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MINISTERS’ DEPUTIES |
CM Documents |
CM(2022)23 |
1 March 2022[1] |
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Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (T-PVS) Abridged report of the 41st meeting of the Standing Committee Item to be considered by the GR-C at its meeting on 11 March 2022 |
Opening of the meeting and adoption of the agenda
1. The Standing Committee to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (ETS No. 104), hereinafter referred to as the Bern Convention, held its 41st meeting by video conference from 29 November to 3 December 2021 with Ms Jana Durkošová in the Chair.
2. The agenda was adopted with no amendments and is contained in Appendix 1. The full list of decisions and adopted texts is available on the website of the Convention: 41st meeting of the Standing Committee - Bern Convention institutions - Meetings 2021 (coe.int)
List of items for decision by the Committee of Ministers
List of items for information of the Committee of Ministers
4. At its 41st meeting, the Standing Committee adopted the following texts:
- Vision for the Bern Convention for the period to 2030;
- Recommendation No. 210 (2021) on e-commerce and Invasive Alien Species;
- updated lists of officially nominated candidate and adopted Emerald Network sites;
- Terms of Reference for the creation of an ad hoc Working Group on reporting;
- Recommendation No. 212 (2021) on the project to build a motorway through the Kresna Gorge (Bulgaria);
- Recommendation No. 213 (2021) on the presumed threat to Emerald Network site “Polonina Borzhava” from wind energy development (UA0000263) (Ukraine);
- Programme of Activities and Budget 2022-2023.
Resource implications
5. The Standing Committee adopted the Programme of Activities and budget allocation for 2022-2023, to be implemented subject to the availability of financial resources and to the pandemic situation.
6. The Standing Committee agreed on the same scale of suggested voluntary contributions for 2022 as set out in its Resolution No. 9 (2019) and invited all Contracting Parties to make voluntary contributions according to their capacities in 2022.
Evaluation of completed activities
7. The Standing Committee noted the report of its 40th meeting and reports of the two ordinary meetings and one extraordinary meeting of the Bureau to the Standing Committee held during 2021. The Committee appreciated the many activities undertaken and efforts to implement the programme of activities despite the continuous difficult sanitary situation.
8. The Standing Committee discussed, in the presence of the Director of Democratic Participation, Mr Matjaž Gruden, and the Director of Legal Advice and Public International Law, Mr Jörg Polakiewicz, the proposals that had been put forward to find a way to ensure sustainable financing of the Bern Convention, namely to establish an Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) and/or amend the Bern Convention. The Standing Committee:
- took note of the outcomes of the GR-C meetings presented by the Director of Democratic Participation;
- took note of the meeting reports of the Intersessional Working Group on Finances;
- acknowledged the commitment of the Contracting Parties that had confirmed their intention to join the EPA and were considering joining the EPA. In particular, it welcomed the announcements from Georgia and the Slovak Republic of their interest to join the EPA;
- requested to the Parties which had not replied yet to the survey on the EPA to do so by the end of December 2021;
- examined and expressed support to the “draft Resolution establishing an Enlarged Partial Agreement for the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats”, as amended by the GR-C;
- extended the mandate of the Intersessional Working Group on Finances, and instructed it, in collaboration with the Secretariat, to assess the feasibility to establish the EPA in the light of the last survey and to follow up the GR-C instruction to review all options available and explore possible new options for consideration by the 42nd Standing Committee;
- instructed the Secretariat to liaise with Parties which are either not ready yet to join the EPA or which have not yet expressed their intentions, to clarify the operation and governance of the EPA. The Secretariat should also prepare a questions and answers document summing up Parties’ concerns.
- took note of the state of play of the preparation of the amendment to the Bern Convention and mandated the Intersessional Working Group to pursue its elaboration and to submit it to the 42nd Standing Committee for possible adoption.
9. The Standing Committee adopted the draft Vision for the Bern Convention for the post-2020 decade. It agreed to prolong to 2022 the mandate of the Working Group on developing a Vision and Strategic Plan for the Bern Convention for the period to 2030 for the elaboration of a Strategic Plan.
10. The Standing Committee appreciated the initiative of the Secretariat supported by the Bureau on proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure, mainly aiming at modernising certain processes such as digital working methods. The final proposals for amendments to the Rules of Procedure and short assessment of the proposed voting rule changes on the case-file system should be submitted to Parties for consideration before the summer break in 2022 with a view to a discussion and possible adoption at the 42nd Standing Committee.
11. The Standing Committee took note of the report of the online meeting of the Group of Experts on Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of 6 July 2021. The Standing Committee examined and adopted the Recommendation No. 210 (2021) on e-commerce and IAS.
12. The Standing Committee took note of the report of the virtual joint meeting of the Bern Convention Network of Special Focal Points on Illegal Killing of Birds and the Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean of 9-11 June 2021. The Standing Committee discussed and supported the proposal for future periodic assessment and frequency and the format of future joint meetings, as well as the proposal for voluntary guidance on the baseline and methodology for assessing progress towards achieving the Rome Strategic Plan.
13. The Standing Committee took note of the report of the online meeting of the Group of Experts on the Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles of 28 September 2021.
14. The Standing Committee welcomed the progress achieved so far in the development and implementation of the new initiative for the conservation of marine turtles aiming to support the Contracting Parties Cyprus, Greece and Turkey in finding solutions to the long-standing marine turtle cases and to prevent further complaints on this subject matter.
15. The Standing Committee called on Contracting Parties to fully implement the measures included in the pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons and to report on progress at the meeting of the national Focal Points planned in 2022.
16. The Standing Committee recalled Recommendation No. 209 (2020) and the Action Plan for the Eradication of the Ruddy Duck in the Western Palaearctic, 2021-2025. All Contracting Parties with sightings of ruddy ducks were invited to step up their efforts to eradicate the species and save the endangered white-headed duck in Europe.
17. The Standing Committee took note of the report of the virtual meeting of the Group of Experts on Protected Areas and Ecological Networks of 5-6 October 2021.
18. The Standing Committee agreed to pursue its reflection on the possible gaps in the legal framework of the Emerald Network.
19. The Standing Committee welcomed the creation of the Emerald Network Barometer and the further developments of the Emerald Network IT tools aimed to enforce data quality, improve data assessment and automate processes.
20. The Standing Committee adopted the updated lists of officially nominated candidate and officially adopted Emerald Network sites.
21. The Standing Committee took note of the meeting report of the Group of Specialists on the European Diploma for Protected Areas of 24 February 2021.
22. The Standing Committee supported the creation of a dedicated Working Group entrusted with the reporting under Resolution No. 8 (2012) on the conservation status of species and habitats and endorsed the terms of reference of the Ad hoc Working Group on Reporting proposed by the Group of Experts
23. The Standing Committee welcomed the presentation of the Secretariat on the need for a reflection on the case-file system. The Standing Committee agreed to postpone the possible adoption or endorsement of the case-file system Guide and Memorandum until its 42nd meeting, and meanwhile mandated the Secretariat, in consultation with the Bureau, to launch a written consultation process with the Contracting Parties and interested Observer NGOs next year.
24. The Standing Committee discussed and decided on the follow-up concerning 14 complaints lodged under the Convention’s case-files system. It also monitored the implementation of two country-specific Recommendations adopted in the frame of the Bern Convention’s case-file system in previous years. It mandated three new on-the-spot appraisals for 2022. It adopted Recommendation No. 211 (2021), Recommendation No. 212 (2021) and Recommendation No. 213 (2021).
25. The Standing Committee took note of the information provided by the Secretariat on activities related to communication and visibility, in particular the Voices of Nature Campaign and participation in the World Forum for Democracy.
26. The Standing Committee mandated the Bureau, in collaboration with the Secretariat, to further elaborate the assessment of the pros and cons of having a Standing Committee meeting every two years instead of annually ahead of the 42nd Standing Committee.
Any changes to the composition of the Committee Bureau
27. In accordance with Article 18(e) of the Rules of Procedure, the Standing Committee elected Ms Merike Linnamägi (Estonia) as Chair, Mr Carl Amirgulashvili (Georgia) as Vice-Chair, Mr Jan Plesnik (Czech Republic) and Mr Andreas Benjamin Schei (Norway) as Bureau members. According to Rule 19 of the Rules of Procedure, the Committee acknowledged the automatic election of the previous Chair, Ms Jana Durkošová (Slovak Republic), as a Bureau member.
Other observations
28. The Standing Committee decided unanimously to invite the following States to attend its 42nd meeting: the Russian Federation, San Marino, Egypt, the Holy See and Jordan.
29. The Standing Committee agreed to hold its next meeting on 29 November - 2 December 2022 in Strasbourg (dates and format subject to the pandemic situation in 2022).
Agenda of the 41st meeting of the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention
(Strasbourg, 29 November - 3 December 2021, online meeting)
PART I – OPENING
1. Opening of the meeting and adoption of the agenda
2. Chairperson’s report and communications from the delegations and from the secretariat
3. Financing and strategic development of the Bern Convention
3.1. Financing of the Bern Convention
3.1.1 Enlarged Partial Agreement
3.1.2 Amendment of the Bern Convention
3.2. Vision and Strategic Plan for the Bern Convention for the period to 2030 and contribution to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
3.3. Rules of Procedure - Possible modifications
PART II – MONITORING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LEGAL ASPECTS
4. Monitoring of the implementation of the legal aspects of the Convention
4.1. Biennial reports 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 concerning exceptions made to Articles 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8
4.2. Online Reporting System
PART III – MONITORING OF SPECIES AND HABITATS
5. Monitoring of species and habitats
5.1. Invasive Alien Species
5.2. Conservation of Birds: eradication of illegal killing, trapping and trade of wild birds
5.3. Amphibians and Reptiles
5.4. Guidance tool for the Conservation of Marine Turtles
5.5. Pan-European Action Plan for Sturgeons
5.6. Eradication of the Ruddy Duck
5.7. Review of the Plant Conservation Strategy
5.8. Conservation of Habitats:
5.8.1 Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest
5.8.2 European Diploma for Protected Areas
5.9. Reporting under Resolution No. 8 (2012) on the conservation status of species and habitats
PART IV – MONITORING OF SPECIFIC SITES AND POPULATIONS
6. Specific sites and populations
6.1. Case-file system reflection and possible improvements
6.2. Files opened
Ø 2004/2: Bulgaria: Wind farms in Balchik and Kaliakra –Via Pontica
Ø 2013/1: North Macedonia: Hydro power development within the territory of the Mavrovo National Park- on-the-spot appraisal
Ø 2016/5: Albania: Presumed negative impact of hydro-power plant development on the Vjosa river
Ø 2016/4: Montenegro: Development of a commercial project in Skadar Lake National Park and candidate Emerald site
Ø 1995/6: Cyprus: Akamas peninsula
Ø 2010/5: Greece: threats to marine turtles in Thines Kiparissias
Ø 2012/9: Turkey: Presumed degradation of nesting beaches in Fethiye and Patara SPAs
Ø 1986/8: Greece: Recommendation No. 9 (1987) on the protection of Caretta Caretta in Laganas bay, Zakynthos
6.3. Possible files
Ø 2001/4: Bulgaria: Motorway through the Kresna Gorge - on-the-spot appraisal
Ø 2019/5: Turkey: Habitat destruction in Mersin Anamur Beach
Ø 2020/09: Bosnia and Herzegovina: Possible negative impact of hydro-power plant development on the Neretva river
6.4. Complaints on stand-by
Ø 2017/6: Iceland: Possible negative impact on Breiðafjörður Nature Reserve’s authentic birch woods from new road infrastructure- on-the-spot appraisal
Ø 2018/1: Ukraine: Presumed threat to Emerald site “Polonina Borzhava” (UA0000263) from wind energy development (taking into account the “Other Complaints” concerning Emerald Network sites in Ukraine)- on-the-spot appraisal
Ø 2017/02: North Macedonia: Alleged negative impacts to Lake Ohrid and Galichica National Park candidate Emerald Sites due to infrastructure developments
6.5. Follow-up of previous complaints and Recommendations
Ø Recommendation No. 95 (2002) on the conservation of marine turtles in Kazanli beach, Turkey
Ø Recommendation No.190 (2016) on the conservation of natural habitats and wildlife, especially birds, in afforestation of lowland in Iceland
PART V – COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMME OF WORK 2022-
2023
7. International coordination with other MEAs and organisations
8. Awareness and visibility
9. Draft programme of activities and budget for 2022-2023
10. States to be invited as observers to the 42nd meeting
PART VI – OTHER ITEMS
11. Election of Chair, Vice-Chair and Bureau members
12. Date and place of the 42nd meeting
13. Adoption of the main decisions of the meeting
14. Other business (items for information only)