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SUSTAINABLE FINANCING OF MPAs IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

4 RESOURCE MOBILISATION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

FOR MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN REGION

KEY POINTS:
There is strong commitment from the international community in investing in MPAs.
The findings show strong commitment from the international community to protect marine
ecosystems in the Mediterranean region. Over the period 2010-2014, the region received
financial support amounting to €37,193,373, channeled through bilateral Official
Development Assistance (€7,496,524), the GEF (€5,746,120), the EU LIFE programs
(€23,950,729) and international NGO investments (€4,903,269).
International cooperation focused on key thematic areas for Coastal and Marine
Protected Areas. Recipient countries used international financial aid to cover some key
thematic domains, such as the development of a knowledge base and scientific surveys,
implementation of good practices and standards of effective management, participation
and empowerment of local stakeholders for cooperation and sustainable use, organisation
of training and capacity building, and, finally, implementation of financial strategies and
institutional changes for the integration of Marine Protected Areas into national policy.
Financial resources from international cooperation are a useful instrument for
raising additional funding from central governments, NGOs, and the private sector.
In the Mediterranean region, co-funding from governments amounted to €36m over the
period 2010–2014. National contributions supplementing international grants demonstrate
strong commitment from recipient countries, as they have to be integrated into national
accounts.
International financial resources triggered national strategies for a Marine Protected
Areas network. International financial flows have triggered national strategies for the
creation and enhancement of a Marine Protected Areas network, including the marine
Natura 2000 network in the case of EU countries. They have provided financial support for
the first stages of development of Marine Protected Areas. However, more effort is needed
to consolidate the impetus to upgrade MPAs to the autonomous phase.
There is a strong variability in financial support from international cooperation for
Marine Protected Areas. The financial resources devoted to Marine Protected Areas are
committed on a project basis and within the program cycle of multilateral donors. Once a
project is over, the flow of financial resources stops. This situation may be a source of
financial vulnerability for countries that are highly dependant on international cooperation
for Marine Protected Areas. This is mainly the case for the southern countries of the
Mediterranean region.
National budgets are fairly constant over the study period and essential for the
operating activities of Marine Protected Areas. The national expenditures for EU
countries devoted to Marine Protected Areas amounted to €120,735,331 during the period
studied. France, Spain, Italy and Croatia account for the largest share of total national
expenditures. For non-EU countries, total national expenditures amounted to €2,647,253
over the period 2012-2014. The central budget is mainly devoted to the functioning or

May 2015 – Vertigo Lab, for MedPAN, RAC/SPA and WWF Med. Page 55