SEHCC has organised a workshop on monitoring amphibians and reptiles in the framework of the Habitats Directive on 25th August 2013 as part of the 17th Congress on European Herpetology to be held in Veszprem, Hungary.   The Committee is keen to use this event to draw together ideas about developing effective and more consistent approaches to herpetological surveillance and assessment of status and to develop thinking on how ‘favourable levels’ can be set, and monitored, for priority species across Europe.

SEHCC remains and active member of the European Habitats Forum, attending meetings in October 2012 and April 2013 in which the EHF discussed its own prioritisation and positions on conservation issues and subsequently discussed this with the Environment Directorate (DG ENV) of the European Commission.  EHF is an influential forum within European has provided effective advocacy on supporting environmental policy, funding and legislation including issues relating to invasive non-natives species. EHF works through a series of working group and the SEH representative coordinates the working group on Monitoring and Reporting.

In 2006 SEH led on the production of five European action plans for herpetofauna species that were adopted by the Bern Convention Standing Committee in 2007.  Worried that these were not being implemented, SEH Conservation Committee sent a delegation and prepared a paper to raise the issue at the Standing Committee’s meeting in November 2012.

The SEH Conservation Committee (SEH-CC) is pleased to announce a two days course (September 24-25)on herpetofauna monitoring to be held at the National Museum of Natural History Luxembourg prior the 16th European Congress of Herpetology. The course is aimed at European herpetologists, conservation professionals, and people working in environmental policy who design and run monitoring programs. The aim of the course is to highlight key issues when designing and running monitoring programs. This includes the conceptual and political background for monitoring programs, an overview of field methods and an introduction to methods for data analysis. Additionally, on-going projects will be presented. Final date for sending application documents to attend the course is 31 May 2011.
Additional information           Speakers

Brussels, 11 September 2009
SEH CC Representative: Tony Gent
Notes from the meeting by Tony Gent

Strasbourg, 24-27 November 2008
SEH CC Representative: Jean-Pierre Vacher
Summary of Case files and complaints            DRAFT AGENDA

Report on Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Conservation Monitoring in Kazanli (Turkey)
Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) population on the coastal island of Smögen (Sweden)

Official report of the 28th meeting     

LIFE NATURE thematic conference “Protecting Europe’s Nature: Learning from LIFE”
Brussels, 17-19 November 2008
SEH CC Representative: Tony Gent & Bálint Halpern

Brussels, 23-24 October 2008
SEH CC Representative: Tony Gent