Cohesion Policy

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Cohesion policy investing in biodiversity
Mathieu Fichter Team leader "Sustainable
Growth" European Commission - DG REGIO
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Content

• 1) Biodiversity in the current cohesion policy
• 2) Biodiversity in the proposal for the 2014-2020
  cohesion policy
• 3) Project examples

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Biodiversity in the 2007-13 cohesion policy
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Cohesion Policy 2007-13
Cohesion Policy 07-13 ( 348 billion)
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Cohesion Fund
European Social Fund (ESF)
DG REGIO
DG EMPLOYMENT
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Investments into 'environment' in 2007-13
Cohesion Policy
105 billion for the environment over 2007-2013

• 54 B on 'environmental services' waste water
  management, nature biodiversity protection,
  risk prevention
• 48 B on 'low-carbon' clean transport, energy
  efficiency renewables
• 3 B on eco-innovation in SMEs

30 of total available funding 2007-2013
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Investments

• Nature protection biodiversity seen through the
  concept of ecosystem services
• Direct support to nature/biodiversity (including
  Natura 2000)
• 3,9 billion (promotion of biodiversity and
  natural assets and nature protection)
• Indirect support to nature/biodiversity
• 19.3 billion (waste water treatment,
  rehabilitation of contaminated sites,
  natural risk prevention)
• This amount is leveraged by national
  contributions!

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Biodiversity in the proposal for the 2014-2020
cohesion policy
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Cohesion policy 2014-20 mission goals

• Adoption of EC proposal on 06/10/2010 COM(2011)
  615
• Mission
• reduce disparities between Europe's regions
  strengthening economic, social and terrritorial
  cohesion
• contribute to the Union Strategy of smart,
  sustainable and inclusive growth
• Goals
• Investment for growth and jobs
• European Territorial cooperation

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Thematic objectives

• Among the 11 thematic objectives, 3 on
  sustainable growth
• Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy
  in all sectors (Thematic Objective Nr 4)
• Promoting climate change adaptation, risk
  prevention and management (Thematic Objective Nr
  5)
• Protecting the environment and promoting resource
  efficiency (Thematic Objective Nr 6)
• For every thematic objective theres a list of
  investment priorities which set the aims for
  intervention

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Thematic concentration

• Minimum share of ERDF investments on
• shift towards a low carbon economy
• research innovation
• competitiveness of SMEs

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Proposal for the 2014-2020 CP regulation

• ERDF Investment Priority on
• "protecting biodiversity, soil protection and
  promoting ecosystem services including NATURA
  2000 and green infrastructures
• "action to improve the urban environment,
  including regeneration of brownfield sites and
  reduction of air pollution"
• Cohesion Fund Investment Priority on
• "protecting and restoring biodiversity,
  including through green infrastructures"
• "improving the urban environment, including
  regeneration of brownfield sites and reduction of
  air pollution
• Differences between scope of ERDF vs. CF on
• Natura 2000 (not in CF)
• Soil protection (not in CF)
• Restoring biodiversity (not in ERDF)

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Common Strategic Framework

• Key targets and objectives of all the CSF Funds
  (ERDF, EAFRD, Cohesion Fund, EMFF, ESF)
• Key actions for each for each CSF Fund identify
  those key actions with the greatest impact on
  growth and jobs
• General implementation principles of the CSF
  Funds
• Facilitate the development of Partnership
  Contracts OP's
• Closer coordination of CSF funds to achieve
  simplification increased synergies among funds

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Common Strategic Framework
Investments in biodiversity ecosystem services
Investments in green infrastructure
Investment in Natura 2000
Coastal protection
Risk prevention
Prioritised Action Framework
Water retention, wetlands
Soil protection
Financial instruments
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Community led local development (CLLD)

• New possibility in 2014-2020 cohesion policy
• Have an integrated bottom-up approach ensure
  involvement of local communities
• Integrated, multi-sectoral area-based local
  development
• Led by local action groups (public private
  local socio-economic interests) design
  implement local development strategies
• Potentially good instrument for 'biodiversity
  type' projects/programmes
• MS need to 'select' it in the Partnership
  Agreement
• http//ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgen
  er/informat/2014/community_en.pdf

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Innovation for sustainable growth with the
2014-2020 cohesion policy

• Photo credit Kheng Guan Toh

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• Cohesion Policy funding for RI
• 2007-2013

• Cohesion Policy innovation support over total
  aid
• 4 in 89-93
• 7 in 94-99
• 11 in 00-06
• 25 in 07-13

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Innovation
Areas of investments in innovations

• Invest in innovation for
• Water efficiency, water recycling
• Development deployment of monitoring systems
  in
• Biodiversity (bio-indicators)
• Air quality
• Ecosystem services, Payment for Ecosystem
  Services
• Geographic Environmental information systems
  (GMES Inspire Directive)
• Resource efficiency
• Eco-innovations in companies/SMEs

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Sustainable Urban Development

• Support integrated actions to tackle the
  economic, environmental, climate and social
  challenges affecting urban areas
• ERDF increased focus on sustainable urban
  development
• to be achieved through earmarking of a minimum of
  5 of national ERDF resources for SUD
• Integrate biodiversity/nature aspects in
  sustainable urban development programmes/plans

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Strategic programming
Thematic objectives contribute to EU
2020 Translates objectives and targets of EU
2020 into key actions Alignment with EU 2020
evaluation, results expected, indicative
allocation by thematic objective Strategy
consistent with CSF, thematic objectives,
investment priorities, etc.
Proposed by Commission Commission delegated
act Prepared by MS in dialogue with Commission,
approval if Commission observations taken into
account Drawn up by MS in cooperation with
partners MS, except major projects, where
documentation submitted to Commission, approval
needed

• Common Strategic
• Framework

Increasing MS competence

• Partnership
• Contract

Operational Programmes
Projects
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• Project examples

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Geographic information system in Caribbean's

• CARIBSAT Caribbean Satellite Environmental
  Information System (www.caribstat.com)
• Launched in 2009 for 2 years - 2.8 Million with
  1.9 Million ERDF - Lead Partner Centre IRD
  Martinique-Caraïbes
• International partnership with public bodies,
  universities, research organisations
• Develop instrument to monitor the environment in
  the Lesser Antilles based on an online geographic
  atlas supplied by satellite images, ground
  environmental data hydro-meteorological reports
• Targeted on preservation of the biodiversity in
  land and sea, the management of the natural risks
  impact of climate change

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Azorean Biodiversity Portal

• ERDF co-financed development of a unique IT based
  information system on biodiversity in the Azores
  islands, www.azoresbioportal.angra.uac.pt
• Resource for fundamental research in
  biodiversity, education and conservation
  management
• Provides an original platform for
  bio-geographical and macro-ecological research on
  islands
• Species database comprised of spatial grid-based
  (500x500 m) presence-absence information for ca.
  5000 species
• Many species are also accompanied by images from
  collections and/or live specimen

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Research on Biodiversity in Canarias Islands

• Centre for research in biodiversity environment
• University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 3
  research groups to improve knowledge management
  of natural areas in Canarias - www.bioges.org
• Creation of a biodiversity data bank
  http//www.biodiversidadcanarias.es

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Water retention in forests in PL

• Improving the surface water resources, soil and
  groundwater
• Re-naturisation of watercourses and wetlands
• Aligning and slowing water runoff during flood
  events (flood retention)
• Minimizing the risk and preventing droughts

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Small scale water retention in lowlands
Est.Investment ca. 50 M EUR (ca. 34,2 M by Cohesion Fund)
Number of structures over 3000
Water Storage Capacity over 31 million m3 (including storage of groundwater)
Small scale water retention in mountain areas
Est.Investment ca. 43 M EUR (ca. 30 M by Cohesion Fund)
Number of structures over 3500
Water Storage Capacity over 1,2 million m3 without storage of groundwater
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Green Infrastructure (eco-corridors) in FR

• Build a regional network of preserved areas based
  on ecological corridors (Green Blue corridors)
• Deployment of territorial contracts on
  biological corridors
• Extensive work with local actors / municipalities
  / associations / environment and water
  authorities
• Investments in eco-bridges, restoration of
  wetlands, trainings in schools and
  municipalities
• Planned costs over 5 years 3.6 million with
  1.28 million ERDF.

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Conclusions

• Funding still available to invest in biodiversity
  through current Cohesion Policy in the next years
  (actual spending of current Cohesion Policy until
  2015)!
• Future Cohesion Policy provides clear support to
  biodiversity, Natura 2000 Green Infrastructure
• Prepare now the post-2013 period!

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Many thanks for your attention