National reports on the implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. National Reports to be submitted to the 12th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, Uruguay, 2015, Contracting Party: Italy

The report on the implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands presented by the Italian Ministry for the Environment to the 12th  COP Meeting in January 2015, is divided into four sections. The first one provides institutional information about the Administrative Authority and National Focal Points for the implementation of the Convention. In the second section are reiterated the five major achievements in Italy: approval of the National Strategy for Biodiversity (2010); Med Wet national wetland inventory; management plans for protected areas; report and monitoring by ISPRA; identification of certain Ramsar Sites as pilot areas for the implementation of the National Action Plan on sustainable use of pesticides. There remain problems regarding the approval and the effectiveness of management plans. In the third section are answered questions concerning the implementation of some particular aspects of the Convention as these are identified in the Strategic Plan 2009-2015. In section four Italy gives information on the Ramsar Sites
located on its territory and-relating-international-cooperation. From the final section it emerges that a Convention’s communication and awareness programme has not been so far put in place, both locally and nationally.