Wildlife use and Natura 2000
The important role of sustainable hunting and angling within and around the Natura 2000 network is rising on the agenda of the European Commission. (Read More)

CITES - one of the world’s biggest conservation agreements
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is one of the biggest international conservation agreements between governments, with now 175 Parties, including the 27 EU Member States. (Read More)

Marking 30 years of conservation in Europe
On the 30th anniversary of the Convention of the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (generally known as the Bern Convention), FACE, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU, hails what has been a positive legal instrument for the conservation of Europe’s biodiversity and acknowledges the Council of Europe’s commitment to the concept of conservation and sustainable use of wildlife. (Read More)

Strengthening the bonds
The FACE CEO visited the regional office Danish Hunters Association on the 5th of November to learn more about their work and structure and to strengthen the links between FACE and Member colleagues. (Read More)

Sustainable Hunting Intergroup considers role of hunters in biodiversity
The Sustainable Hunting, Biodiversity, Countryside Activities & Forestry Intergroup met for its first official thematic meeting since the Parliamentary elections back in June 2009. Chaired by Robert STURDY (ECR, UK), the focus of the meeting was on the role of hunters in biodiversity.
(Read More)

“It is clear that not everybody likes science”
These words belong to the Chair of the annual Stakeholder Dialogue Session on Risk Assessment, Mr Bernardo DELOGU, from DG Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) in the European Commission. (Read More)

EP Hearing on the “Future of the CAP”
Most Members of the European Parliament, at the Hearing on the “Future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013” held in the European Parliament on 10 November, agreed that the CAP can benefit all EU citizens, if equipped to face new challenges such as climate change, food security and water management.(Read More)

Stakeholders discuss CAP reform
Suggestions on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have been on the agenda of  the meeting of the Advisory Group on “Agriculture and Environment” of the European Commission on 17 November in Brussels.(Read More)

Hunters take position for the Copenhagen Conference (Read More)

Wildlife use and Natura 2000
The important role of sustainable hunting and angling within and around the Natura 2000 network is rising on the agenda of the European Commission. The Commission recognises the need for users’ involvement in the management of sites and is encouraging Member States to use participatory implementation tools.
With the assistance of FACE, the European Commission successfully organised a conference on ‘Promoting Natura 2000 & sustainable wildlife use’. Besides the current EU debate on biodiversity (presented by the Commission, FACE, ELO, BirdLife, WWF), European showcase projects on Natura 2000 management and communication were presented by hunters, anglers and landowners. Also other initiatives, such as the European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity by the Council of Europe or the FP7 research projects TESS and HUNT, were presented. The Conference brought together wildlife users, land managers, representatives of national Ministries of Environment, international conservation NGOs, representatives from European institutions and scientists from 20 European countries.
The Commission concluded that with the effort, money and time they invest, European wildlife users (including 7 million hunters and 25 million anglers) contribute directly to Europe’s biodiversity and habitat management within and outside the Natura 2000 network. For instance, over 65% of the EU’s countryside is managed in a collaborative manner for hunting and conservation. The role of wildlife users and their potential is fully recognised by the European Commission and the Council of Europe. However, wildlife users are recommended to increasingly coordinate and focus their great potential for habitat conservation and species monitoring. National and local stakeholders (conservationists, wildlife users and managers) need to form robust partnerships in order to successfully lobby national parliaments and ministries on joint objectives. Sustainable use needs to be more widely accepted as a tool for conservation and wildlife users need to be more widely accepted as Natura 2000 managers. See full recommendations and presentations under
www.facenatura2000.net/conference_en.htm.
Following the Conference, FACE very much welcomes the efforts of the European Commission for having put strong emphasis on the importance of wildlife users during their first meeting of the “ad hoc expert group on Natura 2000 management” a week later. Representatives of National Ministries dealing with the implementation of Natura 2000 were well represented during this meeting. The main aim of this group is to share experiences between Member States on the Natura 2000 implementation and management. A study on the implementation of Natura 2000 in the EU27 was presented and underlines the need for increased involvement of the local stakeholders in the management of sites. The meeting will be followed up in February and will focus more on setting the conservation objectives of Natura 2000 sites and drawing up management plans through participatory processes.

For more information, contact FACE Project Manager, Gabor von BETHLENFALVY

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CITES - one of the world’s biggest conservation agreements
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is one of the biggest international conservation agreements between governments, with now 175 Parties, including the 27 EU Member States.
 Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals (including hunting trophies) and plants does not threaten their survival. Every three years, the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention, being its highest decision-making body, is convened to review the implementation of the Convention. The fifteenth CoP is being held in Doha, Qatar, from 13 to 25 March 2010, where FACE, along with other conservation-friendly organisations such as SCI and CIC, will be present. Our presence is needed, in particular, to ensure that the world-wide export and import of hunting trophies are not subject to unjustified additional restrictions, paperwork and bureaucracy, as this could seriously jeopardise wildlife utilisation programmes and their contribution to conservation.  
For the purpose of the CoP15, a sustainable-use network between hunters’ organisations (FACE, SCI, CIC and others) has been established. Within this framework, an informal meeting was held at the FACE HQ between FACE (Yves LECOCQ, Secretary-General/Senior Policy Advisor, and Johan SVALBY, Legal Affairs Officer) and SCI-F (Norbert ULLMANN) (see picture) to explore options of close cooperation in the running-up to and during the CoP15. In December the FACE CEO, Angus MIDDLETON, will also meet with the SCI European Chapter at their annual end-of year event to further progress CITES issues and continued co-operation.
The EU, although not being a party itself to the CITES Convention, has implemented it into Community law through two Regulations. The EU Member States are expected to speak with one voice and to vote as a block during the CoP. It falls very much on FACE to ensure through lobbying that this influential block of EU27 chooses the voice of sustainable use in Qatar, in particular when it comes to voting on proposals to list species in different Appendices depending on required level of protection. FACE has held informal meetings with Commission officials and participated as Stakeholder in the Commission’s CITES CoP15 Hearing on 18 November. At this meeting, FACE objected against the US proposal to up-list the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) from Appendix II to Appendix I (as ‘threatened’). The US argues that in 45-years time it might become threatened as a result of climate change. This US precautionary approach does not find support in the objectives of CITES but would set an unhelpful precedent in implying a lack of confidence in adaptive management and unjustifiably depriving indigenous communities of their right to the sustainable and subsistence-based use of a valuable resource (the polar bear is not listed as ‘threatened’ on the IUCN Red List; populations are at or near an all-time high with 20,000 to 25,000 individuals). Another proposal discussed concerned the deletion of the bobcat (Lynx rufus) from Appendix II, where it is listed on grounds of similarity of appearance to other listed felids - but without being itself threatened. FACE supports this proposal; the listing seems to be no longer warranted, since today parts and derivatives from the bobcat can be distinguished from those of other lynx species. On the ever so contentions African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) issue, FACE takes the stance that African range states having been successful in their elephant management, like Tanzania and Zambia, should be able to take advantage of trophy hunting as an economic incentive for the conservation and management of the elephant through a very conservative quota not threatening populations.
Finally, in order to give MEPs and EU officials a sustainable use approach before CoP15 in Qatar, a joint Intergroup between the Sustainable Hunting Intergroup (for which FACE provides the secretariat) and the Intergroup on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development (for which EBCD provides the secretariat) is planned for February 2010. For this purpose, on 28 October A. MIDDLETON and J. SVALBY held a brainstorming meeting in Brussels with Despina SYMONS, Director, and Mélanie LAMAISON, EP Liaison Officer, from the EBCD.

For more information, contact FACE Legal Affairs Officer, Johan SVALBY

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Marking 30 years of conservation in Europe
On the 30th anniversary of the Convention of the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (generally known as the Bern Convention), FACE, the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU, hails what has been a positive legal instrument for the conservation of Europe’s biodiversity and acknowledges the Council of Europe’s commitment to the concept of conservation and sustainable use of wildlife.
The Bern Convention remains as innovative and important today as it was back in 1979 when it was originally adopted by the Council of Europe, making it one of the first multilateral environmental agreements in Europe. Today, with its 50 Contracting Parties, the Convention continues to fulfil its role as an essential and pragmatic Pan-European legal instrument for the conservation, management and sustainable use of wild species and their habitats. Sometimes described as a “laboratory for ideas”, several of its initiatives have indeed been taken over by the EU, such as the 1992 Habitats Directive which is clearly inspired by the Convention.
For over 30 years, FACE has been closely involved with the implementation of the Bern Convention. FACE and its Member Associations in 36 Council of Europe countries are committed to ensuring the sustainable use of Europe’s wildlife and encouraging trans-border cooperation for the benefit of conservation. Since 1983, FACE has participated as an observer at all meetings of the Convention’s Standing Committee, including many of its activities. As recently as 2007, FACE experts actively contributed to the drafting of the European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity.
FACE President Gilbert de TURCKHEIM and Secretary-General/Senior Policy Advisor Dr Yves LECOCQ participate in this year’s commemorative meeting of the Standing Committee held in Bern, Switzerland where the Convention was originally signed in 1979. They were invited to present at the opening session a new booklet edited by FACE which highlights the innovative and pragmatic character of the Bern Convention. This publication gives concrete case studies and other examples of action undertaken by FACE and its Member Associations, based on each of the 12 principles of the Charter.
The booklet is available free on the FACE website - http://www.face.eu/COM_publications-en.htm).

FACE President and SG/SPA, with C. de COUNE of the
International Association for Falconry.

For more information, please contact FACE SG/SPA, Dr Yves LECOCQ

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Strengthening the bonds
The FACE CEO visited the regional office Danish Hunters Association on the 5th of November to learn more about their work and structure and to strengthen the links between FACE and Member colleagues. The Regional Office in Kalo, apart from boasting a beautiful setting, has a good cross-section of staff and offers excellent facilities. Following her successful secondment at FACE, the visit was organised by Trine BERGHOLTZ, the International Consultant.
The Kalo Director, Niels Sondergaard,gave an overview of their work before taking the FACE CEO to meet most of the staff to get an intensive overview of the wide array of work carried out. The activities ranged from nature school for children, and on the day there was a nursery school group, to work on agricultural measures, game biology, Natura 2000, invasive species as well as general hunting and conservation issues. As the Hunters Association also runs a Wildlife Management Course, there are excellent facilities available, which are put to good use for seminars and meetings.
In all it was impressive to see the professionalism and dedication to ensuring that hunting in Denmark retains its important position in the social and environmental fabric of the country. Much was learned but perhaps the most important aspect was to get to know colleagues and make personal links. This is a continuation of the positive secondment of Trine to the FACE Office in Brussels.

For more information, please contact FACE CEO & Director of Conservation, Angus MIDDLETON

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Sustainable Hunting Intergroup considers role of hunters in biodiversity
The Sustainable Hunting, Biodiversity, Countryside Activities & Forestry Intergroup met for its first official thematic meeting since the Parliamentary elections back in June 2009. The reconstitution of this Intergroup is vital as it maintains a close link between the Members of European Parliament and representatives of civil society for the purpose of nurturing debate on the future conservation of the countryside, by hunters in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Chaired by Robert STURDY (ECR, UK), the focus of the meeting was on the role of hunters in biodiversity. With many in agreement that the European Union is not going to reach its targets for “halting biodiversity loss by 2010”, and with new goals and visions for biodiversity being set, it is important that we consider the wider countryside. The President of the Intergroup, Mme Véronique MATHIEU (EPP, FR) outlined the importance of Biodiversity and drew attention to next year being the International Year of Biodiversity, to which hunters are contributing.
To open the session, Tamás MARGHESCU, former IUCN Regional Director Europe, asked  the MEPs and other guests whether hunting and biodiversity are a contradiction, to which he suggested they are not as hunters were in fact the first biodiversity conservers, as game species are an essential part of a (healthy) ecosystem. The economic value of hunting, he pointed out, is quite large, and that nature conservationists and hunters are often the same actors. By engaging with hunters, MARGHESCU concludes, there are potentially 7 million biodiversity managers already on the ground taking action.
Joseph Van der STEGEN, European Commission, DG Environment, B3, underlined the important contribution of sustainable hunting in the conservation of biodiversity. Together with a couple of other Conservation NGOs, FACE would be a fruitful contributor of statistics and data which would help the Commission to get a balanced picture of nature development and in the context of Natura 2000.
In her presentation, Geva BLACKETT, speaking on behalf of the Invercauld estate in Scotland outlined the importance of biodiversity for the Scottish countryside, and the benefits that hunting provides, such as economic, the management of species and the control of invasive alien species. She presented the Wildlife Estates initiative launch by ELO, a project that aims to create a label to recognize good and exemplary management of territories in the EU where there is land managed for hunting and fishing activities.
Angus MIDDLETON, FACE CEO concluded by pointing out that over 65% of the EU land area is managed by hunters, for hunting and conservation. This is done in collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders and if the EU is to progress its ambitious targets for biodiversity, then hunters must be accepted as partners in conservation.
After the first meeting of the Intergroup Bureau, two more MEPs have joined the Bureau. The composition of the “Sustainable Hunting” Intergroup Bureau is as follows:
President: Véronique MATHIEU (EPP, FR)
Co-President: Robert STRUDY (ECR, UK)
Secretary General: Markus PIEPER (EPP, DE)
Vice-Presidents: Luis Manuel CAPOULAS SANTOS (S&D, PT),  Béla GLATTFELDER (EPP, HU), Sergio BERLATO (EPP, IT), Elisabeth KÖSTINGER (EPP, AT), William The Earl of DARTMOUTH (EFD, UK), Lena EK (ALDE, SE) and Ioan ENCIU (S&D, RO).

For more information, please contact Director Public Affairs and Communication, Christine RUPPRECHTER-RÖDLACH

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“It is clear that not everybody likes science”
These words belong to the Chair of the annual Stakeholder Dialogue Session on Risk Assessment, Mr Bernardo DELOGU, from DG Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) in the European Commission. Against the backdrop of a new framework of rules for the functioning of three European Commission Scientific Committees dealing with issues related to consumer safety, public health and the environment, FACE along with numerous other organisations from different sectors (such as the chemicals industry, associations dealing with companion animals and world-wide national environmental ministries), was invited to this dialogue.
The Committees in question are the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (SCCS) and the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER); they are all managed by DG SANCO. As a practical example of why they could be relevant to FACE: the latter Committee issued an Opinion in early 2009 on lead and its compounds, including a section dealing with exposure from hunting, sport shooting and angling.
The purpose of the meeting was not to discuss specific issues but in general address the enhanced stakeholder procedure and present the general working of the Committees. In brief, the mandate to these Committees is given by the Commission. Committees may, nevertheless, adopt a memorandum or position paper on their own initiative to draw the Commission's attention to an issue; stakeholders are also invited to encourage them to do so. The adoption of Opinions is the sole responsibility of the Committees, and their conclusions might contradict a Commission position on a specific topic.
The Committees are exclusively dealing with the assessment of risks (not even risk management), are composed of independent scientist (appointed by the Commission following an open call for expression of interest in membership of the new Committees) and should focus on factual and scientific aspects only; policy options is not in the mandate of these Committees, for example, invoking the ‘precautionary principle’ would probably be considered a policy argument rather than science in this regard. They will practice an open dialogue with stakeholders on the role of science and give them the opportunity to draw attention to facts and figures.
Indeed for some, science is just an obstacle, but for FACE it has always been a fundamental component in promoting sustainable hunting. By experience, however, FACE is fully aware of the fact that the simple formulation of a term of reference to a scientific committee to issue an opinion – however objective it wishes to be - in itself can include, exclude or drive policy options.

For more information, contact FACE Legal Affairs Officer, Johan SVALBY

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EP Hearing on the “Future of the CAP”
Most Members of the European Parliament, at the Hearing on the “Future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013” held in the European Parliament on 10 November, agreed that the CAP can benefit all EU citizens, if equipped to face new challenges such as climate change, food security and water management. It must, however, be maintained and supported to meet new global demands. Keynote speeches were given by Eskil ERLANDSSON, the current Agriculture Council President and Mariann FISCHER BOEL, the outgoing Agriculture Commissioner. Besides this, different institutes, represented by EU officials, experts and other stakeholders, presented their views and recommendations.
The main discussion was focused on the non-paper of the Commission with a draft budgetary provision for Agriculture.
FISCHER BOEL denied ever having seen a draft communication which proposed deep cuts in CAP spending. FISCHER BOEL summed up that this non-paper would go directly to the bin and that the new Commissioner would have to come up with new ideas on the CAP budget. She added that the future challenges for EU agricultural policy after 2013 will be climate change, land management, rural development and security of food supply. The Members of the Agriculture Committee approved an oral question to the Commission in this regard and the possibilities of re-nationalization of CAP spending.

For more information, please contact Director Public Affairs and Communication, Christine RUPPRECHTER-RÖDLACH

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Stakeholders discuss CAP reform
Suggestions on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have been on the agenda of  the meeting of the Advisory Group on “Agriculture and Environment” of the European Commission on 17 November in Brussels. This Directorate General for Agriculture (DG AGRI) body brings together bi-annually rural areas stakeholders to discuss with them the latest developments and proposals from the Commission’s Directorates of Agriculture and Environment.
Luigi BOCCACCIO from BirdLife International presented the BirdLife report on Cross-Compliance and recommended a complete reform of the CAP with more obligations for Members States since the cross-compliance would not otherwise work. Then, Aymeric BERLING presented the implications of the health check on the CAP reform and Miriam DRIESSEN spoke about challenges arising from mitigation in agriculture, while Maria FUENTES explained final results of the livestock sector. COPA-COGECA summarised the impacts of climate change on agriculture and Joséfine Loritz-HOFFMANN discussed the Health Check and the CAP reform.
Documents and presentations of the meeting are available from Director Public Affairs and Communication, Christine RUPPRECHTER-RÖDLACH

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Hunters take position for the Copenhagen Conference
FACE will call for more biodiversity conservation to adapt to and mitigate climate change at the COP 15 conference in Copenhagen. The European Countryside Movement, which includes FACE and other European organisations such as the European Farmers and European Landowners Organization, had a meeting to finalise their position paper for the climate change conference. Through the impacts on the environment and economic sectors, climate change jeopardizes the viability of rural areas. Therefore, rural actors are essential stakeholders in climate-related discussions aiming to provide answers and to build up policies. Rural actors are committed to improving the resilience of their activities with regards to climate change and to continue to supply society with high quality food, non-food and forest products and nature conservation services.

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FACE’s role in the conservation of large herbivores
In order to refresh and build partnerships with Brussels-based conservation NGOs, the new Executive Director for the Large Herbivore Foundation (LHF), Hans Kampf, asked the IUCN Regional Office for Europe to organise a brainstorming event. FACE was amongst the participants, as hunters do a lot for the conservation of large herbivores in Eurasia. The LHF is committed to the conservation and restoration of Large Herbivore species, their communities and their habitats/ ecosystems in Eurasia (www.largeherbivore.org). LHF and FACE will get in touch in the new year to discuss visions and the potential role for FACE.

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Game Monitoring Conference; Uppsala, Sweden - 15 to 16 December 2009

Protected Areas Conference; Madrid, Spain - 25 to 27 January 2010

NEW YEAR’S CONCERT 2010
Le Rendez-vous de Chasse

Johann Strauß meets Gioachino Rossini

Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salzburg
Conductor: Hansjörg Angerer

6 January 2010, 11 a.m.
Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg

After the highly acclaimed New Year’s Concerts in 2008 and 2009, the internationally renowned orchestra Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salzburg under its principal conductor Hansjörg Angerer again presents a special programme – sophisticated enjoyment in a unique symbiosis.

The programme contains select works of light entertainment and hunting music by Johann Strauss father and son, Josef Strauss, Eduard Strauss and also by Gioachino Rossini, whose Rendez-vous de Chasse is considered to be one of the most important documents of classical hunting music.

In the past, closeness to nature was taken for granted and people had romantic impressions of the countryside. The New Year’s Concert 2010 can be understood as a reminiscence of that time.

* New Year's Concert 2010, press release (PDF)

* Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salzburg programme (PDF)