Steering Group reviewed progress in FLY2 Coastal Wetlands Project

The Steering Group of the project “Integrated Environmental Monitoring Framework for Coastal Wetlands Along the East Atlantic Flyway” (FLY2 Coastal Wetlands Project) met this week at the Maritime Museum in Hamburg’s historic Speicherstadt to review the progress on the project's framework development. Representatives from the participating EU Member States (the Wadden Sea countries, Belgium and Spain), together with the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, DG REFORM, and the technical project team, examined early results from the national baseline assessments of existing monitoring schemes, discussed prioritisation and comparability challenges, and exchanged ideas for the implementation of project results.

The technical team presented the structure of the baseline assessment, outlining key bird species, priority habitats and major pressures, as well as the scope of current monitoring programmes. Contributions from all country teams prompted a constructive discussion on balancing comparability with national flexibility, the degree of methodological alignment needed across countries, and the main focus areas for the upcoming phase. The exchanges reaffirmed the project’s role in addressing monitoring gaps and strengthening coordinated management of coastal wetland ecosystems.

Participants also reflected on the broader policy relevance of the project, particularly its contribution to national reporting obligations, including those under the new EU Nature Restoration Law, and its potential to support Marine Spatial Planning and other governance processes. The group highlighted that advancements in environmental monitoring are crucial for evidence based policy making, adaptive management at site level and for safeguarding the long term resilience of coastal wetlands for migratory waterbird populations along the Flyway. An interactive session further explored expectations for the future integrated monitoring framework, including its key components, success criteria and intended users.

The FLY2 Coastal Wetlands Project was developed within the framework of the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative and is funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) and implemented by EUCC in collaboration with national experts, in cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Reform Support (DG REFORM).