Last week the European Commission announced their plans for the new EU budget. The new budget, known as the Multi Annual Financial Framework (MFF) sets how much will be spent over the years 2014 to 2020, and how this money will be allocated.

Overall few changes have been made to the size of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget however there have been significant changes in the way in which this money will be allocated. Of the overall €372 billion budget around two thirds will be allocated to Pillar 1 which makes direct payments to farmers. 30% of direct payments from the CAP will be used to encourage environmentally sound practices, as part of a greening of the CAP. €4.5 billion will be spent on research into food security.

The Pillar 2 budget, which is used to fund agri-environment schemes, will be cut over the period by about 7%, leading some organisations such as WWF to doubt the ability of the new budget to deliver the ambitious environmental goals set out in Europe 2020. Sacrifices in this part of the budget have been made to avoid cutting direct payments to farmers. Another key concern is the new freedom that member states will have to move funding around between pillars 1 and 2 which many anticipate will further reduce the amount spent on environmental projects.

The budget for LIFE+, the EU scheme to fund nature and biodiversity projects has only been increased by a small fraction leading many organisations to doubt the ability of the new budget to maintain the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. National financing plans for Natura 2000 may be the only hope to protect our natural capital

The external budget, which funds initiatives such as the Global Climate and Biodiversity Fund and the European Development Fund, has been increased but it remains unclear how much funding will go specifically to projects to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services. Whether this money will be used in a way that contributes towards the millennium development goals whilst simultaneously delivering solutions for biodiversity remains to be seen, although the budget does state that the European Parliament are committed to contributing financially to help meet commitments on biodiversity and climate change.

Funding for research will focus on projects that cannot be achieved by countries acting alone. The budget states that Horizon 2020, the new framework for research funding, will focus on key sectoral policy priorities such as climate change, food security and unsustainable resource use.

Following the results of the consultation on the Green Paper on a Common Strategic Framework for future EU Research and Innovation Funding it has become clear that many researchers in ecology have been left feeling that biodiversity research is falling off the radar.

The Green Paper, published in February this year was designed to spark debate about research funding to inform the Horizon 2020 strategy which will replace the Framework Programme for research, the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology after the next EU budget in 2013.
Evidence was gathered in five main areas:
1. Working together to deliver on Europe 2020
2. Tackling societal challenges
3. Strengthening competitiveness
4. Strengthening Europe’s science base and the European Research Area
5. Public debate and further steps

Despite biodiversity loss being a major societal challenge it was not mentioned at all in the Green Paper, and there was no mention of funding research to help meet the 2020 biodiversity targets. This was noted by a variety of organisations including the French government, Defra, NERC and WWF Europe. Many were dismayed that biodiversity research had been omitted when biodiversity loss is such a pressing issue with a great deal of public interest.

Several organisations emphasised the need for biodiversity and ecosystem related research to be one of the main research priorities for the EU, as large scale projects with international collaboration are needed. The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures noted that long term investment by the EU is needed for novel technologies (such as remote sensing) to monitor biodiversity, as well as investment in technology to utilise the massive quantities of environmental data that are accumulating.

Despite the omission of biodiversity loss from the Green Paper there were some indications in the European Commission’s initial analysis that they intend to develop an international collaboration strategy which will be valuable for the field of biodiversity research.

Concerns that biodiversity is falling off the radar have been reflected in the recent failure of EU member states to endorse the 20 concrete measures proposed by the EU executive to implement the six headline targets that will allow the 2020 biodiversity target to be achieved. Some countries including Denmark and Italy have refused to endorse the six headline targets because of the perceived high financial cost of protecting biodiversity. Many of the member states said they require more time to consider the measures and emphasised the need to learn from the mistakes of the 2010 targets, which failed mainly because the EU never really agreed on how best to achieve the goals and how to finance them.

Public interest in biodiversity issues may also be declining. Googletrends has shown that the number of times the word biodiversity has been searched has declined from 2004 to the present day, whilst searches for ecosystem services continue to increase.

Whether biodiversity research gets the funding it needs from the European Commission in Horizon 2020 remains to be seen.

Sustainable eel fishing may start to increase in the European Union following the development of a new labelling scheme by the Sustainable Eel Group. The group, whose members include scientists, NGOs and policymakers, have developed a new standard (the Sustainable Eel Standard) to identify and promote best practice in the eel fishing industry. The development of the new standard is part of a move in the EU to put pressure on caterers and retailers to purchase eel only when they can be certain that it has been sustainably caught.

Eel populations have declined dramatically since monitoring began. A variety of factors have contributed to this decline including habitat destruction, pollution of waterways, disease, blocking of migratory pathways, and the complexity of the European eel lifecycle. These problems led to the eel being listed as endangered in 2008, after numbers had declined by as much as 90%. The new standard will start to tackle these problems by creating wetland habitats, monitoring water quality, and making alterations to the blocks in migratory pathways to allow eels to pass.

The new standard outlines key actions that the fishery must undertake in order to obtain a green score. These include:
• To achieve 40% escapement of eels, and minimise mortality during fishing
• To be licensed and provide accurate logbook data
• To use only legal gear
• To cause only negligible impacts on bycatch species or rare and protected species
• To cause on negligible impacts on habitats
• To active contribute in research and monitoring
• To develop and implement an eel management plan for restocking, and monitor the success of restocking
The report also contains recommendations for reducing the environmental and ecological impact of cultured eel and recommendations for animal welfare. Although these recommendations will ensure progression towards sustainability in the eel fishing industry the report also recognises that the fishery can not yet be called sustainable, as recovery of the stocks has not been sufficient.

The Sustainable Eel group is working with the Environment Agency to ensure that these recommendations are implemented in line with an EU Eel Management Plan

The European commission yesterday proposed a new strategy to achieve the 2020 biodiversity targets by incorporating the valuation of natural capital. The new strategy, which is based on a report by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB), states that the economic value of ecosystems in Europe must be factored into decision making at all levels.

This announcement follows the failure of the European Union to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity within Europe. It has become clear that current legislation is ineffective with only 11% of protected ecosystems in a favourable status despite the wide range of efforts deployed to protect nature, and the establishment of an extensive network of protected areas (Natura 2000). The new strategy blames, among other causes, lack of consideration for the economic value of biodiversity for the failure to meet past targets.

TEEB has estimated that the economic cost of loosing biodiversity dwarfs the cost of adequate protection. For example over fishing costs the fisheries industry over $50 billion annually. Janez Potočnik the EU environment commissioner stated that “It is a much smarter economic investment to protect the diversity of life and healthy ecosystems than face tragedy once diversity has been lost,”

The 2020 target to halt the loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services has been divided into six main goals covering the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services, improving the contribution of agriculture forestry and fisheries to conservation, and addressing the worldwide biodiversity crisis.

Europe plans to achieve these goals by:
• Building on the biodiversity knowledge base by identifying research gaps, contributing to the intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and establishing a monitoring and review procedure for the strategy.
• Setting up market based mechanisms to attract funding for the protection of ecosystem services, and to encourage projects that deliver multiple benefits.
• Establish a coherent message about biodiversity in the common agricultural policy, fisheries policy and water framework directive.
• Interacting with a wide variety of stakeholders through the EU business and biodiversity platform to help share successful initiatives and best practice.
• Engaging civil society in the hope they will become actively involved in achieving the targets.

TEEB estimates that this strategy could create new jobs and business opportunities worth 2 to 6 trillion dollars by 2050.

The full communication can be seen here.

Spanish officials today seized over £4 million worth of illegally caught fish landed in the Canary Islands. It is thought the move is the start of a new EU scheme to prevent to deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing after new regulations were introduced last year. The fish seized, weighing over 1100 tonnes, were destined for sale in Europe.

Illegal fishing of the coast of West Africa is a serious problem for local people, who rely on fishing for employment and as a source of protein. EU officials estimate that Sierra Leone loses around $29 million per year as a result of illegal fishing. Declines in fish stocks can increase pressure on other natural resources such as bush meat. Environmental Justice Foundation, the organisation to which the illegal fishing was first reported, said that the EU needs to take more responsibility for policing it’s waters. Among the species illegally caught were octopus, squid, sole, shrimp, and grouper some of which are known to be endangered or have depleted stocks.

Three boats involved in the illegal fishing, owned by South Korea, Panama, and China, were apprehended in the port of Las Palmas. Fish were taken from waters off the coast of Sierra Leone which are reserved for use by local fishermen under international fishing agreements. Other allegations were also made against the vessels, including use of child labour, damage to the local fishermen’s equipment, and even assault. EU officials noted that illegal fishing often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities.

This move is the most drastic action the European Union has ever taken on illegal fishing and a second strike is planned for later this year. Europe is currently investigating the activities of over 70 vessels from both member states and other countries. If vessels are found to be involved in illegal fishing they can be banned from landing fish in any European port, excluding them from the world’s biggest market for fish. Europe is also demanding answers from the Panamanian authorities who provided certificates to show that the fish landed were caught within international fishing agreements which protect certain areas for use by local fishermen.

See Fish worth £4m seized in EU crackdown on illegal fishing by Robert Booth for more information.

Last week EU leaders put the subject of research and innovation at the top of the political agenda by dedicating one of their summit meetings specifically to the issue. Today the European Commissioner for Research Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, conducted a keynote speech highlighting the importance of research and innovation at the Royal Society, London.

Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn’s speech opened with her agreement with the Royal Society; to “put science and innovation at the heart of a strategy for long-term economic growth”. She revised that we need to efficiently prioritise resources, and drew attention to the need for continued investment in research and innovation in order to create future jobs, warning that cuts to the sector could jeopardise economic growth. This opinion is supported by economic research, which indicates that reaching the EU’s target of investing 3% of GDP in the sector could create nearly four million jobs in Europe and increase annual GDP by €700 billion by 2025.

The talk was held prior to the release of the Green Paper on future EU funding for research and innovation by the European Commission this week. Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn explained that there have been seven previous Framework Programmes. Rather than creating an eighth however, she proposed a new instrument – a Common Strategic Framework, that would bring together all of the relevant EU tools. This approach, as outlined in the Green Paper, would be supportive of EU policy objectives, and therefore operate on a scale at which major European societal challenges could be dealt with effectively. The Common Strategic Framework would aim to raise scientific excellence in Europe by increasing support and investment to create an attractive environment in which to harness scientific talent. Additional to this, the framework would be simple, with less red tape, allowing scientists to spend more time in the lab and innovators to innovate.

The second speaker of the day, Professor Adrian Smith, Director General for Knowledge and Innovation at the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, agreed with Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn. He stated that directing funding streams toward research and innovation was vital to deliver added value, and that and collaboration between all EU members would be required for success.

In light of today’s talks on research and innovation one thing stands out; it is now time to get focused, get united, and get ahead.

Member countries of the European Union should adopt plans for their own ‘Green Investment Bank (GIB)’ in order to benefit from 30% emissions reductions, according to the independent think-tank E3G. Recommendations from the report – “Building a sustainable and low carbon European recovery” – suggest creation of institutions similar to the GIB and the German national bank KfW, to provide much needed low carbon investment. These measures would function alongside a strong policy portfolio to include the development of a European smart energy grid. Improvements in European domestic energy efficiency, innovation and low carbon infrastructure – which would be funded by the GIB (or an equivalent body) -are essential to ensuring energy security, claims E3G.

E3G state that: “the most economically sensible shift to 30 per cent would prioritise investment in domestic European energy efficiency, and in the infrastructure and innovation needed to sustain reductions beyond 2020 and maintain European companies’ lead in the low carbon race,”, rather than proposals to meet the 30% targets via cheap emissions reductions credits. However, the changes have been opposed by those that claim the costs of meeting such ambitious targets are beyond the capability of many firms current economic recession. They suggest that a lower target of 20% is more realistic and economically beneficial given the current financial crisis, a point strongly denied in the report.

Whilst the final decisions on EU emisisons reductions will not be made until early 2011, it is likely that the package of measures will be influenced by outcomes at the next UN climate change summit (COP16), in which European nations will be voting as a ‘bloc’.

Press Notice from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee:

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will undertake an inquiry into the European Commission’s proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013. The inquiry will consider the impact of the proposals on agriculture in the UK.
At a cost of about €57 bn in 2010, the CAP is the EU’s single largest item of expenditure. It affects almost 50% of the EU’s land area and nearly 14 million agricultural holdings. The CAP is due to be reformed by December 2013. The European Commission will outline their options for a new CAP framework in November, prior to issuing draft legislative proposals in summer 2011.
The Committee is seeking evidence from interested parties on the Commission’s proposals, including:
• How will the Commission’s proposals affect the ability of UK agriculture to be competitive in a global market?
• Do the proposals ensure fair competition for British agricultural products within the European Union?
• Will the proposals achieve the correct balance between productivity and sustainability?
• Do the proposals place the UK in a good position to help meet future food supply challenges?
• Will the proposals redress the imbalance in support to different sectors created by the historic basis of payments?
• What aspects of the proposals should be made a common policy, and which are best left to Member States?
• Can the proposals be implemented simply and cost-effectively, within a short time-scale?

The Committee may revise this information or release additional Terms of Reference following the publication of the Commission’s proposals.
The Committee invites all interested parties to address these and related matters in writing by Friday 3 December 2010. More information about the required format of submissions is given on the Committee’s website.

A group of researchers have called for urgent action to be taken to tackle invasive alien species in Europe, as reported on the BBC website (Pamela Rutherford) and this morning’s Today Programme. The researchers, meeting for a conference in Copenhagen, have urged the EU to adopt a Europe-wide policy by next year at the latest, aimed at tackling the economic and ecological damage wreaked on Europe’s indiginous wildlife by non-native invasive species.

Giving an interview to the BBC, the Chair of the Invasive Species Specialist Group said that the estimate of 12 billion EUR of damage caused by invasive alien species was likely to be a significant underestimate of the true cost because the economic value of the biodiversity lost through invasive species invasions was not included in this figure.

A 2008 inventory found 10,000 invasive non-native species in Europe, and colonisations have increased rapidly over the last 30 years.

At last week’s BES Annual Meeting in Leeds, delegates heard a presentation from CABI in which the preliminary results of the trial to combat Japanese Knotweed via biological control were discussed. The cost to combat the spread of Japanese Knotweed in the UK was estimated to be £1.56 billion presently. CABI has released a psyllid, Aphalara itadori, a natural enemy of the weed, at three paired sites in Southern England and is currently monitoring these sites intensively. Although few psyllids have been observed since release, researchers speculate that this is due to a dilution effect, with few psyllids released into the very large patches of Knotweed present. As a result CABI will carry out further releases of Aphalara, to create a higher psyllid density. Tests have shown that the psyllid is host specific so the research team is confident that further releases will have an effect.

The European Ecological Federation has today launched the website for its 12th Congress, taking place in Avila, Spain, on 25 – 29 September 2011. The meeting is being organised jointly by the Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology (AEET) and Portuguese Ecological Society (SPECO), on behalf of the EEF.

The EEF plan to organise a workshop as part of this meeting, engaging policy-makers from the European Commission. Further details will appear on the EEF website when available.

The European Ecological Federation encourages all ecological societies and colleagues to develop topics for symposia and/or workshops for the 12th EEF Congress: Deadline 12th November.