Germany – Environmental services – Brut- und Rastvogelerfassung in EU-Vogelschutzgebieten 2027 / 2028

With the entry into force of the amended Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) on 01.03.2010, the monitoring according to EU Directive 2009/147/EC ("Birds Directive") has been incorporated into § 6 BNatSchG. This includes, in particular, the observation of the conservation status of European bird species and their habitats. According to § 7 (2) No. 12 BNatSchG, all bird species naturally occurring in Europe are considered "European bird species". According to Article 9 of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat (FFH) Directive (92/43/EEC), the EU Commission regularly assesses the contribution of Natura 2000 to achieving the objectives of the FFH and Birds Directives. This requires updating the content of the standard data forms (SDF) at regular intervals based on available information for each area of the network (Commission Implementing Decision 2011/484/EU). For this purpose, information on populations, population trends and habitats of the species relevant according to Article 4 (1) and (2) of EU Directive 2009/147/EC is required. The monitoring in EU Special Protection Areas (SPAs) as part of the European Natura 2000 network is part of the monitoring of European bird species and their habitats according to § 6 BNatSchG. As a sub-programme, it serves (according to Directives or Regulations 92/43/EEC, 2009/147/EC and 2019/1010) - to determine the populations of relevant bird species at least once in the six-year reporting cycle for each SPA, - to continuously determine the population trends and area-specific conservation status of key breeding bird species, - to continuously determine the population trends and area-specific conservation status of key migratory and wintering bird species, and - to standardised recording of habitat information, impacts and threats across the entire area of the SPAs for a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of relevant bird species and their habitats. The standardised monitoring in the SPAs in Rhineland-Palatinate began with a pilot project 2025/2026 in ten selected SPAs (according to the coalition agreement for Rhineland-Palatinate in the period 2021-2026). Therefore, the area-specific data bases and qualities are currently often still unsatisfactory and the state data do not allow the determination of statistically significant population trends and the conservation status of the key bird species in the Rhineland-Palatinate SPAs. This particularly prevents appropriate priority and target planning by the nature conservation authorities for measures to - if not already present - achieve good conservation status of the relevant species. The task package advertised here serves to supplement the data collection in further SPAs with a view to the next bird protection report in 2031 (data period 2023-2028). The expected data serve to fulfil the reporting obligations to the EU under Article 12 of Directive 2009/147/EC and Regulation 2019/1010. Prospectively (ideally from 2029 onwards), all Rhineland-Palatinate SPAs are to be recorded in a six-year reporting cycle according to a standardised monitoring concept (not part of this procurement). Monitoring in EU Special Protection Areas 2011, the Working Group of Bird Observatories (LAG VSW) together with the German Avifaunists' Association (DDA) and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) presented recommendations for the monitoring of European bird species and their habitats (LAG VSW et al., 2011). These aim to formulate a nationwide uniform standard for data collection. The principles mentioned for monitoring in SPAs allow sufficient scope for state-specific adaptations. The results of the monitoring form the basis for area management in the light of the respective conservation objectives and for the reporting obligation under Art. 12 of Directive 2009/147/EC. They also serve as a reference for decisions in environmental impact assessments. In order to collect basic data in EU Special Protection Areas to improve the data quality for the next bird protection report (reporting period 2023-2028) and to efficiently plan future SPA monitoring, the implementation of the "Greece Judgment" (ECJ in a preliminary ruling by a Greek court under Art. 267 TFEU, 12.9.2024 - C-66/23) and the implementation of the "Restoration Regulation" (EU Regulation 2024/1991), this procurement procedure is to provide basic data on the occurrence and distribution of relevant species according to Article 4 (1) and (2) of EU Directive 2009/147/EC in as many Rhineland-Palatinate SPAs as possible.