Co-design pilots ecosystem core accounts in participating countries

This report shows that ecosystem core accounts have been implemented in all 10 countries that are participating in MAIA. The created knowledge base can be harnessed for co- designing accounts in order to fulfil the requirements of Action 5 of Target 2 of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020. The analysis was based on the outcomes of the state-of-the-art of NCA implementation assessment done for MAIA Deliverable D3.1 and subsequent interviews with individual countries’ representatives. Most countries follow the framework provided by SEEA-EEA. However, a diverse level of implementation of the five SEEA-EEA core accounts could be observed, with much work done related to ecosystem extend and services and less on ecosystem condition and asset accounts.

For each country, a selection of two to three pilot core accounts were made based on the results of Deliverable 3.1 and the policy workshops (WP2) that were conducted in each participating country in the beginning of the project. A tentative list of core accounts in each country was identified and can be seen in Table 1. This list of potential core accounts were discussed in each country with relevant stakeholders with the aim to co-design the final list and the methodological approach based on existing models and datasets in the participating countries. There is ample experience for all accounts listed in Table 1 within the consortium to ensure smooth testing and implementation in each country. For example in all countries, work on extent accounting is foreseen, as a basis for compiling the full suite of accounts. In extent accounting, consistency with existing data such as CORINE land cover data and MAES ecosystem types have been pursued. Condition accounts have been piloted in only a few countries (i.e. Netherlands, Norway, Spain) and are being developed at European scale, and experiences will be exchanged between participants. Ecosystem services accounts have also been piloted already in several countries, and the current project will build upon these experiences and refine methodologies and share methodologies and test ES supply and use accounting with all member states. Finally, it was also tested on the compilation of asset accounts but only in very few examples as this is seen by most stakeholders as the final step in the development of the accounting system. The results and the provided set of identified gaps and needs in the countries will help the MAIA consortium in subsequent tasks as well other stakeholders to mainstream NCA-implementation and to co-design accounts.