The hard copy of this Manual includes as a necessary complement a general map of the Sites of Community Interest in the Valencian Community VC), as shown on the web page of the Department for the Environment as of 31st March 2003: www.cma.gva.esÆáreas de interésÆmapasÆcartografía básicaÆLicsÆCartografía básica y Fichas Técnicas de los Lics. http://www.cma.gva.es/areas/SIG/sigshp/cartografia_basica/lics/lics.PDF This general map is available in detail as a full paper version set at 1:100.000 scale, at the Secretariat General or Directorate General (DG) to which the relevant manager is attached. With the electronic version in Word format, placing the cursor on the sections of the Index and the web addresses mentioned throughout the Manual will take the user to the place of reference by simply pressing the PC Control key + left-hand mouse button. INDEX A.- THE ENVIRONMENTAL CROSS-SECTIONAL VARIABLE IN COMMUNITY POLICIES page 4 B.- AIM OF THE MANUAL AND MANAGEMENT CENTRES ATTACHED page 5 OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE BASIC DOCUMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION OF EF ACTION C.- PRIOR CAUTIONARY NOTE FOR MANAGEMENT CENTRES page 7 D.- ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS OF SF MANAGEMENT CENTRES IN THE VCIOP 2000-2006: Î D.1: TASKS OF THE ERDF AND EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES: D.1.1.-1st TASK: THE ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLE IN THE “FUNDS 2000” DATABASE page 8 FILLING IN THE “ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT” AND “NATURA 2000 NETWORK” FIELDS IN THE “GENERAL PROJECT DATA” FILE D.1.2.- 2nd TASK: NATURA 2000 NETWORK page 11 GUIDE FOR PREPARING THE PROPOSAL FOR DECLARATION BY THE AUTHORITY RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THE NATURA 2000 NETWORK D. 1.2.1.- WHAT IS THE NATURA 2000 NETWORK(N2000N)?: CONCEPT, REGULATION page 11 D.1.2.2.- IMPLICATIONS FOR AN ERDF OR EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRE: WHAT FILES REQUIRE THE NATURA 2000 DECLARATION? page 12 D.1.2.3.- WHEN SHOULD THE PROPOSAL FOR NATURA 2000 NETWORK DECLARATION BE MADE BY THE MANAGEMENT CENTRE? page 13 D.1.2.4.- SHOULD THE N2000N DECLARATION BE INDIVIDUALLY MADE PER PROJECT?: FORMS OF DECLARATION ACCORDING TO NUMBER OF PROJECTS INCLUDED page 14 D.1.2.5.- WHAT DOCUMENTS DOES THE N2000N DECLARATION PROPOSAL CONSIST OF THAT HAVE TO BE SENT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITY? page 15 D.1.2.6.- METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE ERDF AND EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES WHEN DRAWING UP THE PROPOSAL FOR NATURA 2000 NETWORK DECLARATION page 17 D.1.3.- 3rd TASK: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT JUSTIFYING NOT NEED OF EIA FOR PROJECTS IN CASE IT IS NOT REQUIRED page 22 Î D.2.- TASKS OF THE ESF MANAGEMENT CENTRES: THE ENVIRONMENT IN ESF ACTION page 25 D.2.1.- STRATEGIES D.2.2.- MONITORING WORK Î D.3.- COMMON TASK FOR ALL MCSMANAGEMENT CENTRES GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTENT OF THE ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS page 27 E.- ACRONYMS USED page 38 F.- LEGISLATION APPLICABLE page 39 G.- REFERENCE DOCUMENTS page 40 2 K.- ANNEXES K.1.- MODEL DOCUMENTS K.1.1.- MODEL DOCUMENTS FOR ERDF AND EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES y ANNEX 1: TECHNICAL FORM TO BE SENT TO THE BODY COORDINATING THE STRUCTURAL FUND OF THE VCIOP 2000-2006 ON INFORMATION FOR THE “ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT” AND “NATURA 2000 NETWORK” FIELDS FOR CERTIFICATION AND INCLUSION IN THE “GENERAL PROJECT DATA” FILE IN THE “FUNDS 2000” DATABASE y FORM FOR EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES page 45 y FORM FOR ERDF MANAGEMENT CENTRES page 47 y ANNEX 2: TECHNICAL CARD FOR SENDING THE PROPOSAL FOR NATURA 2000 DECLARATION TO THE GV ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITY (DG FOR SPATIAL PLANNING) AND PRACTICAL EXAMPLES page 49 y ANNEX 3: MODEL OF NATURA 2000 NETWORK DECLARATION AND PRACTICAL EXAMPLES page 54 y ANNEX 4: MODEL OF DOCUMENT VOUCHING FOR NOT REQUIRING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR PROJECTS ACCORDING TO LEGISLATION IN FORCE page 59 y ANNEX 5: MODEL OF AN EA DECLARATION ON NOT REQUIRING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR PROJECTS FROM ANNEX II ACT 6/2001 page 61 K.1.2.- MODEL DOCUMENT FOR ESF MANAGEMENT CENTRES y ANNEX 6: FORMS TO BE FILLED IN BY MANAGEMENT CENTRES FOR ESF TRAINING ACTION: (FORMS: G1/ G2 / K) page 62 K.2.- INFORMATION FOR PRACTICAL USE K.2.1.- INFORMATION FOR PRACTICAL USE FOR ERDF AND EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES y ANNEX 7: LIST OF VC MUNICIPALITIES AND THEIR RELATION WITH NATURA 2000 NETWORK SITES page 69 • ANNEX 8: LIST OF THE VCIOP 2000-2006 MANAGEMENT BODIES AND NATURA 2000 NETWORK DECLARATION GUIDANCE FORM ACCORDING TO TYPE OF ACTION IMPLEMENTED BY THE MANAGEMENT BODY page 73 y ANNEX 9: MODEL OF INTEGRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS IN DATABASE (REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROMOTION SERVICE - DG ECONOMY) page 108 •* ANNEX 10: COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 92/43/EEC, DATED 21ST MAY 1992, ON THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL HABITATS AND WILD FAUNA AND FLORA page 110 y ANNEX 11: LIST OF PROJECTS SUBJECT TO EIA page 120 3 A.- THE ENVIRONMENTAL CROSS-SECTIONAL VARIABLE IN COMMUNITY POLICIES In virtue of the introduction by the 1992 Maastricht Treaty of the EU of the principle of sustainable development as one of the EU objectives, and very particularly from the modification of article 6 of the European Community Treaty by the Amsterdam Treaty of 2nd October 1997: “Environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the Community policies and activities …, in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development”, the environmental factor has has become cross-sectional, and thus imbues all the Union’s policies. This principle is reiterated, in compliance with the above, by article 1 of (EC) Council Regulation nº 1260/1999, dated 21st June, lying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (SF) which, after announcing the priority aims of the action taken by the Community with the aid of the SF, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the other financial instruments during the 2000-2006 period, lays down that “in pursuing these objectives, the Community shall contribute to the harmonious, balanced and sustainable development of economic activities, the development of employment and human resources, the protection and improvement of the environment, and the elimination of inequalities and the promotion of equality between men and women”. In this same respect, article 12 places the protection and improvement of the environment among the Community policies and action to which the operations co-financed by the funds must conform, meaning that this variable must necessarily be made part of all programmes. In the sphere of the GV (Generalitat Valenciana, regional autonomous Government of the Valencian Community), Structural Funds represent an essential source of funding to co-finance many of the measures designed and managed by Valencian Community authorities. In order to guarantee their proper management, it is thus essential not only to comply with the obligations imposed by Community regulations, but also for the Management Centres (MCs) or Implementing Bodies to be able to documentarily vouch for said compliance. One of these obligations is the integration of the environmental factor in the measures managed. Guaranteeing this integration of environmental requirements in all sectors of application of Community Funds from the standpoint of sustainable development is a priority aim of the Network of Environmental Authorities (NEA) of the Kingdom of Spain. This cooperation-seeking body, which is part of the European Network of Environmental Authorities of the Member States, brings the authorities responsible for the environment and those for programming EFs and Cohesion Fund together in Spain. The Network was set up in 1997 at the instance of the Commission, and it gathers up representatives of the GSA (General State Administration), SFMP (Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces) and all the Autonomous Communities through their respective Environment, Economy and Treasury Departments. The technical coordination is handled by the Spanish Ministry for the Environment, since the responsibility of associating these authorities lies with the Member States. To further specify the foregoing, the set of obligations of an environmental nature covered by this Manual refers to the following SPECIFIC SPHERES: A- For ERDF AND EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES: 1- NATURA 2000 NETWORK (N2000N). 2- ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA). B.- For EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND MANAGEMENT CENTRES: FILLING IN THE FORMS (G1/G2/K) OF THE ESF TRAINING SCHEMES C.- For ALL MANAGEMENT CENTRES (ERDF, EAGGF, ESF): MONITORING GUIDANCE FOR PREPARING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTENT OF THE ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORT 4 B.- AIM OF THE MANUAL AND MANAGEMENT CENTRES ATTACHED OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE BASIC DOCUMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION OF EF ACTION The Directorate General for the Economy is, in virtue of Valencian Government Decree 112/2003, the management centre which has to “Know of, spread, plan and control the European funds managed by Generalitat Valenciana Management Centres”. Exercising this competence, this Manual has been prepared in order to give Management Centres a practical guide to provide explanations and procedures required to comply with demands of Community cross-sectional environ- mental policy. It understands Management Centres (or Implementing Bodies) connected with performing the tasks involved to mean all the departments, bodies and other concerns of the GV that manage measures co- financed by the VCIOP 2000-2006 –whether these are executive bodies or departments under one of these -. THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TASKS Management Centres are obliged to perform are: Î A.- ERDF and EAGGF MANAGEMENT CENTRES (section D.1): 1- To give the Fund coordinator the information on “Environmental Impact” and “Natura