A recent assessment for EU-27, estimates the total investments needed for managing the Natura 2000 network to be at least € 5.8 billion per year, largely confirming earlier estimates. One third of these needs relate to one-off investments; the remainder relate to recurring management of the sites. Weighted against the benefits from Natura 2000 which are of the order of €200 to 300 billion/year, the socio-economic benefits of Natura 2000 far outweigh the estimated costs.The relevant Commisison Staff Working Paper on financing Natura 2000 is now  transmitted to the Council, EP, Committee of Regions and ECOSOC.

Europe's natural heritage is showing an alarming decline, according to new research published today. The European Red List, a part of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, assessed a considerable portion of Europe’s native fauna and flora, finding that a large proportion of molluscs, freshwater fish and vascular plants now fall into the threatened category.

Natura 2000, the EU's network of protected areas, has undergone a significant expansion. Nearly 18 800 square kilometres have been added, including a major addition of marine areas covering 17 000 square kilometres which will increase protection for many endangered marine species.

The objective of these updates is to share relevant information in order to facilitate the planning and development of ecosystem assessments in Europe. The June 2011 update includes information on EU activities on ecosystem assessments, news from the EEA and from EEA partners in Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Germany and  France. 

The Multilateral Environmental Agreements Information and Knowledge Management Initiative (MEA IKM), launched today, develops harmonized MEA information systems to assist Parties and the environment community at large. Supported by UNEP the initiative currently includes 17 MEAs from 12 Secretariats hosted by three UN organizations and IUCN. It is open to observers involved in MEA information and data management.