Article 11 - Incentive measures

Release date	09/02/2006

156-What is the relative priority afforded to implementation of this Article and the associated decisions by your country?
High	Fl.
Medium	Wa.
Low
157-To what extent are the resources available adequate for meeting the obligations and recommendations made?
Good
Adequate	Fl.
Limiting	Wa.
Severely limiting
158-Are programmes in place to identify and ensure the adoption of economically and socially sound measures that act as incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of components of biological diversity?
no
early stages of development
advanced stages of development
programmes in place	X
review of implementation available

(158) Concerning the private sector, programmes to ensure the adoption of economically and socially sound measures that act as incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of components of biological diversity are in early stages of development.

159-Do these incentives, and the programmes to identify them and ensure their adoption, cover the full range of sectoral activities?
no
some sectors	X
all major sectors
all sectors

Decision III/18. Incentive measures

160-Has your country reviewed legislation and economic policies to identify and promote incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of components of biological diversity?
no
reviews in progress	Wa.
some reviews complete	Fl.
as far as practically possible
161-Has your country ensured the development of mechanisms or approaches to ensure adequate incorporation of both market and non-market values of biological diversity into plans, policies and programmes and other relevant areas, inter alia, national accounting systems and investment strategies?
no
early stages of identifying mechanisms	X
advanced stages of identifying mechanisms
mechanisms in place
review of impact of mechanisms available
162-Has your country developed training and capacity building programmes to implement incentive measures and promote private-sector initiatives?
no
planned
some	X
many
163-Has your country incorporated biological diversity considerations into impact assessments as a step in the design and implementation of incentive measures?
no
yes	X
164-Has your country shared experience on incentive measures with other Contracting Parties, including making relevant case-studies available to the Secretariat?
no
yes - previous national report
yes - case-studies	X
yes - other means

Decision IV/10. Measures for implementing the Convention [part]

165-Is your country actively designing and implementing incentive measures?
no
early stages of development
advanced stages of development
measures in place	X
review of implementation available

(165) An example of an economic incentive for the private sector is the investment deduction for environmentally sound investments.

166-Has your country identified threats to biological diversity and underlying causes of biodiversity loss, including the relevant actors, as a stage in designing incentive measures?
no
partially reviewed	X
thoroughly reviewed
measures designed based on the reviews
review of implementation available
167-Do the existing incentive measures take account of economic, social, cultural and ethical valuation of biological diversity?
no
yes - limited extent	Wa.
yes - significant extent	Fl.
168-Has your country developed legal and policy frameworks for the design and implementation of incentive measures?
no
early stages of development	Wa.
advanced stages of development
frameworks in place	Fl.
review of implementation available
169-Does your country carry out consultative processes to define clear target-oriented incentive measures to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss?
no
processes being identified	Wa.
processes identified but not implemented
processes in place	Fl.
170-Has your country identified and considered neutralizing perverse incentives?
no
identification programme under way	X
identified but not all neutralised
identified and neutralised

Decision V/15. Incentive measures

171-Has your country reviewed the incentive measures promoted through the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change?
no
yes	X
172-Has your country explored possible ways and means by which these incentive measures can support the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity in your country?
no
under consideration Fed.
early stages of development	Wa.
advanced stages of development	Fl.
further information available

Further comments on implementation of this Article

(general) Flanders - Management contracts of the Flemish Government: 597 (out of 710) management contracts were approved for financial support in 2000. 28% of the management contracts dealt with the management of meadows related to birds, 25% dealt with the management of edges and 47% dealt with the management of small landscape elements:

1. Meadow bird management (2 packages conversion arable land into grassland). Within demarcated meadow bird areas but not in expansion perimeters of Flemish or acknowledged nature reserves.
2. Buffer management (2 packages grassland mowing and grazing). As a rule on cultivated lands within the agricultural structure in demarcated areas (in anticipation of this not within the destinations mentioned in Article 20 of the Nature Conservation Decree) everywhere in Flanders, except if a Nature Directive Plan finds a management agreement inappropriate for this objective. The measure is not applicable within expansion perimeters of Flemish or acknowledged nature reserves.
3. Botanical management (4 packages grassland and 2 packages arable land). For the cultivated lands in vulnerable nature zones and the vulnerable zones in agricultural areas with ecological importance, botanical management is possible in anticipation of a Nature directive plan and as measure (not as compensation) compatible with the measure in areas with specific environmental restrictions and this under the following conditions:

• within the destinations mentioned in Article 20 of the Nature Conservation Decree, areas are demarcated in advance on the basis of a number of criteria, determined by the Flemish government on the proposal of the authorised Minister for Environment;
• the expansion perimeters of Flemish or acknowledged nature reserves are excluded;
• the management packages concerning botanical management are linked to a management vision, approved in the implementation of the Nature Conservation Decree;
• the management packages concerning botanical management include clearly accessible result commitments, defined under the form of conservation and/or development or recovery of nature (target) types or nature target images;
• only for cultivated lands which are known at the registration of the manure bank;
• if, for the cultivated land in question, no Nature directive plan becomes effective towards the end of 2004, the management agreement will expire;
• if, for the cultivated land in question, no Nature directive plan becomes effective towards the end of 2004, Nature directive plan needs to include a pronouncement about the termination or proceeding, if possible under which additional boundary conditions, of the current management agreement.

Nature conservation organisations receive government subsidies for the acquisition of land and for management and monitoring activities in the recognised reserves. Local authorities receive government subsidies for the implementation of projects for conservation, rehabilitation and management of habitats or species within their area.

(general) Wallonia - For the Walloon Region, incentive measures are foreseen within the following resolutions:

• grants for appropriate agro-environmental practices (resolution of the Walloon Government, 11.03.1999);
• subsidies for the plantation of hedges (resolution of the Walloon Government, 09.02.1995);
• subsidies for appropriate sylvicultural practices (resolution of the Walloon Government, 17.11.1994);
• subsidies when acquiring land for nature reserve purposes (resolution of the Walloon Executive, 17.07.1986).

(general) In the Brussels Capital Region, subsidies are i.a. granted for the management of recognised nature reserves (resolution of the Brussels Capital Executive, 25.10.1990).