Brussels, 06/05/2103 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 6 May, the European Commission adopted a communication detailing a strategy on green infrastructure - the objective of which is to put forward solutions to protect and improve Europe's natural capital.
The definition retained by the Commission to describe the green infrastructure is: “a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. It incorporates green spaces (or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas. On land, green infrastructure is present in rural and urban settings.”
The Commission believes that this strategy can be implemented as part of the current financing and legislation. By the end of 2017, the Commission will examine the progress and publish a report. The green infrastructure strategy is based on four axes.
Promoting green infrastructure in the main policy areas. The main policy areas enabling the promotion of green infrastructure to be guaranteed will be regional or cohesion policies, adaptation to climate change and environment policies, disaster risk management, health and consumer policies, and the common agricultural policy - and especially the financing mechanisms that are associated with them. By the end of 2013, the Commission will develop technical guidance setting out how to integrate green infrastructure into the implementation of these policies from 2014 to 2020. The Commission will assess the way in which innovation linked to green infrastructure can be financed by several other EU instruments, such as the mechanism for the Connecting Europe Facility. As part of the Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T), for example, it is possible to promote the integration of green infrastructure in the projects as part of the proposed corridor approach.
Improving information and promoting innovoation. In addition to continuing the mapping and assessment work in the context of the EU biodiversity strategy, by 2015 the Commission will review the extent and quality of the technical and spatial data available for decision-makers in relation to green infrastructure deployment. By 2013, as part of Horizon 2020, the Commission will assess the need to methodologically support the ongoing mapping and assessment work, improve the knowledge base and encourage innovative technologies and approaches to facilitate the development of green infrastructure. It will also assess the contribution that the technical standards (physical building blocks and procedures) could bring to growing the market for green infrastructure-friendly products.
Improving access to finance. The Commission will continue to explore the possibilities for implementing innovative financing mechanisms to support green infrastructure. Together with the European Investment Bank (EIB), it undertakes to set up an EU financing facility by 2014 to support people seeking to develop green infrastructure projects.
EU-level green infrastructure projects. By the end of 2015, the Commission will carry out a study to assess the possibilities for developing an EU-TEN-G initiative. It will also assess the costs and economic, social and environmental benefits of such an initiative. (LC/transl.fl)