Ecologic Institute

The project aims to further refine estimations of costs and benefits associated with Natura 2000 network and to collect information and recommendations on methodologies for these estimations as applied at EU Member State level. Ecologic Institute and its partners have interviewed representatives from different ministries and key stakeholders in all 27 EU Member States to gather insights on costs and benefits associated with the network.

Background

As the identification and delimitation of Natura 2000 sites are nearing completion, increasing attention is paid to the appropriate maintenance and management of these sites. In this context, estimations of management costs for the network are crucial in order to guarantee adequate funding. At the same time it is clear that biodiversity and ecosystems, including Natura 2000 areas, provide numerous ecosystem services crucial for human well-being. Therefore, it can be said that an appropriately managed Natura 2000 network also to a large extent ‘repays’ the costs related to its maintenance.  

Project Objectives

1. a further refinement of the estimations of the costs of managing the network/individual sites as compared to the benefits of the network/individual sites;
2. an increased awareness of the benefits associated with the Natura 2000 network;
3. the development of a methodology for the systematic updating and refinement of the costs and benefits associated with the Natura 2000 network

Tasks of the Ecologic Institute

Ecologic Institute has conducted case studies in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Slovenia, Lithuania and Bulgaria and contributes to the compilation and assessment of information and recommendations. In Particular, a methodology will be developed to enable an up-scaling of the results to the EU context. Moreover, Ecologic Institute organizes the final conference aiming to raise the awareness of the socio-economic benefits of Natura 2000 and related ecosystem services among the wider audience.

Further Links

Ecologic Project: Opportunity costs of EU biodiversity action
Ecologic Project: Updating the Cost of Policy Inaction (COPI) on Biodiversity

This project is part of the Ecologic Institute`s contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

Keywords: Natura 2000, biodiversity, cost-benefit analysis, economic assessment, EU 27, Europe

Sponsor: European Commission, DG Environment
Partners: Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP); GHK Consulting Ltd. 
Team: Ruta Landgrebe, Holger Gerdes, Sandra Naumann, Ana Frelih-Larsen, Colette de Roo, Sophie Herbert, Soeren Haffer
Duration: 19 December 2008 until 19 June 2010
Project number: 2303

Last update:  18.02.2010