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Further information
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Natura 2000 Award 2020 - Application period closed
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On 15 October 2019, the fifth edition of the Natura 2000 Award closed for applications. Eighty eligible applications were received from 27 EU Member States, which is more than in the previous edition.
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The Conservation category has again proved to be the most popular (36 applications), followed by Communication (17), Reconciling Interests and Perceptions (11), Socio-Economic Benefits (9) and Cross-Border Cooperation and Networking (7). The range of themes covered by the applications is as impressive as ever and illustrates the very real contributions that Natura 2000 managers continue to make to protecting and managing European nature.
The applications for this edition of the Award include achievements in both marine and terrestrial sites showing the full range of Europe’s biodiversity. The protected species included in the applications include: small and large carnivores such as bats, bears and dolphins; small passerine birds and large raptors; and insects, amphibians, fish and rare plant species. To protect these species and their habitats, applicants have successfully implemented established best-practice conservation measures as well as innovative approaches of stakeholder engagement, communication and knowledge-sharing. You can discover the exciting range of activities covered by the applications here.
Applications are now being evaluated by a team of independent experts before a high-level Jury and the public will select the winners.
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Evaluation of applications
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The selection process consists of three phases, namely: eligibility checks, selection phase and the final decision.
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All applications are first screened for their eligibility. While there are countless habitats and species worth protecting and conserving across the world, this Award focuses specifically on the Natura 2000 network. Applications must therefore refer to a Natura 2000 site, be based in the EU, present results achieved in the last five years, and refer to species and / or habitat types in the annexes of the Directives (if they refer to particular species / habitat types in the application). The full eligibility requirements are explained in the guidelines for applicants.
All eligible applications are currently being assessed by an independent evaluation team for their effectiveness, originality, durability, costs and benefits and replicability. From these applications, a shortlist will be established - based on the scores received – which is then sent to a high-level Jury to decide on the winners for each category. In parallel, the public votes directly for their favourite shortlisted applicant to win the European Citizens’ Award.
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Local Event for 2018 winner Communication category, Spain
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On 5 July 2019, the European Commission supported a local event to celebrate the 2018 Communication Award winner's success in promoting knowledge about the Natura 2000 network in Spain. This outdoor event in the Natura 2000 site of Alto Lozoya was organised by the project partners SEO/Birdlife Spain and the news agency Agencia EFE, in collaboration with the Forestry Service Madrid and Guadarrama National Park.
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During the event, which was attended by a range of stakeholders from the local to the European level, including the European Commission’s Director General of DG Environment, Daniel Calleja, the organisers ringed a black vulture chick on site. Data on the movement of a black vulture, which was GPS-tagged by the project in May, was also presented. During the event, the speakers highlighted the importance of the Natura 2000 network and increasing its visibility to society in general, which plays a crucial role in preserving the sites.
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Local Event for 2018 winner Cross-border cooperation and Networking category, Greece and Bulgaria
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On 5 June 2019, a local event was held involving around 200 pupils from the Egyptian Vulture Task Force and their educators. This outdoor event in the Natura 2000 site of Meteora was organised by the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS)/BirdLife Greece, in collaboration with the Kalambaka Forestry Service and Educational Directorate, to celebrate the winning of the 2018 Cross-border cooperation and Networking award.
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The event included birdwatching of one of the two male Egyptian vultures in the area, who welcomed the observers by flying over the Meteora rocks. This was followed by environmental educational activities to raise awareness among the children.
Read more about the winning application.
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Green Week 2020
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2020 will be a landmark year for biodiversity not just in Europe but worldwide. Therefore, it is fitting that nature and biodiversity are also the focus of the EU Green Week 2020 edition – the biggest annual event for stakeholders on the European environment policy calendar.
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Green Week 2020 will take place on 1-5 June 2020 in Brussels. It will offer an opportunity to debate the successes and gaps in EU biodiversity policy, demonstrate the importance of biodiversity for other policy areas, well as explore the future EU biodiversity policy and the possible responses to the environmental crisis we are facing.
Green Week 2020 comes at a crucial moment: while the European Commission will have presented its initial proposal for a new EU Biodiversity Strategy until 2030 in March 2020, the conclusion of negotiations for the post-2020 framework during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15 CBD) will be eagerly anticipated and discussed.
Everyone is encouraged to get involved in Green Week, either by contributing to the events that will be organised or by setting up a partner event. More information will be available on the dedicated website: https://www.eugreenweek.eu/. In case of any questions, please write to ENV-GREENWEEK@ec.europa.eu
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Presentation of the European Green Deal
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On 11 December the European Commission presented the Green Deal to the European Parliament.
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The Green Deal aims to establish Europe as the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The package of measures presented aim to enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from sustainable green transition. The measures were accompanied by an initial roadmap of key policies range from ambitiously cutting emissions, to investing in cutting-edge research and innovation, to preserving Europe’s natural environment.
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New EU Green infrastructure strategy
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In 2019, the Commission published two guidance documents to help planners, policymakers and businesses solve socio-economic challenges, while also protecting and restoring Europe’s nature.
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The first offers a strategic framework for further supporting the deployment of EU-level green and blue infrastructure in order to encourage a more strategic and integrated approach to scaling-up investments in EU-level GI projects. The aim is to improve the connectivity of Natura 2000 areas while also increasing the range and flow of multiple ecosystem services.
The second guidance document focuses on integrating ecosystems and their services in decision making. This is complemented by an overview and progress report on Natura Capital Accounting in the EU and a Commission Staff Working Document which provides additional information on the review of implementation of the EU green infrastructure strategy.
All documents can be downloaded at: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/index_en.htm.
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New Union List of Invasive Alien Species adopted
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The EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (IAS) was adopted in January 2015. It establishes a coordinated Europe-wide framework for action to prevent, minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and to limit their damage to the economy and human health. The Regulation establishes a list of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern for which Member States must adopt targeted measures. A total of 66 species have been added to the list so far, 17 of which were included earlier this year. They concern 13 plants and four animals.
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Full details are available at https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/index_en.htm.
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Linking natural and cultural heritage through Natura 2000
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As part of its contribution to the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage (2018), and as a follow up to the Action Plan on Nature, People and the Economy (2017), DG Environment commissioned a study to examine the inter-linkages between natural and cultural heritage across Europe. The report goes on to investigate the main stumbling blocks preventing greater cooperation between the two sectors, and explores the many advantages of working together towards a more sustainable, greener economy, as illustrated by numerous case studies. The different EU funds that can be used to kick start joint nature and culture initiatives as part of a wider sustainable development drive are also explored.
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Go to https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/links_natural_cultural_heritage_en.htm.
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40 Years of the Birds Directive
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Adopted in 1979, the EU Birds Directive was a truly ground-breaking piece of legislation and remains, to this day, at the very heart of the EU’s nature and biodiversity policy. To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, the Commission has published a beautifully illustrated 40-page brochure to showcase the Directive's principal achievements to date. The brochure also presents some practical examples of different conservation projects underway across the EU, and of bird species that have recovered as a result.
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Find out more at https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/wildbirds/40%20yrs%20Birds%20Brochure%20WEB.pdf.
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New Eurobarometer report on Europeans' attitudes to biodiversity
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Every few years, the Commission publishes a Eurobarometer report of people's attitudes to nature and biodiversity across the 28 EU Member States. The latest such survey was published in May 2019, reflecting the views of some 27,640 respondents from different social and demographic groups across the EU. The survey also highlights any changes in attitude since the previous survey in 2015.
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Read more at https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/survey/getsurveydetail/instruments/special/surveyky/2194.
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Re-subscribe to the Natura 2000 newsletter before it is too late!
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The European Commission’s Natura 2000 newsletter, published twice a year in six languages, provides regular articles and news updates on major EU related nature and biodiversity topics. The subscription list for the newsletter is currently being renewed, so if you would like to continue to receive the newsletter you will need to re-subscribe in order to continue to receive copies by post. New subscribers are also most welcome.
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Go to : https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/info/pubs/natura2000nl_en.htm.
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