ERFP presentation to Standing Committee on Zootechnics

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ERFP presentation to Standing Committee on
Zootechnics

• Mike Roper ERFP Chair
• Andreas Georgoudis ERFP Secretariat

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European Regional Focal Point for Animal Genetic
Resources

• The European Regional Focal Point for Animal
  Genetic Resources (ERFP) is the European
  implementation of FAO's Global Strategy for the
  management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources.
• It is a communication platform managed by the
  Secretariat under the direction of a Steering
  Committee through the mandate of the Annual
  Workshop
• The ERFP consists of the officially appointed
  Government representatives (NCs) from 37
  countries in the FAO European Region

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History

• 1997 Vienna
• Discussions need to establish a regional focal
  point
• 1998 Warsaw
• Light structure
• Respect national sovereignty
• 1999 Zurich
• No agreement on funding
• 2000 the Hague
• Creation of ERFP
• 2002 Cairo
• ERFP became fully operational!

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ERFP Mission and Objectives

• Assist and enhance the AnGR activities of NFPs at
  European level
• Develop and maintain regular contact and exchange
  of relevant information on AnGR between European
  NFPs and the Global Focal Point in Rome
• Stimulate the funding and organisation of
  regional projects, workshops and national
  programmes on AnGR within European Region
• Maintain liaison with the EU, the Permanent
  Secretariat of the CBD and other bodies involved
  in the management of AnGR
• Stimulate and co-ordinate the maintenance and
  further development of national and regional AnGR
  databases

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Annual Workshop of National Focal Points -
Mandate and Tasks

• The Annual Workshop
• Brings together NCs of FAO's European Region
  annually - normally chaired by the host country
• Elects the Secretariat country and the Steering
  Committee members
• Approves the budget, sets the general rules of
  operation and agrees future activities
• Acts as forum for exchange of information on
  relevant national and sub-regional activities
• Encourages collaboration on technical (e.g.
  EAAP), policy (e.g. EU Commission) and
  organisational (e.g. FAO Global Focal Point) AnGR
  issues - with experts as appropriate

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Steering Committee - Mandate and Tasks

• The Steering Committee
• Consists of 5 members elected from among the NCs
  representing all the European sub-regions
• Plans or executes ERFP activities decided upon by
  the Annual Meeting of NFPs
• Represents the ERFP in contact with other
  institutions under the mandate of the Annual
  Meeting

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Secretariat - Mandate and Tasks of ERFP

• The Secretariat is elected from among the NFPs to
  serve for a period of 4 years to
• Organise the Annual Workshop of NFPs
• Give secretarial support to the Steering
  Committee of the ERFP
• Execute decisions and support projects decided on
  by the Annual Meeting or Steering Committee
• Distribute relevant information on AnGR among
  European NFPs and from within the FAO global
  network - via newsletters / email / website etc.

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Funding of ERFP

• Through annual financial contributions by donor
  countries within Europe placed in a Trust Fund
  administered by the Steering Committee through
  the Secretariat but held and fully audited by the
  European Association of Animal Production (EAAP)
• Funds cover basic running costs of the
  Secretariat (secretarial time, communication,
  travel) when engaged on ERFP business, the
  Steering Committee and costs of specific
  activities approved by the Annual Meeting
• Voluntary additional financial contributions may
  be made by donors for specific programmes or
  projects coordinated by the ERFP 

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Workplan Activities and Strategies - 1

• Developing ERFP network via Website
• lthttp//www.rfp-europe.org/gt
• Hosted by BLE in Bonn
• Useful tool for the work of NCs and other
  interested persons/bodies
• Managing ERFP Calls for Action
• Since 2002, 11 small collaborative projects have
  been funded (max. Euro 20k)

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Workplan Activities and Strategies - 2

• Participating in EU projects e.g.-
• EFABIS (European Farm Animal Biodiversity
  Information System)
• NB. Some approved EU GenRes projects were
  developed from ERFP scoping studies
• Regional Cattle Breeds towards a self-sustainable
  European Regional Cattle breed EURECA
• HERITAGE SHEEP

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Workplan Activities and Strategies - 3

• Promoting a European Breed Database
• to encourage the study, documentation,
  cataloguing and appropriate development of AnGR
  in Europe e.g. through EFABIS-net
• Supporting NCs in AnGR activities
• to enhance the role of NCs in the relevant
  structures in their country
• Liaising with the European Commission
• to ensure that AnGR policy is incorporated into
  the development of mainstream livestock
  legislation wherever possible

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Workplan Activities and Strategies - 4

• Co-organising the TAIEX/SANCO/ERFP Workshop on
  Legal and Strategic Aspects of Animal Genetic
  Resources in Europe, Brussels, 19 - 20 January
  2006
• Commissioning a report on European Strategic
  Priorities and a European Regional Fact Sheet as
  part of the SoW report
• Encouraging full regional and national
  participation in the International Technical
  Conference on AnGR in Interlaken 2007

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FAO SoW Current position

• 170 reports
• 41 from Europe
• 90 of worlds countries
• 95 of worlds land area

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CBD driver COP VII Decision 3

• Invites the Parties and other Governments to
  consider and promote, as appropriate and subject
  to national legislation and international law,
  the mainstreaming of agricultural biodiversity in
  their plans, programmes and strategies with the
  active participation of local and indigenous
  communities and the inclusion in the communities'
  plans, programmes and strategies on conservation,
  development and use of agricultural biodiversity
• February 2004

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Status of the First SoW Report

• First draft circulated at Intergovernmental
  Technical Working Group, Rome 13 15 Dec 2006
• Countries invited to comment by 31 Jan 07
• Final draft to be submitted to 11th Session of
  CGRFA in early June 2007 for consideration
• Report to be published and presented to the
  International Technical Conference on AnGR at
  Interlaken, 1-7 September 07

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Strategic Priorities for Action

• Aim a high quality strategic document
• To set stage for global policy discussion
• To generate public awareness of AnGR

Regional email consultations Sept 05 Jan 06
1st 2nd draft priorities Jan 04 March 05
External Review
International meetings e.g. TAIEX Nov 05 June
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Revised SPAs negotiated by ITWG CGRFA Dec 06
June 07
SPAs finalised adopted at ITC, Interlaken Sept
1-7 2007
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European Regional Priorities - 1

• Sources
• European national Country Reports submitted by
  Ministers to FAO
• FAO Regional email consultation
• Austria, Czech Republic, France
• TAIEX/SANCO/ERFP Workshop
• 80 participants 30 European countries
• ERFP discussion paper, Antalya 06

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European Regional Priorities - 2

• Main European regional topics
• Raising public and stakeholder awareness
• Capacity building (breeding, conservation)
• Sub regional, trans-boundary collaboration
• Encouraging East-West collaboration
• Monitoring diversity developing indicators
• New strategies for in vivo conservation
• Rescue/emergency plans
• Facilitating mechanism at European level

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Taiex/Sanco/ERFP Workshop 06
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European Regional Priorities - 3

• Next Steps
• European Strategic Priorities European
  Factsheet for FAO by April
• Preparation for ITC Interlaken 2007
• Engage MS Governments in process asap
• Establish EU position on regional/global
  priorities
• Negotiate priorities at CGRFA in June 07
• Form opinions on access and benefit sharing
• Cf. report Exchange, use conservation of AnGR
• Engage in finalising priorities at Interlaken

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ITC Interlaken 1-7 Sept. 2007

• Objectives
• Presentation of SoW Report
• Adoption of Strategic Priorities for Action
  modalities for implementation
• Adoption of recommendations on future of Global
  Strategy on AnGR
• ? Interlaken Declaration on AnGR

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Thank you for your attention
ERFP Annual Workshop - Antalya 2006