Context
The EU is confronted with a dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, leading to a concerning decline in Europe's natural habitats. The majority of EU habitats and soils – including cropland – are in poor conditions, and fish populations and pollinators are dwindling. Unsustainable land and water management, overexploitation of natural resources, increased pressures from urbanisation, together with the impacts from climate change and invasive alien species, are some of the main factors leading to the degradation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity.
In response to this crisis, the EU has proposed several initiatives aimed at restoring and strengthening the resilience of natural resources, guided by strategic frameworks such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, EU Soil Strategy, Farm to Fork Strategy, and EU Forest Strategy for 2030. These initiatives are crucial for creating a “continent reconciled with nature”, as highlighted in the 2023 State of the Union.
The vitality and resilience of ecosystems is essential for human health and wellbeing and for vibrant societies and economies. Ecosystems provide essential goods and services, including carbon sequestration, regulation of water cycles, protection against environmental disasters and the provision of biodiversity habitats. Numerous key sectors, accounting for more than half of global GDP, directly rely on nature and its services – this includes, in particular, agriculture, forestry, food and beverages, materials and construction, and other major land and water using sectors. Maintaining ecosystem functions is therefore vital for the bioeconomy, for job creation and livelihoods, and for supporting agricultural production and food security.
The longer ecosystem restoration and the transition to sustainable management is postponed, the more challenging and costly it will be to reverse the loss of natural capital and address its socio-economic impacts. As such, urgent action is needed to halt the degradation of nature and improve the resilience of ecosystems to the impacts of climate change. This involves transitioning to new management practices, considering natural systems in a holistic manner in sectoral strategies, public finance, and land use planning.
Objectives
The objective of this flagship is to support Member States at national, regional and local level in strengthening natural resources management, in line with agreed global and European biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation goals.
Indicative Support measures
Member State authorities are encouraged to present requests for technical support that promote an integrated approach to natural resources management, for example by selecting and combining support measures from different work packages covered by the flagship.
1. More sustainable land management:
This work package aims to support Member States to move towards a soil/landscape management approach that reflects the multifunctionality of soils/landscapes, as complex systems providing multiple ecosystem services, promoting biodiversity, food, water and energy security, and contributing to the mitigation of climate-related risks (e.g., drought, floods, wildfires, soil and coastal erosion).
Member State authorities may choose for technical support under the following list of measures:
- Development or review of integrated land use and spatial plans.
- Development of strategies and/or action plans for a greener and more sustainable agricultural sector.
- Pilot implementation of sustainable, climate-friendly and future-proof agricultural and agroforestry practices, evaluation of results, and upscaling of pilot initiatives (e.g., piloted under the LIFE and Horizon Europe programmes).
- Simplification of reporting obligations for the land sector.
- Implementation of the revised LULUCF Regulation, in particular to improve the quality and integration of datasets under current and upcoming EU monitoring systems.
- Development of a strategy and/or action plan on sustainable soil management practices.
- Identification of relevant stakeholders (e.g., farmers, land-users and land-owners), development of a stakeholder engagement plan, and carrying out engagement, consultation and awareness-raising activities.
- Increasing public awareness on sustainable soil and agricultural practices.
- Training activities and capacity building for soil managers, land-users and land-owners, and relevant authorities.
2. More efficient, sustainable and resilient forests
This work package aims to support Member States improving the management and monitoring of forests, with a view to ensure multifunctional forests ecosystems by combining biodiversity objectives, climate change resilience and socio-economic benefits, in line with the new EU Forest Strategy for 2030.
Member State authorities may choose to apply for technical support under the following list of measures:
- Development or expansion of national Forest Monitoring Systems, Inventories and/or other relevant data collection systems, leveraging on digital developments.
- Development or review of integrated long-term forest plans, in line with Commission guidelines (e.g., Closer-to-nature to forest management).
- Design and implementation of policy instruments and measures to promote afforestation, in line with relevant Commission guidelines.
- Design and implementation of policy instruments and measures for mapping, monitoring and protecting primary and old-growth forests, in line with Commission guidelines.
- Planning and implementation of wildfire prevention measures.
- Strengthening the technical capacity and expertise of public administrations on wildfire prevention, forest monitoring, data collection and harmonisation, including on the use of digital forest monitoring tools and technologies.
3. Promoting biodiversity
This work package aims to support Member States in the design and implementation of biodiversity protection and nature restoration efforts, in line with international commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and objectives set in the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
Member State authorities may choose to apply for technical support under the following list of measures:
- Development, implementation and monitoring of specific measures for ecosystem restoration.
- Development, implementation and monitoring of national/regional Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
- Mainstreaming of biodiversity into policy-making, through the integration of biodiversity into sectoral strategies such as rural, urban and marine spatial planning, agriculture, fisheries, forestry and energy.
- Analysis of nature and biodiversity loss-related risks and integration of nature and biodiversity risk assessments into public decision-making processes.
- Awareness raising, capacity building and training of authorities in charge of nature and biodiversity as well as in other relevant areas.
4. More efficient, sustainable and resilient water sector
This work package aims to support Member States to improve water management practices and strengthen the resilience of the water sector, including by adapting to the impacts of climate change.
Member State authorities may choose to apply for technical support under the following list of measures:
- National reforms of the water sector to increase water resilience.
- Preparation, update and implementation of river basin management plans as well as national water management strategies/policies – e.g., water loss reduction; water saving and water reuse; water quality monitoring; urban wastewater management plans; flood and drought prevention and management; permitting of water abstraction; marine spatial planning; etc.
- Market instruments: assessment of the current tariff methodology, comparison with good practices and recommendations; support in developing investment plans and identifying funding opportunities; design market-based incentives; implementation of the polluter pays principle, e.g. implementation of extended producer responsibility; etc.
- Compliance with the revised Drinking Water Directive, notably on water losses, the recast Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and Water Reuse Regulation by providing analysis, methodologies and recommendations.
- Implementation of the recommendations stemming from the 7th Assessment of implementation of Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive (planned June 2024).
- Training activities and capacity building in the areas above.
5. Public and private finance for natural resource management
This work package aims to support Member States to identify funding priorities and financing needs to plan and prevent the biodiversity crisis as well as to design financial instruments to incentivise biodiversity- and nature positive management practices.
Member State authorities may choose for technical support under the following list of measures:
- Design of financial incentives for land-users and land managers to encourage the uptake of sustainable soil management practices.
- Design of financial incentives for forest owners and managers for improving the quantity and quality of EU forests, including payment for forest ecosystem service schemes, building on the Commission Guidance on the Development of Public and Private Payment Schemes for Forest Ecosystem Services.
- Preparation and implementation of National Biodiversity Finance Plans, including public and private finance instruments and tools.
- Integration of biodiversity objectives into public budgetary policies, including the review of harmful subsidies as well as the design of fiscal instruments to optimise nature-positive public expenditure.
- Training activities and capacity building in the areas above.
