Natura 2000 Presentation - Baltic Sea RAC

Natura 2000 network in the
Baltic sea marine environment
Olli Ojala
European Commission, DG Environment
BSRAC Executive Committee
Danish Food Industry Agency
Copenhagen, 4 October 2010

Marine Conservation Policy in the
context of the EU biodiversity policy
Biodiversity policy
Common Fisheries Policy
Marine Strategy
Framework Directive
Habitats Directive/
Birds Directive:
Natura 2000
• ”To halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services
in the EU by 2020, restore them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the
EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss” (Environment council
conclusions 15 March 2010)

Marine Natura 2000 in context of international
biodiversity commitments
• World Summit of Sustainable Development (Johannesburg 2002) - commitment to establish
a globally representative system of marine and coastal protected areas by 2012.
• Joint Ministerial Meeting of the Helsinki and OSPAR Commissions (June 2003) - complete by
2010 a joint network of well-managed marine protected areas that, together with the Natura
2000 network, would be ecologically coherent.
• Biodiversity Convention: (CBD) - COP7 (Kuala Lumpur 2004) decision to establish by 2012
and maintain a network of marine and coastal protected areas that are effectively managed,
ecologically based, consistent with international law and based on scientific information.
• Biodiversity Convention: (CBD) – COP9 (Bonn 2008) to identify ecologically or biologically
significant and/or vulnerable marine areas in need of protection and implement conservation
and management measures, including the establishment of representative networks of marine
protected areas in accordance with international law

Natura 2000
Natura 2000 - Cornerstone of EU
Biodiversity Policy
• Major EU instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity to fulfil global
commitments of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Main tool in the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 (the strategy to be finalized by the end of 2010)
• EU wide ecological network of protected areas set up under the Habitats Directive comprised of:
– Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under Habitats Directive for 200+ habitat types & 700+
species of plants and animals
– Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under Birds Directive for 194 vulnerable bird species &
migratory bird species (esp. wetlands)
• Sets out a common approach/standard for conservation action across all Member States for
protection of areas of high biodiversity importance for listed habitats and species
• Legally enforceable, strong legal protection
• Strong instrument for integration of biodiversity requirements into other EU policy areas (eg
fisheries, agriculture, regional development etc.)

Natura 2000 in relation to Marine
Strategy Framework Directive
• Marine Strategy Framework Directive
– Objective: Achieve or maintain good environmental status in the
marine environment by the year 2020 at the latest
– Good environmental status:
• Preventing pollution
• Ecosystem protection
– Marine Protected Areas under the obligations of the Member States
together with
– Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 in relation to Baltic Sea
Protection Areas
Intersect
N2000 - BSPA
Marine N2000
(km²) (km²) (%)
Denmark 7,950 2,637 33.2
Estonia 6,532 2,777 42.5
Finland 6,695 5,392 80.5
Germany 6,208 4,550 73.3
Latvia 560 252 45
Lithuania 691 362 52.3
Poland 7,205 1,146 15.9
Russia n.a. n.a. n.a.
Sweden 6,744 3,351 49.7
Baltic Sea 44,203 36,536 82.7
Total coverage over 12 % of the Baltic Sea marine
area - HELCOM 2010

Facts of Natura 2000
• Key aim is to restore or maintain habitats and species of EU conservation
concern at a favourable conservation status
• Human activities are not automatically excluded – emphasis is on ensuring
that they are sustainable and compatible with conservation objectives
• Embraces nature reserves, national parks, private areas etc.
• Total >26.000 sites, 760.000 km², ~18 % of EU 27 territory
– 2.247 sites with >5 % marine component, total marine component
242.000 km2
– 89 sites with >5 % offshore component, total offshore component
58.466 km2
• Largely completed on land but needs to be extended to marine,
especially offshore

Applicability of environmental legislation

Area of application of Marine
Natura 2000 Network
• Obligation to apply nature legislation not only in territorial waters, w
but also
in waters where sovereign rights are exercised
• Recognition by a coastal State of an Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) brings
not only rights but obligations. If rights are exercised over natural (living
and non-living) resources, obligations exist to apply the appropriate
National and Community legislation.
– Same reasoning for the Continental shelf
European EU EEZ ~=6.3 million sq.km
– ECJ has confirmed application of Natura 2000 to offshore marine
• Natura 2000 network to be extended within the area where rights on the
exploitation of natural resources are exercised: internal waters,
territorial sea, EEZ and Continental shelf
• Most of EU countries have signed UNCLOS (EU15 + Poland and Lithuania in
the Baltic Seas, Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia in the Mediterranean)

Marine Natura 2000 designations in
the Baltic Sea

How are Natura 2000 sites selected?
• Site designation process is exclusively based on scientific criteria.
• For SPAs - use ornithological criteria
– Member States designate ‘most suitable territories’
• For SACs - criteria given in Habitats Directive
– Member States propose national lists of sites of Community
importance
– Commission & MS agree Community list
– MS then designate the areas as SACs
• No legal difference between marine and terrestrial environments in
relation to the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directive.
• Future management challenges cannot be a basis for inaction.

Biogeographical seminar Sopot 2009
Sufficiency of marine designations
Sea Region
Habitats
Species
Conclusions % SUF Conclusions % SUF
Atlantic 33 21,2 71 33,8
Baltic 22 36,6 34 35,3
Mediterranean 33 30,3 35 17,1
Black Sea 8 25,0 9 11,1
Macaronesian 6 0,0 8 0,0
Note:
Scientific Reserves (= unknown) counted as not-sufficient

Biogeographical seminar Sopot 2009
Sufficiency of marine designations
• Criteria used to assess the sufficiency for habitats:
(1) Proportion of habitat area within Natura 2000 network at Member State level
per bio-geographical region
(2) Habitat distribution and
(3) Variation
• Criteria used to assess the sufficiency for species:
(1) Proportion of national population within Natura 2000 network
(2) Species distribution and genetic variation and
(3) physical and biological factors that would be essential to consider in order to
provide adequate protection during different life-cycle stages or other specific
requirements of the species concerned

Biogeographical seminar Sopot 2009
Sufficiency of marine designations
DE Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time SUF, CD
DE Reefs SUF, CD
DK Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time SUF
DK Reefs SUF
DK Submarine structures made by leaking gases SUF
DK Submerged or partially submerged sea caves SUF
EE Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time IN MOD
EE Reefs IN MOD
FI Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time IN MOD
FI Reefs IN MOD
FI Submarine structures made by leaking gases Scientific Reserve
LT Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time Scientific reserve, CD
LT Reefs SUF, Scientific Reserve,
LV Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time Scientific reserve, CD
LV Reefs IN MOD, Scientific Reserve
PL Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time SUF
PL Reefs IN MOD
SE Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time SUF
SE Reefs IN MOD,
SE Submarine structures made by leaking gases IN MIN, Scientific Reserve

Biogeographical seminar Sopot 2009
Sufficiency of marine designations
DE Petromyzon marinus SUF, CD
DE Lampetra fluviatilis SUF
DE Alosa fallax Scientific Reserve
DE Halichoerus grypus Scientific Reserve, CD
DE Phoca vitulina SUF
DE Phocoena phocoena SUF, CD
DK Petromyzon marinus IN MIN
DK Lampetra fluviatilis IN MOD
DK Alosa fallax IN MIN,
DK Halichoerus grypus IN MIN
DK Phoca vitulina SUF
DK Phocoena phocoena IN MIN, Scientific Reserve
EE Lampetra fluviatilis IN MIN
EE Halichoerus grypus IN MOD
EE Phoca hispida bottnica SUF, CD
EE Phocoena phocoena SUF
LV Lampetra fluviatilis IN MOD, CD
FI Halichoerus grypus SUF
FI Phoca hispida bottnica IN MIN, CD
FI Phocoena phocoena IN MOD, IN MIN
LT Lampetra fluviatilis Scientific Reserve
LT Alosa fallax SUF, CD
LT Phocoena phocoena SUF
SE Halichoerus grypus SCI RES to the reference list
SE Phoca vitulina SCI RES to the reference list
SE Phoca hispida bottnica IN MOD, Scientific Reserve
SE Phocoena phocoena IN MOD,
PL Petromyzon marinus SUF
PL Lampetra fluviatilis SUF
PL Alosa fallax Scientific Reserve
PL Halichoerus grypus SCI RES to the reference list
PL Phocoena phocoena SCI RES to the reference list
LV Alosa fallax IN MIN, CD
LV Phocoena phocoena IN MOD/IN MIN

Challenges in establishing the
Marine Natura 2000 Network
• Application of Nature Conservation
Directives to the Marine more challenging
than originally expected.
• Reasons include: need for legal
clarification, lack of scientific knowledge,
high costs of carrying out research and
survey in offshore marine areas…
• The Commission has prepared a
guidance document on implementation
of the Habitats and Birds Directives in the
Marine environment - a document of the
Commission services (incl. DGs ENV +
FISH) - prepared with the support of a
Marine Expert group
– Document on fisheries measures for
marine Natura 2000 sites

Key elements of Commission’s
Marine NATURA 2000 Guidelines
• Provide overview of legal and policy context
• List Habitat types & species, including definitions (develops
a common understanding for selection of marine habitats types)
• Outline procedures for site identification, assessment and
site selection rationale for SPAs (Birds Directive) and SACs
(Habitats Directive)
• Provide guidance on aspects related to management of Natura
2000 marine sites, including matters relating to fisheries

Current priorities
• The Commission has requested MSs to accelerate
designation of offshore sites (Only Germany has
largely completed its Natura 2000 proposals for marine
environment)
• Transboundary features: Need for coherent designations
• Research/surveys ongoing in the Member States
• Aim: Complete marine network by 2012
• Ensuring the necessary financial investments beyond 2014
– Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)
– European Fisheries Fund

Key issues in order to halt the
loss of biodiversity
• Increasing knowledge of habitats and species
– Identification of existing biodiversity
– Populations, trends, conservation status
– Ecosystems
– Migratory species
• Species protection provisions beyond sites
• Tackling impacts / disturbance affecting marine
– Appropriate protection best supplied at EU level
– Need for early consideration of management measures, incl. fisheries
management, in order to ensure timely implementation

Thank You !
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/marine/index_en.htm
n.htm
73% of the US haddock catch are taken
within 5 km of a fishery closed area, off the
New England Coast.
Source: Fogarty and Botsford 2007