SURF-Nature

The project "SURF-Nature” (Sustainable Use of Regional Funds for Nature), carried out within the framework of INTERREG IVc, is aimed at improving biodiversity and nature conservation in Europe. This future goal should be achieved through a better use of EU structural funds for conservation measures.

Background
European funds provide different opportunities to complement the financing of national, regional and local nature conservation measures in the member states to preserve the precious natural assets and cultural landscapes. The European approach for financing of NATURA 2000 suggests that all nature conservation measures must be integrated into all EU funds. The current funding period 2007-2013 has shown great potential for financing the promotion of biodiversity and nature within the Operational Programmes of ERDF. Indeed, 3.8 billion € have been allocated for nature investments across all ERDF Operational Programmes. However, the country and current project allocations of these funding opportunities vary enormously across Europe.

Project objectives
The overall objective is to improve regional policies and practices with regard to the promotion and preservation of natural heritage, biodiversity, and nature conservation by improving opportunities for and the impacts of financing these measures from ERDF funds. 

Further objectives

To establish and strengthen a dynamic and sustainable network of experts and stakeholders concerned with financing natural heritage, biodiversity, nature conservation and the NATURA 2000 network, through: partner meetings; interregional workshops; training sessions; conferences; participation in external events; and joint work on the identification of and analysis of good practice. To enable the network to serve as a communication platform for the promotion and improvement of ERDF-funded natural heritage, biodiversity, and nature conservation projects throughout the EU, for the current and future programming periods. To identify and overview different approaches to the planning and allocation of ERDF funds for natural heritage, biodiversity, and nature conservation projects and their integration into overall programmes. To analyze success factors for ERDF funded natural heritage, biodiversity, and nature conservation projects and assess their transferability across member states and regions.

The Operational Programmes of the project partner regions (Objective "Regional Competitiveness and Employment" (ERDF), Objective "European Territorial Cooperation" (ERDF) will therefore be analyzed. According to the EU council regulation, these programmes are potentially important instruments for biodiversity protection.

 

Project activities include the analysis of Operational Programmes and projects using a tailor- made matrix analysis. 

Initiator and Leadpartner: Umweltbundesamt (Environment Agency Austria)

Duration: January 2010 to December 2012
Partnership: 14 partners from 9 EU-countries

 

Further information you find here.

Download: SURF_brochure.pdf (3031 KB)