The SURF-Nature project – Let´s make funding for biodiversity a success story!

Peter Torkler, WWF Germany, SURF – nature coordinator08 May, 2012

Content.Background

The SURF Nature Interreg IVc project

Environment in the future Cohesion Policy

SURF advocacy towards better funding opportunities

Nature provides us with more values than we are currently investing in!

FUEL

FOOD, WATER

TOURISM

RESOURCES

MEDICINE

SOIL FORMATION

RECREATION

CULTURAL BASE

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

The legal proposals for cohesion policy include biodiversity as an investment priority under the environment objective!However - council , EP and regions are key if this opportunity will be used in the new generation of programmes

EU funding should be allocated more to support environmentally friendly activities and developments

• Commission’s consultation on the EU budget, 2007-08: the fight against climate change was a top majority for a vast majority of responses.

• Commission’s consultation on LIFE+, May 2011: 86% respondents want to see it continued and 55% want to see it increased.

• EU taxpayers are more and more concerned about the waste of public money and want see long term investments that improve their quality of life and help to develop more environmental friendly activities funded through the EU budget.

Cohesion for regions and people ?

Source: Eurobarometer (May 2011)26,825 citizens in 27 MS

SURF nature, INTERREG IVc

To improve regional policies and practices for nature conservation and biodiversity by increasing the opportunities for financing these measures from the ERDF

Working with partners

Encouraging the project partners as well as other stakeholders across EU to take part in the post 2013 strategic discussion on the new generation of nature funding from regional funds.

Expanding the knowledge

Analyse the current use of the ERDF funds for nature conservation across the regions and gather examples of successful ERDF-funded projects to determine what lessons can be learnt from the varios approaches and results

Preparing for the next financial period

During the last year a handbook on future biodiversity funding from ERDF will be developed and the project will organize its final conference in September 2012, disseminating and promoting best practices collected during the project

SURF challenges for 2014-2020 programmes

Timing:Project duration 2010-2013, decisions on future cohesion

policy 2012-2014

Target groups: DG Environment, DG REGIO, European Parliament, Regional

representatives

Tools:Analysis, Presentations, Newsletter, Events

Cohesion for regions and people ?

The legal proposal provides some good steps in the right direction trying to mainstream climate action but could provide stronger incentives to invest in a green economy taking into account natural resource and the value of ecosystem services

- Common provisions for 5 funds- Fund specific regulations- Common Strategic Framework- Concentration of investments- Result orientation- Transparency and accountability- Parnership

Basic architecture of the new legal proposals:

•Thematic concentration

- 11 thematic objectives for 5 fonds- Concentration of structural fonds on three objectives (80%, 60%,50%)- Climate earmarking of 20% and 6% in poorer regions-NEW Discussion! MS ask for more flexibility by pooling different investment priorities!

Partnership + governance

Environmental mainstreaming

Ear-marking

Investment priorities

Thematic concentration

Partnership contracts &

condition-alities

Performance framework + Indicators

Performance

reserve +

Categories of

expenditure

• Art.8 on Sustainable Development asks to promote environmental requirements…

• Art. 24.4 Each programme, except those which cover exclusively technical assistance, shall include a description of the actions to take into account the principles set out in Articles 7 and 8.

• Art.87.3 ..Each operational programme…shall include…a description of specific actions to take into account environmental protection requirements…

Environmental hooks in the future Cohesion Policy

• Earmarking for supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors; 20% and 6% or ca. 10%ERDF

• Art.17 Ex Ante Conditionalities if linked to the environmental aquis

• Art. 19 Performance review and framework /indicators• Art. 20 Allocation of performance reserve• Monitoring and Evaluaion• Art. 5 Partnership and multi-level governance

Environmental hooks in the future Cohesion Policy

Key challenges as seen by Environmental NGOs

• Low carbon earmarking is not ambitious enough to meet EU targets

• Concentration on few Thematic Objectives can in some MS or regions exclude environment priorities from OP

• Strong provisions needed for environmental proofing (climate and biodiversity) of programmes and projects, linked with full transparency of expenditures

• Environmental authorities should support strong partnership as in many regions NGOs and environmental authorities work hand in hand towards sutainable development

•Next steps during the programming

-1Q/2012: Agreement on strategic priorities and preparation of partnership contracts setting clear and measurable goals;-2Q/2012: exchange of view with European Commission on strategic priorities-1Q/2013: Negotiation of Operational Programmes with EU Commission-2Q/2013: Approval of Operational Programmes- 2014: Start of new programmes

1. Ensure that the Environmental Objective and investment is applied in all regional or sectoral programmes!

(6) protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency with

(d) protecting biodiversity, soil protection and promoting ecosystem services including Natura 2000 and green infrastructures

… with good arguments that protecting your region‘s natural capital creates jobs and contributes to economic development the new programmes can include clear actions for biodiversity!

SURF advocacy towards next EU budget

SURF advocacy towards next EU budget

2. Explore how biodiversity can be linked with other thematic objectives through:

Goord practices on Forest biodiversity, Tourism, Environmental education, Green infrastucture and Natura management…

… if the direct investments in biodiversity are not included your programming links should be established for indirect support through, climate adaptation, risk prevention as well as sustainable transport or support to SME in the tourism sector.

Peter Torkler, EU-Policypeter.torkler@wwf.dewww.panda.org

Let´s make financing biodiversity a success story!

Thank you for your attention!

www.surf-nature.eu