CCAT approach to assess potential CCAT approach to assess potential effects of CC measures on biodiversity effects of CC measures on biodiversity

and landscapeand landscape

Juan José Oñate

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

IntroductionIntroduction

CC is likely to impact, to a greater or lesser degree, on most of the processes related to European agriculture which are affecting biodiversity or landscape.

Objective To assess the potential effect of CC on European biodiversity and landscapes.

The analysis focused on the review of EU-27 national or regional (NUTS2) legislation on CC:

793 SMR obligations stemming from the Birds, Habitats and Nitrates Directives (17 distinct ‘measures’)

424 GAEC obligations (5 issues)

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Method Method Identification, qualitative assessment and aggregation of the potential effectiveness of each obligation.

BD L Obligation characteristics

3 0 Obligations containing elements directly targeting the maintenance or survival of animal or plant species, and habitats listed in the Directives.

2 2 Obligations targeting habitat structure and landscape structural elements.

1 1 Obligations targeting non-structural characteristics of the habitat for species (i.e. pollution, erosion, water abstraction)

2 1 Other management prescriptions, e.g. stocking regimes, stubble management or time limits for harvesting, packaging, or grubbing of hedges.

1 0 Other management prescriptions, e.g. minimum height of cut or restrictions on treated seeds.

0 0 Obligations without effects on biodiversity and landscape.

00 00

Obligations which effects cannot be assessed.

X X Obligations not in force

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 1level 1 – – Aggregated Aggregated potential effects on potential effects on biodiversitybiodiversity

GAECsSMRs

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 1level 1 – – Aggregated Aggregated potential effects on potential effects on landscapelandscape

SMRs GAECs

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 2level 2 – Potential – Potential effects of 3 Directives on effects of 3 Directives on biodiversitybiodiversity

Birds Directive Habitat Directive Nitrates Directive

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results level 3 – Potential effects of Birds Directive measures on biodiversityMaintain all species population Special protection areas Prohibit killing/disturbance

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 3level 3 – Potential – Potential effects of GAEC issues on effects of GAEC issues on biodiversitybiodiversity

Soil erosion Soil structureSoil organic matter Minimum level of

maintenance

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 2level 2 – Potential – Potential effects of 3 Directives on effects of 3 Directives on landscapelandscape

Birds Directive Habitat Directive Nitrates Directive

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 3level 3 – Potential effects of – Potential effects of Birds Directive measures on LandscapeBirds Directive measures on Landscape

Maintain all species population

Special protection areas Prohibit killing/disturbance

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Results Results level 3level 3 – Potential – Potential effects of GAEC issues on on effects of GAEC issues on on landscapelandscape

Soil erosion Soil structureSoil organic matter Minimum level of

maintenance

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

DiscusionDiscusion

• Potential effectiveness, although always positive, varies strongly among regions.

• These differences deserve further analysis and discussion as to whether they reflect varying environmental conditions and farming types and/or varying political willingness to seriously tackle with the existing agri-environmental issues at hand.

• To obtain more realistic results, calculated potential effectiveness should be translated to an expected effectiveness per region

Including levels of compliance with obligation (difficult to attempt at the moment due to lack of data)

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Conclusions and further Conclusions and further workwork• The proposed method seems useful to explore

patterns of potential effectiveness of CC on biodiversity and landscape in the EU at regional level.

• Linkage of databases, modelling procedures and a user interface in a single tool, will allow end-users of CCAT to explore patterns of CC effectiveness in a friendly way.

• Other SMRs expected to have an effect on biodiversity and landscape, i.e. Sewage Sludge and Groundwater Directives, will soon be included in the assessment.

• Implementation prescription for SMRs in new Member States will also be included in last year of CCAT

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

• In addition to this qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of standards for biodiversity and landscape two other assessments are proposed:

1. Assessment of impacts induced by predicted land use and livestock intensity changes as a consequence of CC (Included in PT1)

2. Impact assessments on habitat quality derived from environmental indicators. (To be included in PT2)

Conclusions and further Conclusions and further workwork

Cross Compliance Assessment Tool

Thank you for your attention!!Thank you for your attention!!