Belgian Nature Integrated Project

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The Habitats Directive Article 17 and Birds Directive Article 12 report, published in 2007, revealed the unfavourable conservation status in Belgium of many habitats and species listed in these directives. The main drivers identified were inappropriate land use, low environmental quality, insufficient management and under-resourced conservation capacity. The Federal state, and the Flemish and Walloon regions drafted prioritised action frameworks (PAFs) for the Natura 2000 network, to help achieve favourable conservation status by 2050 for all habitats and species.

The Flemish region set out nature conservation objectives (NCOs) to create an additional 41 000 to 55 000 ha of European protected habitats, and 4 000 to 7 000 ha of habitat for species of European interest. To reach these objectives, clear targets are set out in the Flemish PAF. The Walloon PAF is the centrepiece of the Walloon nature conservation strategy. It focuses on 10 priority and 23 non-priority habitats and various species of Community interest associated with these habitats, including bats and farmland species.

The Belgian part of the North Sea is governed by the federal state, and the federal PAF deals with the development and implementation of the marine Natura 2000 programme. The marine Natura 2000 sites cover 36% of the Belgian North Sea, where the most important habitats are sandbanks and reefs.

OBJECTIVES

The Belgian Nature Integrated Project (BNIP) developed and managed the operational planning for the implementation of the Flemish and Walloon regions' PAFs, and the execution of the Natura 2000 objectives of the Flemish, Walloon and federal governments. The objective of the integrated project was not to achieve all the objectives of the PAFs, but to contribute to their implementation by developing tools and expertise, enhancing involvement of administrations, strengthening participation and empowering stakeholders. The outcomes for pilot restoration practices and management could then be replicated in other Natura 2000 sites. In addition to sites in the Flemish and Walloon regions, the project would realise the targets identified in the federal marine PAF and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive for achieving favourable conservation status of species and habitats.

The overall specific objectives were to:

• improve governance and stakeholder involvement by establishing a programme management structure for internal and external guidance and cooperation with stakeholders, administrations, local authorities;
• enhance capacity building, inside the Flemish, Walloon and Federal administrations and external for the stakeholders, administrations, local governments involved;
• set up cooperation with stakeholders, administrations, local governments, as well as initiating cooperation with adjacent regions and stimulating projects;
• develop and implement integrated site management plans, habitat and species protection plans with participatory approach;
• develop/further refine and execute a communication strategy;
• improve monitoring schemes of habitats and species and implementing monitoring programmes;
• enhance the knowledge base by studies focused on monitoring of status and trends of habitats and species, and as a basis for developing management and action plans and for identifying concrete measures to achieve the nature conservation objectives, and focussing on ecosystem functioning and impact of environmental pressures;
• develop technical instruments and tools, such as for biological monitoring and for monitoring and assessing management measures.
  

In addition to the integrated project budget itself, the project would facilitate the coordinated use of €203 million of complementary funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and national and private funds, as applicable.

RESULTS

LIFE BNIP demonstrated that good Natura 2000 governance is essential. This project showed that a federal state, with regions in charge of Natura 2000 policy, can have different strategies to implement the nature conservation objectives. More important is that this was done in close collaboration with stakeholders and actors. The Flemish and Walloon region share aspects in their governance: management plans and specific action plans for species and habitats. Both regions are also site managing authorities, and structural funding is in place. They also provide public funding to stakeholders. These regional structural funding mechanisms guarantee that measures remain in place for the future. For example, site management plans are valid in Flanders for 24 years, and stakeholders that apply for one are subsidized accordingly.

Besides developing species and habitat action plans and site management plans, BNIP also produced harmonised databases to manage Natura 2000 data, it organised many trainings and information events to build capacity with staff of public authorities, volunteers and stakeholders, and it implemented a range of pilots and habitat restoration measures to test the governance and monitoring processes in practice.

To implement management and action plans, it is important to liaise with stakeholders and share knowledge and information. Thanks to LIFE BNIP, the regions have now developed a good governance structure to interact with the main stakeholders within the frame of Natura 2000 site management plans, species protection programmes and action plans. For example, several complementary funds are much more focused on implementing these plans and associated nature conservation objectives. Stakeholder projects that match these plans, are prioritised. This leads to a better and faster implementation to achieve the nature conservation objectives.

LIFE BNIP facilitated the integration of Natura 2000 objectives into other policy agendas, such as in the habitat defragmentation agenda of the Flemish Agency of Road Infrastructure, the Marine Spatial Plan, or the Rural Development Programme in Wallonia.

More specific outcomes:

Flanders:

• Development of Flemish Natura 2000 programme and strategic management plans
• Development of species protection plans
• Screening of Natura 2000 site management plans and update where necessary
• Developing and harmonising monitoring databases and methods,
• Setting up a network of monitoring activities: www.meetnetten.be
• Studies on ecohydrology, socio-economic impacts and ecosystem services
• Communication in support of Natura 2000
• Species or habitat-specific restoration actions (about 520 ha of target habitats restored)
• Capacity building through customised training sessions and development of www.ecopedia.be

Wallonia:

• Development of species action plans
• Development of Natura 2000 site management plans
• Developing centralised and harmonised monitoring tools and methods
• Studies on socio-economic impacts and species requirements
• Implementation of Natura 2000 action plans and management plans
• Capacity building
• Communication in support of Natura 2000