Planta Europa Action Plan to 2007

The Critical Targets form the basis for an action plan for the Planta Europa Network to achieve its vision, that all members work together hand in hand to protect the wild plants of Europe. Click below to read about target:

Target 1
Target 2
Target 3
Target 4
Target 5
Target 6
Target 7

Target 1

An increase in Planta Europa membership, up to at least 100 active member organisations, with at least one member from each European country.

The achievement of this target will require enhanced communication with potential member organisations through the Planta Europa website, newsletter and various other publications. The status of the Network and benefits of membership must be clearly defined and reflected in all Planta Europa promotional materials.

The achievement of this target will also require long-term commitment from the current members of the Network to promote Planta Europa in their national countries, as well as among their colleagues abroad. This Critical Target corresponds to Target 5.6 of the EPCS "Enhance capacity of Planta Europa to achieve effective plant conservation".

Activities	Institution to act	Timeframe
By 2007: PE network actively promoted in all European countries through the PE website, newsletter and various publications
Improve information for potential PE members on the PE website	PE secretariat	2005
Deliver PE Newsletter to the network members and a wider audience on a regular basis	PE secretariat & Plant Talk	2005
Produce information package to be distributed among potential PE members	PE secretariat	2005

Target 2

An increase in the capacity of PE members to efficiently promote and enable the European Plant Conservation Strategy (EPCS) and Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) in national countries, on the regional level and internationally.

Plant Diversity Challenge, published in the UK in 2004, is an example of a successful promotion of the EPCS and GSPC on a national level. A similar approach has been adopted in some other countries, including Sweden and Belarus, where the national biodiversity action plans for plants are currently under development.

This Critical Target focuses on collaboration with the existing national GSPC focal points, and identification of GSPC focal points in all Planta Europa member countries where these do not yet exist. Planta Europa needs to communicate the EPCS amongst national focal points and assist with reporting on GSPC implementation progress.

On the regional level, the promotion of the GSPC and EPCS should be channelled through regional forums, e.g. the European Habitats Forum (EHF). The political priorities of the Planta Europa Network must be articulated more effectively at the European stage. At an international level, Planta Europa should be playing a greater role in Pan-European processes. This can be achieved by working together more closely with key international bodies such as the Council of Europe on key conservation issues, e.g. the European Red List for Plants, invasive alien species (IAS) and Important Plant Areas (IPA). Critical Target 2 corresponds to Target 5.6 of the EPCS "Enhance capacity of Planta Europa to achieve effective plant conservation".

Activities	Institution to act	Timeframe
National Level
Identify national GSPC focal points in each PE member country and make them aware of the EPCS; provide assistance with reporting on the progress achieved in GSPC implementation.	PE members	Ongoing
Explore opportunities to produce national responses to the EPCS and GSPC in at least 5 PE member countries	PE members	2007
Regional Level
Develop PE political agenda and effective mechanism of communicating key conservation messages through European Habitats Forum (EHF)	PE secretariat	2007
Support the implementation of the European Strategy on Invasive Alien Species (ESIAS)	PE members	2007
International Level
Targeted & proactive engagement with the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC) & other international plant conservation fora	PE secretariat	Ongoing
Ensure PE members are fully informed of international developments on plant conservation and encouraged to engage as appropriate	PE secretariat & PE members	Ongoing

Target 3

To design and launch a Wake Up Call for Plants at the 5th Planta Europa Conference.

The Wake-Up Call will be addressed to the general public, decision-makers, and conservation professionals across Europe. It will promote the outputs of the conference. This is a task to be carried out by Planta Europa members, and will need a central hub to coordinate it.

The target involves all Planta Europa members, and therefore would be a very good network building event. The event will be promoted in pan-European media, and designed to also target the European Parliament and European Commission. This Critical Target corresponds to Target 4.1 of the EPCS "A joint public promotion to articulate the case for wild-plant conservation".

Activities	Institution to act	Timeframe
By 2007: Focal event with sets of activities in each national country leading to it identified
Identify a focal event and develop a framework for Planta Europa members to participate in the event	PE secretariat	2005
Invite Planta Europa members to organise events in their countries and report to the PE Steering Committee	PE members	2006
Engage other regional players (CoE, EU and others) in the launch	PE Secretariat	2006
Invite professional press staff to assist with promotion of the event	PE members	2007

Target 4

To establish an effective platform for information and knowledge exchange on European plant conservation among all interested parties.

This Critical Target is one of the most important activities for the Planta Europa Network. Providing a functioning platform of information exchange, in particular, on projects clearly related to improving plant conservation in Europe, has to be seen as a priority requirement and the main value of the Network for its member organisations.

The Plant Talk Country Data Sheets can be seen as an example of activities that should be further promoted and supported by Planta Europa. A database of projects and programmes on plant conservation with responsibilities and activities in relation to the EPCS will be developed. Information and experience exchange between Planta Europa members and beyond will be enhanced by the establishment of a more effective and interactive Planta Europa website.

The new website will include an interactive space for each of the Planta Europa key conservation activities (e.g. Important Plant Areas (IPA); European Plants and Fungi Red List; implementation of species recovery plans and management programmes; invasive species management in Europe; conservation and sustainable use of medicinal and other socio-economically important plants; and rural development plans).

Programme moderators, drawn from PE members, will be responsible for overall coordination of each of the topics. The target broadly corresponds to Target 5.5 of the EPCS "Communication and information exchange between scientists and plant conservationists". Achievement of the target will cross cut with other targets (e.g. 1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 2.9, 2.21, 2.22 and 3.1).

Activities	Institution to act	Timeframe
By 2005: Present website of country meta data (Plant Talk) completed
Assist Plant Talk with compiling information for 14 remaining countries	PE members & PE secretariat	2005
Mechanism for ensuring regular updating of country meta data developed and implemented	PE members & PE secretariat	2007
By 2006: Pilot study on members project data and information exchange system for European plant conservation and the PE network established
Assist Plant Talk with the development of a proposal for the pilot study	PE secretariat	2005
By 2006: News rooms and clearing house mechanism corresponding to the PE main conservation activities established on the PE website
Identify framework for newsroom and CH mechanism	PE members & PE secretariat	2005
Identify Programme Moderators for PE Website Newsrooms	PE members & PE secretariat	2005
Develop and submit proposal for funding for establishing news rooms and clearing house mechanism on the PE website	PE secretariat	2005
Establish News rooms and clearing house mechanism	PE secretariat	2006

Target 5

Identification and protection of Important Plant Areas (IPAs) further promoted in Europe

The identification and protection of IPAs has long been a key conservation priority for many Network members, and considerable progress has been made since 2001. However, this process needs to be supported and further promoted across the Network. Network members should take a more proactive role in their respective countries to support, help facilitate, and implement national IPA programmes.

A key aspect of the IPA discussion at the conference was the shift away from debating the relevance of IPAs as an important plant conservation tool, and the criteria for their selection, towards how the IPA process can be embedded in national and pan-European biodiversity conservation policies and practises.

The starting point will be to identify the appropriate mechanisms for achieving this - for example by using IPA data to assist the Natura 2000 shadow list process and the identification of sites for the Emerald Network, integration of IPAs within National Biodiversity Strategies and linking IPAs with the initiative to identify High Nature Value Areas ('Kiev resolution' on agriculture and biodiversity).

The latter is regarded as a real opportunity to integrate IPAs with pan-European nature conservation policy. This Critical Target broadly corresponds to Targets 1.4 and 1.5 of the EPCS relating to Important Plant Areas, with implications for Target 2.9 "Plant conservation benefits of effective Rural Development Plans".

Activities	Institution to act	Timeframe
By 2007: IPA promoted in the context of High Nature Value Farming Areas
Developed work with other conservation organisations as to how IPA could contribute to the protection of High Nature Value Farming Areas	PE members & PE secretariat	2007
Campaign to have IPA recognised as criteria for High Nature Value Farming Areas and thus make them eligible for funding under agro-environment schemes	PE secretariat	2007
Form Planta Europa agri-environment working group	PE secretariat	2007
By 2007: Contact points identified in countries where no progress on IPA was made and projects to contribute to IPA network initiated
Prepare list of countries where no progress on IPA identification has been achieved and contact PE members in these countries; provide them with relevant publications and up-to-date information on progress with IPA identification	PE members & PE secretariat	2005
Identify contact points (NGOs, regional or national government, etc) to be approached PE members 2006 Explore possibilities, also financial, of starting IPA identification projects together with the identified contact points PE members 2006 IPA projects initiated	PE members	2007

Target 6

To support the development of a provisional European Plants and Fungi Red List.

The implementation of this target depends on the performance of the IUCN European Plant Specialist Group, therefore the immediate task for Planta Europa would be to lobby IUCN to revitalise the European Plant Specialist Group and its programme, starting with the appointment of a new Chair for the Group. This Critical Target corresponds to Target 1.2 of the EPCS "European Red Lists".

Activities	Institution to act
By 2007: The activities of the European Plant Specialist Group supported by Plata Europa
Lobby IUCN to appoint a new chair of the European Plant Specialist Group	PE members
Planta Europa members to make their national Red Lists available to the European Plant Specialist Group and advise on information gaps and discrepancies.	PE members

Target 7

To identify best practice for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal and other socio-economically important plants and to promote this information to relevant policy makers.

This Critical Target corresponds to Target 3.1 of the ESPC "Best practice for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants and other sociologically important plants."

Activities	Institution to act	Timeframe
By 2006: Monitoring work on the target supported
Provide clearing house facilities on the PE website	PE secretariat	2006