3.4. Environment. Context Indicator 7: Land cover

Transcription

1 3.4. Environment Agricultural land covers almost 50% of the EU area Taken together, agricultural land and forests cover 80% of land in the EU-27 Context Indicator 7: Land cover Land cover is the actual distribution of forests, water, desert, grassland and other physical features of the land, including those created by human activities, in particular artificial and agricultural areas. Agriculture plays a major role in Europe: by aggregating the Corine Land Cover classes, it can be shown that agricultural land accounts for almost half of the European territory and has a notably higher share in the EU-N12 (57%) than in the EU-15 (49%). The share of the different land cover categories varies across Europe and is correlated with the physical characteristics of the territory such as mountains and remoteness of the area. Generally the countries with a lower percentage of agricultural area present higher percentages of forests. Taken together, agricultural land and forests (including natural grassland and transitional woodland-shrubs) represent around 83% of land cover in the EU-27, ranging from 52% in Malta to 93% in Poland. 56 CLC 2000 for EL. Table 52 - Land cover Indicator Measurement Source Calculation Year Unit Context 7 - Land Cover % area in the different categories of land cover Corine Land Cover 2006 (CLC2006) DG Environment 2006 % Forest area, including transitional Subdivisions Agricultural area including grassland woodland -shrub Transitional Agricultural area Natural grassland Forest area woodland-shrub Country Natural area Artificial area Other areas Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Italy Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden United Kingdom EU EU EU-N Note: For EL data refer to CLC

2 Map 47 - Land cover,

3 Baseline indicator for context Measurement of the indicator Definition of the indicator 7 - Land cover % area in agricultural / forest / natural / artificial classes Land cover is the actual distribution of forests, water, desert, grassland and other physical features of the land, including those created by human activities. Land use, on the other hand, characterises the human use of a land cover type. The data source used is CORINE Land Cover (CLC). CLC databases are obtained through computer assisted interpretation of satellite images acquired in 1990, 2000 and 2006, offering the possibility to describe the geographic distribution of specific land cover changes in a georeferenced approach. CLC describes land cover (and partly land use) with a three-level nomenclature of 44 classes. For the purpose of this indicator, they have been grouped so as to get the four classes of agricultural, forest, natural and artificial land cover. CLC was elaborated based on the visual interpretation of satellite images (Spot, Landsat TM and MSS). Ancillary data (aerial photographs, topographic or vegetation maps, statistics, local knowledge) is used to refine interpretation and assign classes. The CLC database is based on a standard production methodology characterised by the following elements: Mapping scale is 1: Mapping accuracy is 100 m. The minimum mapping unit for the inventory is 25 ha for areas, and 100 m for linear elements. Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Reclassification 1 Artificial surfaces 1.1 Urban fabric Artificial 1.2 Industrial, commercial and transport units Artificial 1.3 Mine, dump and construction sites Artificial 1.4 Artificial, non-agricultural vegetated areas Artificial 2 Agricultural areas 2.1 Arable land Agricultural 2.2 Permanent crops Agricultural 2.3 Pastures Agricultural 2.4 Heterogeneous agricultural areas Agricultural 3 Forest and seminatural areas 3.1 Forests Forest 3.2 Scrub and/or herbaceous vegetation associations Natural grasslands Agricultural Moors and heathland Natural Sclerophyllous vegetation Natural Transitional woodland-shrub Forest 3.3 Open spaces with little or no vegetation Natural 4 Wetlands 4.1 Inland wetlands Natural 4.2 Maritime wetlands Sea 5 Water bodies 5.1 Inland waters Inland water 5.2 Marine waters Sea It should be noted that other sources may give significantly different shares, but CLC has a uniform methodology and nomenclature across Europe. CLC2000 and CLC2006 data are highly consistent in this context. Moreover, they are the only dataset which is complete for the EU-27. Nevertheless in order to reduce and explain the discrepancies with other surveys and national inventories, the estimation of the agricultural areas and forest includes separately the CLC classes "Natural grassland" and "Transitional woodland shrubs", which are, in most of the case, likely to be critical in the estimation.. Data for Greece are from CLC2000, while those for the other 26 Member States come from CLC2006. As coverage by water (inlands or sea) is not reported, the total of the subdivisions cannot sum up to 100%. Subdivisions The categories of land cover are : Agricultural area Forest area Natural area Artificial area Unit of % measurement Source CORINE Land Cover 2006 v.16 (CLC 2006), CORINE Land Cover 2000 v.6 (CLC 2000) 163

4 More than half of the agricultural land in the EU-27 is classified as LFA Most of this land is in danger of abandonment The share of LFA is higher in the EU-15 than in the EU-N12 The importance of the three LFA categories varies among Member States Context Indicator 8: Less favoured areas Under Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/99 57, less-favoured areas (LFAs) can be classified according to three categories, each of which describes a specific cluster of handicaps which threatens the continuation of agricultural land use. Mountain areas (Article 18) are handicapped by a short growing season because of a high altitude, or by steep slopes at a lower altitude, or by a combination of the two. Areas north of the 62 nd Parallel and certain adjacent areas are treated in the same way as mountain areas. Other less favoured areas (Article 19) are in danger of abandonment of agricultural land-use where the conservation of the countryside is necessary. They exhibit the following handicaps: land of poor productivity; production which results from low productivity of the natural environment; and a low or dwindling population predominantly dependent on agricultural activity. Areas affected by specific handicaps (Article 20) are areas where farming should be continued in order to conserve or improve the environment, maintain the countryside, and preserve the tourist potential of the areas, or in order to protect the coastline. According to data reported by MSs in 2005 (and from 2007 in case of Bulgaria and Romania) 58, in the EU-27 more than half of the total UAA (54%) has been classified as LFA. The highest share is taken up by 'other' LFA (34%), followed by mountain areas (16%). The overall share of UAA classified as LFA is higher in the EU-15 (58%) than in the EU-N12 (46%). At Member State level, Malta (100%), Luxembourg (95%) and Finland (95%) have the highest shares of LFA. The lowest shares can be found in Denmark (1%), the Netherlands (12%) and Belgium (12%). The importance of the three LFA categories varies among Member States. The share of UAA in less favoured mountain areas (Art. 18) is higher than 50% in Austria (50.4%), Finland (50.4%), Greece (53.9%) and Slovenia (69.5%), whereas the agricultural areas at risk of agricultural land abandonment (Art. 19) are more than half of the UAA in the United Kingdom (52.8%), Lithuania (56,1%), Poland (57.9%), Portugal (57.9%), Latvia (73.5%) and Luxembourg (95.3%). The share of UAA in areas affected by specific handicaps (Article 20) is below 25% in all Member States except in Malta where it represents the totality of the UAA. 57 Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 repealed most of Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999. The provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 related to LFA were supposed to enter into force on 1/1/2010, subject to an act of Council. However, such act has not been adopted and the respective provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 have therefore not entered into force, keeping the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 in place. 58 Data on LFA shown in this report are mostly based on data from 2005 (and from 2007 in case of BG and RO). Most Member States have not updated their delimitations since they were waiting for the revision of the delimitation method, foreseen for While this publication works at LAU2 level (Local Administration Unit level 2), a number of Member States use different administrative units for the delimitation of these areas and therefore data have to be interpreted with caution. 164

5 BE BG CZ DK DE EE IE EL ES FR IT CY LV LT LU HU MT NL AT PL PT RO SI SK FI SE UK EU-27 EU-15 EU-N12 Graph 61 - UAA in different categories of Less Favoured Areas (%), % 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% LFA mountain LFA other LFA specific non LFA Table 53 - Less Favoured Areas Indicator Measurement Source Year Unit Subdivisions Context 8- Less Favoured Areas % UAA in the different categories of LFA DG Agriculture and Rural Development - MS specific communications or CAP-IDIM 2005 (2007 for BG, 2008 for RO) % % UAA non LFA % UAA in LFA mountain (exart.18) % UAA in LFA other (ex-art.19) % UAA in LFA specific (exart.20) Country Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Italy Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden United Kingdom EU EU EU-N Note: The figure for LFA pursuant to Art. 19 may also include LFA pursuant to Art

6 Map 48 - Less Favoured Areas,

7 Baseline indicator for context Measurement of the indicator Definition of the indicator Subdivision Unit of measurement Source 8 Less Favoured Areas % UAA in non LFA / LFA mountain / other LFA / LFA with specific handicaps The areas eligible for the support for LFA are defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/1999 (see footnote 57): Mountain areas (incl. areas north of the 62nd parallel and certain adjacent areas): Art. 18 Areas affected by significant natural handicaps: Art. 19 Areas affected by specific handicaps: Art. 20 The collection of the information according to the definition is presently difficult, particularly at regional level and for the areas affected by specific handicaps. The information is not systematically reported in rural development programmes and the only survey collecting this information at community level is the Farm Structure Survey. Part of the UAA may not be covered by this survey (very small farms and common land) and there is no distinction between areas with significant or with specific handicaps. Commission's legal proposals for the CAP post 2013 defines two principal areas: Mountain areas (incl. areas north of the 62nd parallel and certain adjacent areas) Other areas with natural and specific constraints While no revision of the delimitation of mountain areas as well as of the areas with specific constraints is foreseen in the proposal, the areas with natural constraints should be based on a new delimitation mechanism. This mechanism will use eight biophysical criteria with defined thresholds common to all Member States. The delimitation will be based on administrative units where at least 66% of UAA is covered by one or more constraints. The legal proposal also stipulates the mechanism of fine tuning, i.e. a tool for excluding those administrative units where a constraint has been documented but it has been overcome by investments or by an economic activity. New data on the LFA areas and on the UAA under LFA should be reported by Member States for the preparation of the new programming period after Data on LFA shown in this report are mostly based on data from 2005 (and from 2007 in case of BG and RO). Most Member States have not updated their delimitations in the anticipation of the revision of the delimitation method, foreseen for While this publication works at LAU2 level (Local Administration Unit level 2), a number of Member States use different administrative units for the delimitation of these areas. The categories of areas are: Non LFA LFA Mountain other LFA / LFA with significant handicaps Areas with specific handicaps % UAA DG Agriculture and Rural Development Last update:

8 Extensive crop and livestock production is most common along the eastern part of the EU, in southern Italy and in central Spain while extensive grazing can be found in many parts of the EU Context Indicator 9: Areas of extensive agriculture The extensive character of agriculture is evaluated by measuring the share of agricultural area utilised for extensive arable crops and for extensive grazing. Extensive means a cereals yield below 60% of the EU average of 5 tonnes/ha and a stocking density not exceeding 1 livestock unit per ha of forage area. Evidently, besides the actual intensity of production, this indicator also reflects the natural conditions in the area under scrutiny. Only 16% of the UAA in the EU-27 is devoted to extensive crop production and 29% to extensive grazing. Extensive arable crop production is much more common in the 12 Member States that joined the EU since 2004 (32%) than in the EU-15 (9%), however extensive grazing has equal relevance in old and new Member States (29%). In terms of extensive crop production significant differences can be observed among the Member States. Bulgaria has the highest share of extensive crop production (68%), followed by Lithuania (57%), Romania (50%), Estonia (46%), Cyprus (44%) and Latvia (44%). Map 49 shows that extensive crop production is concentrated along the eastern part of the EU, in southern Italy and in central Spain. On the other hand, many Member States report no extensive crop production areas at all (Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom). For extensive livestock production, the highest shares can be found in Portugal (56%), Latvia (55%), and Estonia (53%). At regional level, Map 50 shows a concentration of extensive grazing in Scotland, northern Scandinavia, the Baltic countries, mountainous regions in Slovakia, Austria, France and Italy, the whole of Portugal and large parts of Spain and Romania. No extensive livestock production exists in Belgium, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, and the Netherlands. In some countries (Denmark, Ireland, the Czech Republic), areas of extensive grazing appeared for the first time in 2010, possibly due to the new inclusion of common land in the data collected for forage area. 168

9 Table 54 - Areas of extensive agriculture Indicator Subindicator Measurement Source Context 9 - Areas of extensive agriculture Areas for extensive arable crops Share of UAA with cereals yield <60% of EU-27 average Eurostat (FSS; crops and land use statistics); for England: Defra, RPA Areas for extensive grazing Share of UAA with livestock density <1 LU/ha of forage area Eurostat (FSS) Year 2010 for area for average yields 2010 Unit % % Country Belgium Bulgaria 67.5 * 30.1 Czech Republic 0.0 * 38.1 Denmark Germany 0.0 * 9.9 Estonia 46.1 * 53.4 Ireland Greece 20.6 * 47.6 Spain 37.3 * 35.3 France 0.2 * 21.4 Italy 14.0 * 27.9 Cyprus 43.9 * 0.0 Latvia 43.6 * 55.0 Lithuania 56.5 * 42.7 Luxembourg 0.0 * 0.0 Hungary Malta n.a. 0.0 Netherlands 0.0 * 0.0 Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia 0.0 * 25.1 Slovakia Finland n.a Sweden United Kingdom EU * 28.9 EU * 29.0 EU-N * 28.8 * Different reference years for average yelds (see indicator box). 169

10 Map 49 - Share of UAA for extensive arable crops, Map 50 - Share of UAA for extensive grazing,

11 Baseline indicator for context Measurement of the indicator Definition of the indicator Unit of measurement Source 9 - Areas of extensive agriculture This indicator consists of 2 sub-indicators: 1. % of utilised agricultural area for extensive arable crops 2. % of utilised agricultural area for extensive grazing 1. This sub-indicator measures the area under arable crops production (except forage crops), where the regional yield for cereals (excluding rice) is less than 60% of the EU-27 average, i.e. less than 3.01 tonnes per ha. Only for England, wheat yield is measured instead of cereal yields. Permanent crops (olive trees, vineyards, fruit trees, nuts, etc) are not covered since no satisfactory measurements of extensive production for these enterprises have been identified. The EU-27 average cereal yield is a 3-year average, with 2009, 2010 and 2011 as reference years. It is calculated on the basis of national data, available for all the EU Member States but Malta. Since the evaluation of the extensive character of agriculture should be made at the most detailed geographical level possible, NUTS 2 regions are used as the basis for calculating the extensive character of agriculture at regional and at Member State level. Due to the presence of many data gaps at NUTS 2 level, it is not always possible to use 2009, 2010 and 2011 as reference years for calculating the average yields at regional level. 2. This sub-indicator measures the area under grazing livestock production (cattle, sheep and goats), where the stocking density does not exceed 1 livestock unit per ha of forage area (forage crops, permanent pastures and meadows). The conversion of the number of animals into livestock units is made by using the coefficients listed in article 131 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003. Forage crops are defined as characteristic D18 (forage plants) of the Farm Structure Survey. Since the evaluation of the extensive character of agriculture should be made at the most detailed geographical level possible, the evaluation of the extensive character of agriculture at Member State level is made by aggregating values at NUTS 2 level. % Eurostat (FSS; crops and land use statistics) and Defra, RPA (Observatory indicators); 2010 for the area, for the 3-year average yields Eurostat (FSS); 2010 Last update: October

12 In 2012, the Natura 2000 sites (SPAs + SCIs) covered 17.9 % of the terrestrial area of the EU- 27 In 2012, the agricultural and forestry areas under Natura 2000 sites accounted for 10 % of the UAA and 23 % of the total forestry area, respectively Context Indicator 10: Natura 2000 area The Natura 2000 network is an EU-wide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive. The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It is comprised of Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) defined under the Habitats Directive, and also incorporates Special Protection Areas (SPAs), which are designated under the 1979 Birds Directive 59. Natura 2000 is not a system of strict nature reserves where all human activities are excluded. Whereas the network will certainly include nature reserves, most of the land is likely to be privately owned and the emphasis will be on ensuring that future management is sustainable, both ecologically and economically. The territory defined as SPA covers 12.1 % of the EU-27 terrestrial area without significant differences between the EU-N12 and the EU-15, while the territory defined as SCIs is higher in the EU-N12 (15.1%) than in the EU-15 (13.2%). Globally the Natura 2000 sites (SPAs + SCIs) cover 17.9 % of the terrestrial area of the EU-27. With the inclusion of the Corine Land Cover classes for natural grassland and transitional woodland-shrubs in the estimation of UAA and forestry area, the designated sites cover 10.6% of the UAA and 22.9% of the forestry area of the EU-27. While the share of UAA under Natura 2000 sites is quite similar in the EU-15 (10%) and in the EU-N12 (12.2%), the share of forestry area is much higher in the EU-N12 (35%) than in the EU- 15 (19%). The share of UAA under Natura 2000 sites is highest in Bulgaria (22.2%) and Slovenia (21.3%) and lowest in Finland (0.7%) and the United Kingdom (3%). The differences among Member States are even more marked in the area of forestry under Natura 2000, varying from 6.5% in the United Kingdom to 53.9% in Bulgaria. 59 Reference: Natura 2000 viewer Biodiversity Data Centre 172

13 Graph 62 - % UAA under Natura 2000, 2012 Note: the percentages of UAA and forest under Natura 2000 are estimated using Corine Land Cover classes. Graph 63 - % forest under Natura 2000, 2012 Note: the percentages of UAA and forest under Natura 2000 are estimated using Corine Land Cover classes. 173

14 Table 55 - Natura 2000 Area Indicator Subindicator Measurement Subdivisions Source Calculation Year Unit Country % territory under % territory under Natura 2000's Natura 2000's Sites of Special Protection Community Areas (SPAs) Importance (SCIs) % territory under Natura 2000's network Context 10 - Natura 2000 Area % Territory under Natura 2000 % UAA under Natura 2000 DG Environment - Natura 2000 Barometer DG Environment ; DG Agriculture and Rural Development Agricultural area Agricultural area (including natural grassland) % forest area under Natura 2000 % UAA under Natura 2000 % forest area under Natura 2000 EEA; Natura 2000 spatial dataset (End 2012) + Corine Land Cover 2006 DG Agriculture and Rural Forest area (including Forest area transitional woodlandshrub) EEA; Natura 2000 spatial dataset (End 2012) + Corine Land Cover 2006 DG Agriculture and Rural Development Development % % % Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece Spain France Italy Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden United Kingdom EU EU EU-N Notes: The data for FR and therefore EU aggregates do not include the overseas departments. The area of CY and the % corresponds to the area of CY where the Community acquis applies at present, according to protocol 10 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus. The percentages of UAA and forest under Natura 2000 are estimated using Corine Land Cover classes. For EL the % of UAA and forest under Natura 2000 is based on CLC

15 Map 51 - Natura 2000 network, 2012 Map 52 - Natura 2000: Habitats Directive (SCIs),

16 Map 53 - Natura 2000: Birds Directive (SPAs), 2012 Baseline indicator for context Measurement of the indicator Definition of the indicator 10 Natura 2000 area This indicator consists in 3 sub-indicators : % of territory under Natura 2000 % UAA under Natura 2000 % forest area under Natura 2000 This indicator provides information on the preservation of the natural environment and landscape and on the protection and improvement of natural resources. Under Natura 2000, a network of areas is designated to conserve natural habitats and species of wildlife which are rare, endangered or vulnerable in the European Community. The Natura 2000 network consists of sites: designated by Member States as Special Protection Areas (SPA) under the Birds Directive (Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979), those proposed by Member States as Sites of Community Importance (psci) and later designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992). For the Special Protection Areas designated under the Birds Directive, the responsibility for designation lies entirely with the Member States. The Commission (DG Environment) has to be informed when new areas are designated or existing areas are modified. The information received on new or revised areas is passed on to the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity (ETC_BD), which regularly produces consolidated versions of the SPA database for the whole EU. For the proposed Sites of Community Importance, which are now Sites of Community Importance and will in the future be Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats Directive, there is a three-stage process that starts with the proposal by Member States. The proposals are irregularly transferred to the Commission which evaluates with the ETC_BD and independent experts whether or not the proposed sites ensure sufficient protection and, on the basis of that evaluation, asks the Member States to propose more sites whenever necessary. The ETC_BD regularly (once a year) compiles all the information received into a single EU database. The lists of sites foreseen in the Habitats Directive are divided in nine bio-geographic regions (Pannonian, Boreal, Continental, Atlantic, Alpine, Macaronesian, Black Sea, 176

17 Sub-indicators Unit of measurement Source Steppic and Mediterranean) within the territory of the Union. The first list for the Macaronesian region was agreed in December The second list was adopted in December 2003 for the Alpine region, followed in 2004 by the lists for the Continental and Atlantic regions. The list for the Boreal region was adopted in 2005, and the list for the Mediterranean region in The lists for the Steppic and the Black Sea regions were adopted in The lists are established on the basis of proposals made by the Member States, which are subsequently evaluated with the assistance of the European Environment Agency. Natura 2000 sites include different types of European ecosystems. Some sites are in coastal areas, or in open marine waters, some contain lakes or are riverine, and many include forest and farmland. For calculating an improved version of this indicator, georeferenced information was required. The data sets used consist of the Natura 2000 Spatial Dataset and the CORINE Land Cover 2006 (CLC 2000 for EL). Although CLC categories do not fully correspond to the statistical definitions of agricultural area (UAA) or forests, the overlay of the two data sets allows an accurate geographical estimation of land use data inside Natura 2000 sites. To reduce and explain the discrepancies with other surveys and national inventories, the estimation of the UAA and forest includes separately the CLC classes "Natural grassland" and "Transitional woodland shrubs". % of territory under Natura 2000 (SPA & SCI) territory - terrestrial area. % of UAA under Natura 2000 % of forest area under Natura 2000 % Natura 2000 Barometer (end 2012) provided by DG Environment ETC_BD Natura 2000 Spatial Dataset 1: Scale (End 2012) CORINE Land Cover 2006 v.16 (CLC 2006) Please note that the situation regarding Natura 2000 sites is constantly evolving and therefore these data represent only a snapshot of the situation at a reference date. The figures relating to the area coverage of Natura 2000 sites (i.e. SPAs + SCIs) have been obtained by GIS analysis performed by DG Environment and EAA. The methodology used for these calculations has recently been refined, which explains why many of the figures are different from the previous report. Member State territory: CLC 2006 database (CLC 2000 for EL) Total farmland (estimation of UAA): CLC 2006 classes 2xx and 321 (CLC 2000 for EL) Forest area : CLC 2006 classes 31x and 324(CLC 2000 for EL) 177

18 The population of farmland birds in Europe and in most of the Member States is still declining though at a slower pace than in the decade Portugal is the only country that shows a clear increasing trend in farmland birds Objective Indicator 17: Population of farmland birds The farmland bird indicator is intended as a barometer of change for the biodiversity of agricultural land in Europe. Assuming a close link between the selected bird species and the farmland habitat, a negative trend signals that the farmed environment is becoming less favourable to birds and, by extension, to agricultural biodiversity in general. In this chapter reference is made to the Pan European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme and, where data are not available or not up-to-date, reference is made to national indices as reported by the OECD 60. The main difference between the common Farmland Bird Index (FBI) and national indices concerns the number and type of species monitored, ranging from 8 to 37, and the calculation method 61. In order to provide examples of the difference between the common FBI and national indices, comparing graphs are reported at the end of this chapter. At EU level 62, the decline registered from 1990 to 2008 continued also in 2009 and 2010 with a reduction of almost 3 points a year. However, over the last decade the downward trend seems to have slowed down compared to the previous period (-12.3 points from 2000 to 2010 compared to from 1990 to 2000). The annual average change passed from -1.4% in to -0.9% in Most Member States witnessed the same decline in farmland bird populations, although there are differences in the pace of the decline and the rate of change between the two decades. Some countries like Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden, and the United Kingdom report a steady decline, with a slower pace in the last decade. Others, like Ireland, Italy, Poland, Latvia and Estonia show frequent fluctuations that still result in a quite stable trend. Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands show a sharper decline in the last decade compared to the previous one. Only Portugal shows a clear increasing trend although data are available only from 2004 to In the same period also Latvia and Estonia show a quite steady increase. 60 OECD (2013), "Biodiversity: Farmland bird populations and agricultural land cover", in OECD, Compendium of Agri-environmental indicators, OECD Publishing, available on 61 For detailed explanation, see the OECD website: 62 The EU aggregate figure is an estimate based on the following 18 Member States: BE, CZ, DK, DE, EE, IE, ES, FR, IT, LV, HU, NL, AT, PL, PT, FI, SE and UK. Graph 64 - Population trends of farmland birds in the European Union (2000 = 100), Linear (European Union ) Linear (European Union ) 178

19 Graph 65 - Population trends of farmland birds in the Member States (2008 = 100), BE CZ DK DE FR NL IE IT PL LV EE AT FI SE UK ES EL PT SI HU 179

20 Graph 66 Change in FBI, 2000 to 2008, and annual average change in the Farmland Bird Index, and NL BE CZ DK DE AT ES FR IT SE UK HU PL FI EE IE LV PT 3% 2% 1% 0% -1% -2% -3% -4% -5% -6% BE CZ DK DE EE LV FR FI SE UK EU-27 EU -7% NL Note: Only Member States for which relevant data are available are shown. The change over is calculated on 3-year averages in order to reduce the distortion due to annual fluctuations (for 2000: 1998/2000, for 2008: 2006/2008). Data for EE refer to 1998/ /2006. Data for IT and HU refer to 1999/ /2009. Data for PL refer to 2000/ /2010. Data for PT refer to 2004/ /2009. The annual average change is calculated on 3-year averages in order to reduce the distortion due to annual fluctuations (for 1990: 1990/1992, for 2000: 1998/2000, for 2010: 2008/2010). For the first class ( ): data for DE refer to 1991/ /2000; data for LV refer to 1995/ /2000. For the second class ( ): data for NL and EU-27 refer to 1998/ /2010; data for EE refer to 1998/ /2006. Table 56 - Population of farmland birds Indicator Measurement Source Objective 17 - Biodiversity: population of farmland birds Trends of index of population of (36) farmland birds (2000 = 100) Eurostat/OECD PECBM (Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring) and national programmes Year Unit Country Belgium Index (2000 = 100) n.a n.a. Bulgaria n.a. n.a. n.a. Czech Republic 97.3 n.a. n.a. Denmark 79.2 n.a. n.a. Germany 76.0 n.a. n.a. Estonia n.a. n.a. n.a. Ireland 92.4 n.a. n.a. Greece N.I N.I N.I. Spain 84.2 n.a. n.a. France 96.2 n.a. n.a. Italy 88.0 N.I N.I N.I. Cyprus n.a. n.a. n.a. Latvia n.a. n.a. Lithuania n.a. n.a. n.a. Luxembourg n.a. n.a. n.a. Hungary N.I N.I. n.a. Malta n.a. n.a. n.a. Netherlands 50.3 N.I N.I N.I. Austria 79.3 N.I N.I N.I. Poland 98.0 N.I N.I N.I. Portugal N.I N.I. n.a. Romania n.a. n.a. n.a. Slovenia Slovakia n.a. n.a. n.a. Finland n.a. n.a. Sweden 86.4 n.a. n.a. United Kingdom 83.4 n.a. n.a. EU EU-15 n.a. n.a. n.a. EU-N12 n.a. n.a. n.a. Notes: N.I. = national index from OECD report. The EU aggregate figure is an estimate based on the following 18 MS: BE, CZ, DE, EE, IE, ES, FR, IT, LV, HU, NL, AT, PL, PT, FI, SE and UK. 180

21 Graph 67 Comparison between the Farmland Bird Index calculated by Eurostat and national indices Italy 110 Eurostat N.I Poland Eurostat N.I Hungary N.I. Eurostat Netherlands Eurostat N.I Austria Eurostat N.I

22 Baseline indicator objective related Measurement of the indicator Definition of the indicator Unit of measurement Source 17 Biodiversity: Population of farmland birds Trends of index of population of farmland birds The farmland bird indicator consists in an aggregated index of population trend estimates of a selected group of 36 breeding bird species dependent on agricultural land for nesting or feeding. Assuming a close link between the selected bird species and the farmland habitat, a negative trend signals that the farm environment is becoming less favourable to birds. The following farmland bird species are included: Alauda arvensis, Anthus campestris, Anthus pratensis, Burhinus oedicnemus, Calendrella brachydactyla, Carduelis cannabina, Ciconia ciconia, Corvus frugilegus, Emberiza cirlus, Emberiza citrinella, Emberiza hortulana, Emberiza melanocephala, Falco tinnunculus, Galerida cristata, Galerida theklae, Hirundo rustica, Lanius collurio, Lanius minor, Lanius senator, Limosa limosa, Melanocorypha calandra, Miliaria calandra, Motacilla flava, Oenanthe hispanica, Passer montanus, Perdix perdix, Petronia petronia, Saxicola rubetra, Saxicola torquata, Serinus serinus, Streptopelia turtur, Sturnus unicolor, Sturnus vulgaris, Sylvia communis, Upupa epops, Vanellus vanellus. In 2007 the list of species covered was modified to be more specific to farmland in the different European biogeographic regions. Indices are first calculated for each species independently at the national level by producing a national population index per species. Then, the national species indices are combined into supranational ones. To do this, they are weighted by estimates of national population sizes. Weighting allows for the fact that different countries hold different proportions of the European population of each species. In a third step, the supranational indices for each species are then combined on a geometric scale to create a multi-species aggregate index at European level. The national indices are compiled by each country using common software. The supranational indices are compiled by Statistics Netherlands in conjunction with the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring scheme (PECBM: a joint project of the European Bird Census Council, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, BirdLife International, and Statistics Netherlands). The population counts are carried out by a network of volunteer ornithologists coordinated within national schemes. The farmland bird indicator is indexed on the year 2000, this base year having been selected so as to provide the maximum geographic coverage. In 2008, the scheme covered 18 EU countries. EU aggregate is an estimate based on the following 18 Member States: United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Latvia, Spain, Austria, Ireland, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Estonia and Portugal. There have recently been changes to the species covered and the time series for several countries. The fluctuations between model runs show that small rises or falls in the indicator should not be regarded as anything real and that it is best to look only at the change between 1990 and the latest available year. Index (2000 = 100) European Bird Census Council, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, BirdLife and Statistics Netherlands working together for the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (data are available on Eurostat's website under the topic "Biodiversity"; "Protection of natural resources") Last update: September

23 High Nature Value farmland areas contribute to biodiversity of European agricultural landscapes The share of HNV areas lies between 10 and 30% in many Member States Objective Indicator 18: Biodiversity High nature value farmland area High Nature Value (HNV) farmland areas and features have been widely recognised as a valuable asset of European agricultural landscapes, providing highly varied living conditions for a wide range of species and thereby contributing to biodiversity. The concept of HNV farmland and farming refers to the causality between certain types of farming activity and corresponding environmental outcomes, including high levels of biodiversity and the presence of environmentally valuable habitats and species. HNV farming is therefore a key indicator for the impact assessment of policy interventions with respect to the preservation and enhancement of biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems dependent on agriculture and of traditional rural landscapes. In particular, HNV farmland results from a combination of land use and farming systems. Some "natural values", related to high levels of biodiversity or the presence of certain species and habitats, depend on certain types of farming activity. The dominant feature of HNV farming is low-intensity management, with a significant presence of semi-natural vegetation, in particular extensive grassland. Diversity of land cover, including features such as ponds, hedges, and woodland, is also a characteristic. Typical HNV farmland areas are extensively grazed uplands, alpine meadows and pasture, steppic areas in eastern and southern Europe, and dehesas and montados in Spain and Portugal. Certain more intensively farmed areas in lowland Western Europe can also host concentrations of species of particular conservation interest, such as migratory waterfowl. 63 A wide variety of approaches and combinations of methods are currently being used across the EU to assess the extent of HNV farming. Still, the assessment of its condition presents a considerable challenge. Due to the variation in data availability across the Member States and regions of the EU and the range of physical situations (territory size, farm structure and systems, predominant land and habitat types), it is not appropriate to impose a common methodology for the assessment of HNV farming. Therefore, a unique definition embracing all types of HNV farming areas across Europe is not possible. Nor it is possible to derive an aggregate value for the EU-27 of the extent in ha of the HNV area. Nevertheless, estimates 64 of the HNV farmland area in each Member State show an overview of the likely spatial distribution of HNV farmland across the EU-27 and give a rough indication of the share of HNV farmland in the agricultural land 65 in the EU-27 Member States. 63 Reference: Paracchini et al., High Nature Value Farmland in Europe, EEA and JRC, Estimates of the HNV farmland areas and maps result from the modelling exercises undertaken by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and the European Environmental Agency. Reference: Paracchini et al., High Nature Value Farmland in Europe, EEA and JRC, and European Environment Agency, Report" High Nature Value Farmland in Europe 2012 update", (in print). 65 In the study EEA, High Nature Value Farmland in Europe 2012 update", (in print), the agricultural area is indicated as the total area belonging to the CLC agricultural classes (the 11 agricultural classes of CORINE level 3 and parts of natural grasslands) plus identified HNV areas outside these classes and therefore it does not equal the Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA) derived from statistics. 183

24 At European level, distribution patterns of High Nature Value farmland are based on the land cover and biodiversity data approach, developed by the EEA and JRC 66. Map shows the estimated presence of HNV farmland in Europe 68 based on existing Europe-wide datasets: CLC 2006, Natura 2000 sites, IBAs, PBAs and environmental zones. According to the results of this study, the highest share of HNV farmland in the agricultural area (more than 60%) is observed in Austria and Slovenia. In Cyprus, Spain, Finland and Poland, HNV farming systems represent between 41 and 60%, whilst in thirteen Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom) it is likely to be between 21 and 40% of the agricultural land. On the other hands, the lowest share of HNV areas is estimated to be in seven Member States (Germany, Denmark, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Slovakia) where it is between 0 and 20%. 66 See note Map 55 is taken from the European Environment Agency, Report "High Nature Value Farmland in Europe 2012 update" (in print). 68 See note 64. Table 57 - High Nature Value Farmland Indicator Measurement Source Year Unit Country Objective 18 - Biodiversity: High Nature Value Farmland Agricultural land of High Nature Value Farmland European Environment Agency EEA Report 2012 update Million ha % Belgium Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Germany Estonia Ireland Greece n.a. n.a. Spain France Italy Cyprus Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Hungary Malta Netherlands Austria Poland Portugal Romania Slovenia Slovakia Finland Sweden United Kingdom EU excl. EL 31.5 excl. EL EU excl. EL 32.6 excl. EL EU-N

25 Map 54 - Estimated share of HNV farmland, 2012 Note: The estimated share of HNV for each NUTS 2 area in the EU-27 was calculated according to the methodology described in the European Environment Agency Report, High Nature Value Farmland in Europe 2012 update, (in print). In this study, data on the estimated HNV farmland are also available for the following countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey and Kosovo. 185

26 Map 55 - Estimated HNV presence in Europe, 2012 Baseline indicator objective related Measurement of the indicator Definition of the indicator 18 Biodiversity: High Nature Value farmland and forestry Area of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland (in ha) The concept of HNV farming has been emerging as a policy consideration within the EU for some considerable years. It was included in the original set of agri-environmental indicators developed by the Commission following the June 1998 Cardiff European Council (European Commission, 2000) and has remained part of the AEI indicator set. For the programming period, the Community Strategic Guidelines for rural development highlight the preservation and development of HNV farming systems as a priority (Council Decision 2006/144/EC). This focus was reinforced through the introduction of biodiversity as one of the new challenges for the CAP within the "Health check" in 2009 (Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009). The rural development legal proposal for includes restoring and preserving biodiversity in areas of High Nature Farming within one of the six Union priorities for rural development. The concept of HNV farming refers to the causality between certain types of farming activity and corresponding environmental outcomes, including high levels of biodiversity and the presence of environmentally valuable habitats and species. HNV farmland covers defined areas but also HNV features (e.g. ponds, hedgerows, buffer strips etc.) which are part of areas that as such would not fall under the definition of HNV. In addition, it refers to agricultural and forestry management systems as a driver for creating or maintaining HNV. It should be noted that the values of HNV farmland and of the share of HNV farmland in the agricultural land presented in this report are derived from the study High Nature Value farmland in Europe 2012 update, undertaken by the EEA in 2012 (in print). This is the final report of the updated of the High Nature Value farmland indicator based on Corine Land Cover 2006 (HNV 2006) and biodiversity data and it applies the adapted methodology used by the JRC and the EEA for the HNV assessment based on CLC 2000 (Paracchini et al., High Nature Value Farmland in Europe, EEA and JRC, 2008). The current HNV farmland indicator (cf. Andersen et al., 2003 ) distinguishes the following types of HNV farmland: Type 1: Farmland with a high proportion of semi-natural vegetation. 186

27 Unit of measurement Source Type 2: Farmland with a mosaic of low intensity agriculture and natural and structural elements, such as field margins, hedgerows, stone walls, patches of woodland or scrub, small rivers etc. (modified JRC/EEA, 2007) Type 3: Farmland supporting rare species or a high proportion of European or World populations. The methodology developed for the IRENA indicator, based on land cover data (CORINE database) and agro-economic data (FADN), was more likely to give an indication for type 1 and 2 HNV farmland but not necessarily for type 3. Feedback from experts and countries showed that refinement of the methodology for identifying HNV farmland was needed, and therefore JRC and EEA improved the land cover approach, including biodiversity data (Paracchini et al., 2008). Thanks to the availability of CLC 2006 data, a 2012 update of estimated distribution of HNV farmland, is now available for EU-27 Member States (excluding Greece) (EEA, High Nature Value farmland in Europe 2012 update, (in print). The data on HNV farmland presented here aim at showing the distribution of HNV farmland areas (state) in Europe, based on a consistent methodology for all countries. To compare data holding the same characteristics, the estimated share of HNV farmland is calculated on the basis of total agricultural area as derived from CLC 2006 agricultural classes plus identified HNV areas outside these classes. However, the use of CLC data leads to certain data artefacts in some countries or regions, in spite of refined selection criteria and the inclusion of additional biodiversity data sets. Further refinements on the basis of national datasets would be advantageous in several regions. In general, this approach faces two crucial constraints as also indicated in Paracchini et al (2008). The one is the uncertainty in the data on the distribution and extent of HNV farmland in different countries and the other issue is to find comparable data for agricultural land. The uncertainty of this approach is described more in detail in the EEA Report Moreover, in the context of the monitoring and evaluation framework of rural development programmes , DG Agriculture and Rural Development has issued guidelines for reporting on HNV farmland and forestry indicators, to support Member States wishing to make use of a national definition for this indicator, and to develop the indicator further to include aspects of the HNV concept not covered so far. Moreover, "HNV Farming" is proposed as one of the impact indicators to be included in the CAP monitoring and evaluation framework for As such it will fall under the provisions of Article 110 of the proposed CAP Horizontal Regulation, associated implementing rules, and the legislative framework for rural development. Member States will therefore be required to supply values for this indicator (a baseline situation, plus updates at specific points during the period) in the context of the CAP monitoring and evaluation framework. In particular it will be needed for the baseline description of each RDP territory, and the subsequent evaluation of RDPs. In this context, due to the variation in data availability across the Member States and regions of the EU and the range of physical situations (territory size, farm structure and systems, predominant land and habitat types), it is not appropriate to impose a common methodology for the assessment of HNV farming. Use of one single method would restrict the analysis to data available throughout the EU, which would exclude the richest and most relevant data sources, and preclude those MS which have developed more refined methods from using them, with a consequent reduction in the quality and accuracy of the assessment. % - share of HNV farmland Paracchini et al., High Nature Value Farmland in Europe, EEA and JRC, European Environment Agency, Report "High Nature Value Farmland in Europe 2012 update", (in print). Last update: