevant species and habitats designated under the Bern Convention and the EU Birds and Habitats Directives which can then be subject to protection measures. As a continuation of the initial pilot projects, important further work has been carried out in six Southeast European countries under a Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation programme, resulting in more than 80% of the relevant areas being identified in each country.
About this page
This document is part of the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment 2007. Download the entire study in English or Russian or read the chapters online.
Pan-European Progress Towards Achieving the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Introduction
Forests and Biodiversity
Agriculture and Biodiversity
The Pan-European Ecological Network
Invasive Alien Species
Financing Biodiversity
Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicators
Public Participation and Awareness
Additional Challenges
Annex 1: Status and trends of 2010 indicators
Annex 2: C2010 Readiness Assessment Questionnaire
Annex 3: Online Survey on the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Annex 4: Recommendations for high nature value farmland
Annex 5: SEBI2010 Indicators
