Comunità Ambiente for the conservation and management of nature and environment
Established in Rome in 1994, Comunità Ambiente S.r.l is a company with long
experience in working with the European Commission (Directorate General for the
Environment – LIFE Unit) in the context of the implementation of the Natura 2000
network of EU protected areas. The company has wide experience in the evaluation
of actions aimed at the protection of species included in the Habitats and Birds
Directives, implementation of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas,
elaboration of management plans of Natura 2000 sites, advising in the management
of natural habitats and species, communicating EU environmental policies,
realization of specific studies on the role of the LIFE program in different
contexts, floristic and faunal inventories, ecological evaluation and advising
in the management of natural habitats and species.
The company has wide experience in: the evaluation of actions aimed
at the protection of species included in the Habitats and Birds
Directives - implementation of the Natura 2000 network of protected
areas - elaboration of management plans for Natura 2000
sites - realization of flora and fauna inventories -
ecological evaluation and provision of advice in the management of natural
habitats and species and the management of invasive alien species -
communicating EU environmental policies through organization of workshops and
meetings and preparation of publications
Comunità Ambiente is also involved in activities relative to soil defence and
implementation of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC in Italy and the EU,
through the co-operation with Gruppo 183, an Italian association dedicated
specifically to the implementation of EU and Italian legislation on these
issues.
Comunità Ambiente’s team includes experts (biologist, naturalists and
environmental engineers) with experience in the field of nature conservation.
Some of them have worked for a number of years as consultants to the Italian
Ministry of the Environment, collaborating with the preparation of the annual
report to parliament on the state of the environment and as members of the
Italian official delegations to the Habitats Committee and to a number of
international conferences, such as the Rio de Janeiro UN Earth summit and the
Geneva Conference on climate change. A member of the board of Comunità Ambiente
is a graphic designer with more that twenty years experience, who has been
responsible for the layout of all the publications produced by Comunità
Ambiente.
OUR ACTS
These are our sectors of activity
These are our sectors of activity
1. Technical monitoring of projects on nature conservation From 1994 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2005, as a member of the consortium Mecomat G.E.I.E, Comunità Ambiente has furnished technical and scientific support and assistance on tasks relating to the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE) in Italy, Slovenia and Malta, monitoring about of 160 LIFE Nature projects. The work included technical support in the evaluation of proposals and scientific/technical and financial support for the regular monitoring of project’s implementation. Regular reporting was provided to the Commission as well as specific evaluation of single reports, communications provided by the beneficiaries. Meetings with beneficiaries and on-field missions were a regular task of the team. Regular networking with the other external teams supporting the Commission on LIFE Nature and LIFE Environment was carried out through international meetings.
2. National and international studies Comunità Ambiente is partner in the consortium which is executing the contract with the European Commission : "Natura 2000 preparatory actions, Lot l: Managing Models for Natura2000 sites". The aim of this project is to provide management models for Natura 2000 sites with habitats and/or species that are in need of active recurring management. Comunità Ambiente was partner in the consortium that executed the “Contract to establish guidelines for the application of compensatory measures under article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC”. This contract with the European Commission foresaw the analysis of case studies in different EU countries in which compensatory measures have been applied to mitigate impacts on natural habitats and species of Community interest and the production of a document that includes conclusions and examples of good or bad application of compensatory measures. Comunità Ambiente carried out the naturalistic study of the Florence municipality, providing indications on the management of the natural and seminatural areas individuated, which has been inserted in the Structural Plan of the city. In 2005, Comunità Ambiente carried out a study on the results in terms of biodiversity conservation and socio-economic impact, of the LIFE Nature project financed in Italy from 1992 to 2005. The study was carried out on behalf of the Italian Ministry of the Environment. At the moment Comunità Ambiente is executing the contract “Wildlife and sustainable farming initiatives within the contexts of the Birds and Habitats Directives (Natura 2000 network)”. The task of the team consists in analysing the most recent literature on selected habitats and specie listed in the two Directives and in collecting information on the agri-environmental measures affecting them, individuating gaps and best practises.
3. Management plans of the Natura 2000 sites Comunità Ambiente expertise includes the preparation of the management plans of Natura 2000 sites. Comunità Ambiente is partner in the consortium which is executing the contract with the European Commission : "Natura 2000 preparatory actions, Lot l: Managing Models for Natura2000 sites". The aim of this project is to provide management models for Natura 2000 sites with habitats and/or species that are in need of active recurring management. Comunità Ambiente has furnished technical-scientific support to the Rome Province for the preparation of six management plans for proposed Natura 2000 sites and acting as supervisor of the plans in order to verify the congruency of the expected results with the indications of EU, national and regional laws.
4. Publishing Comunità Ambiente has experience in writing and producing publications. Thus in 2004 it prepared, for the European Commission, DG Environment, a report on “Alien species and nature conservation in the EU: The role of the LIFE programme”, examining EU legislation dealing directly and indirectly with invasive alien species, a trans-disciplinary theme involving an analysis of EU policy in relation to sectors other than nature conservation, such as trade, fisheries, agriculture, health and research. During the year 2005 Comunità Ambiente has prepared three documents for DGENV-D1: “The integrated management of Natura 2000 sites. The contribution of LIFE Nature projects”, on the support of the Life Nature instrument to the elaboration of the management plans for the Natura 2000 sites (the publication has been prepared with the collaboration of the national authorities of the member states for the management of Natura 2000), “LIFE for birds. 25 years of the Birds Directive implementation through the LIFE Nature financial tool”, celebrating 25 years of the Birds Directive, and “LIFE Nature projects 2005 compilation”. In 2006, Comunità Ambiente prepared the document “Il bilancio di LIFE Natura in Italia. Indicazioni e prospettive per il futuro” on behalf of the Italian Ministry of the Environment.
Comunità Ambiente core team includes personnel with specific experience in web sites realization and management.
5. Organization of workshops and meetings Comunità Ambiente has organized for the European Commission several meetings, in collaboration with the national authorities for the environmental protection of Italy, Slovenia and Malta. Meeting were also organised for the Italian Ministry of the Environment.
