FIFTH NATIONAL REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY POLAND Warsaw, March 2014 CONTENTS Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................. 5 1 Updated information on biodiversity – status, trends, threats and impact on the well-being of people................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.1 Importance of biological diversity in Poland, its impact on ecosystem services and their socio-economic and cultural significance .......................................................................................... 13 1.2 Main shifts in the state of biodiversity and trends in its conservation .................................... 21 1.3 Primary threats to biological diversity in Poland ............................................................................. 46 2 Current implementation status of the National Strategy and Action Plan for the Protection and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity and biodiversity issues in other sectors of the economy .............................................................................................................................................................................. 53 2.1 Biodiversity conservation objectives in Poland: General information on the 2007-2013 National Strategy and the 2014-2020 Programme and Action Plan ...................................... 53 2.2 Incorporating the Aichi Biodiversity Targets in the 2014-2020 National Programme and Action Plan and their inclusion to other sectors of the economy ............................................ 56 2.3 Activities taken to implement the provisions of the Convention and their effects in the period following the submission of the Fourth National Report ............................................. 58 2.4 Effectiveness of the inclusion of biodiversity issues in strategies, sectoral plans and programmes, as well as cross-sectoral instruments ..................................................................... 69 2.5 Evaluation of the implementation of the 2007-2013 National Strategy and Action Plan in Poland ............................................................................................................................................................... 73 3 Implementation process of the Aichi Targets and Millennium Development Goals ................... 81 3.1 Progress in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Targets .................................................................................................................................................. 81 3.2 Contribution of measures undertaken for the implementation of Convention in meeting the Millennium Development Goals ..................................................................................................... 99 3.3 Conclusions from the implementation of Convention in Poland ............................................. 100 Annex 1. Information on the preparation of the Report and Literature...................................... 101 Annex 2. Online sources................................................................................................................................... 107 1 | P a g e LIST OF SELECTED ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation Full name 2007-2013 2007-2013 National Strategy and Action Plan for the Protection and National Strategy Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity 2014-2020 2014-2020 National Programme and Action Plan for the Protection and Programme Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity Birds Directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds CAFE Directive Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe CAP Common Agricultural Policy CAWI Computer Assisted Web Interview CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CFP Common Fisheries Policy CIEP Chief Inspectorate For Environmental Protection CSO Central Statistical Office CSR Corporate Social Responsibility DGSF Directorate General of State Forests EC European Commission EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ETC European Territorial Cooperation EU European Union FBI Farmland Bird Index Fifth National Report Fifth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity FSC Forest Stewardship Council GDP Gross Domestic Product GIS Geographic Information System GDEP General Directorate for Environmental Protection Habitats Directive Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea IED Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions IHAR The Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute – National Research Institute in Radzikow IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature LD CSO Local Database of the Central Statistical Office available on www.stat.gov.pl LIFE+ LIFE+ Programme MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MBP The Monitoring of Birds of Poland ME Ministry of the Environment MO Maritime Office 2 | P a g e NBP National Bank of Poland NFEP&WM National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management NPAFC National Programme for Augmentation of Forest Cover NPMWWT National Programme for Municipal Waste Water Treatment NVZ Nitrate Vulnerable Zones OM Office of the Marshal OPFISH Operational Programme Sustainable Development of the Fisheries Sector and Coastal Fishing Areas 2007-2013 OPHC Operational Programme Human Capital OPI&E Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment PAF Prioritised Action Framework for Natura 2000 PDRA Programme for the Development of Rural Areas PEFC Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification PFC Promotional Forest Complex PR Public Relations RBWM Regional Board of Water Management RDEP Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection RDSF Regional Directorate of State Forests ROP Regional Operational Programme RWMB Regional Water Management Boards SAC Special Areas of Conservation (of habitats) SPA Special Protection Area (of birds) SEA Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment SEMP State Environmental Monitoring Programme SESE Strategy for Energy Security and the Environment 2020 SFNFH State Forests National Forest Holding SPA Special Protection Area SPA 2020 Strategic adaptation plan for sectors and areas sensitive to climate change up to 2020 with a perspective to 2030 STECF Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries VFEP&WM Voivodship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management VLMWUB Voivodship Land Melioration and Water Units Board 3 | P a g e PRELIMINARY REMARKS The Fifth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity is a recurring report prepared by Poland as a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. In accordance with the guidelines for the preparation of this report – Guidelines for the Fifth National Report – developed by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 29 October 2010, this report: is a continuation and contains an update of information included in the Fourth National Report (submitted in March 2009); presents trends in biodiversity changes and progress made in the implementation of the Convention and National Strategy for the Protection and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity for 2009-2013; contains a succinct overview of the biodiversity status, trends and threats prepared to provide information to decision makers, not an exhaustive assessment of these issues; does not duplicate information presented in the previous report, which included a comprehensive description of the flora (along with a description of plant communities, habitats, and the status of particular taxonomic groups), wild animals, crops and livestock, as well as information on measures taken in Poland for the conservation of biological diversity in the years 2006-2008. The report is based on Article 26 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and decision X/10 of the Conference of the Parties: National reporting: review of experience and proposals for the fifth national report (UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/X/10, 29 October 2010). 4 | P a g e EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Fifth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity is a recurring report prepared by Poland as a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This report covers the 2009-2013 period. In accordance with guidelines, it contains information on: the current status of and threats to biodiversity, and its impact on the well-being of people (Part 1) the implementation of the 2007-2014 National Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity, as well as the new 2014-2020 Programme, along with a reference to other sectors of the economy (Part 2) progress in the implementation of the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan for Biological Diversity and its objectives (the so called Aichi Targets), adopted by the States Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part 3). PART 1 Poland is a country of relatively high biological diversity. It is situated: in two biogeographical regions – Alpine and Continental,