1st Thematic Group meeting on Landscape Features & Biodiversity - Report

This was the first meeting of the Thematic Group (TG) on Landscape Features & Biodiversity, whose aim is to bring Member State (MS) representatives and stakeholders together to discuss how to encourage improved diversity, coverage, connectivity and condition of landscape features within the farmed environment.

The objectives of the meeting were to share examples between MSs on how they plan to or have structured different interventions (conditionality, eco-schemes, rural development) under their CAP Strategic Plans (CSP) to support the maintenance, restoration and creation of landscape features.

Through plenary discussions and group work, the participants (36 TG members from 20 EU Member States, including representatives of Managing Authorities, National Rural Networks, environmental NGOs and institutions) increased their awareness and knowledge on measures and approaches to support the maintenance, restoration and creation of landscape features. Key points included the need to prioritise the maintenance of landscape features that already exist in the EU, the importance of focusing attention and action at the landscape scale (using cooperation and bottom-up approaches to knowledge sharing, project design, etc.) and the need for greater clarity on the definition of landscape features.