Approaching the V Report on the Habitats listed in Annex I of Directive 92/43/EEC in Italy: methods, state of the art and challenges

Under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (HD), EU Member States must report on the conservation status of habitat types listed in Annex I. The report requires comprehensive information on the progress towards achieving a favourable conservation status and the measures taken to protect these habitats. This process helps evaluate the effectiveness of the HD's implementation and informs the development of future conservation strategies. The V report, covering 2019-2024, is currently being prepared. The institutional referent for the process, on behalf of the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), is the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), with scientific support from the University of Sassari and the Italian Society of Vegetation Science (SISV). A working group of thematic and territorial experts is analyzing, and validating the data about area, pressures and threats, and conservation measures provided by the Administrative Italian Regions and Autonomous Provinces to ISPRA. The data were arranged in a database developed by ISPRA according to the EU reporting format. National habitat distribution maps based on the European grid ETRS89-LAEA5210 with a 10x10 km² mesh have been collected in a dedicated WebGis system, facilitating access, compilation, and management. Additional sources of information includes the Natura 2000 database released by the MASE in December 2024. Data on 124 types of terrestrial and inland water habitats in Italy are being processed to assess their overall conservation status in the biogeographic regions of occurrence (Mediterranean, Continental and Alpine) and to highlight any inconsistencies. The work includes a critical analysis of data and a broad scientific discussion aimed at finding methodologically robust solutions to address the many gaps that, unfortunately, still exist. The process is designed to ensure the traceability of information and facilitate the collection of scientific articles, phytosociological surveys, and unpublished specialist material, composing a substantial pool of data that supports a long-term approach for future reporting cycles. Cartographic outcomes, associated databases and additional data used for the assessments will be available online on the official website created by ISPRA to facilitate access to national data on the HD as soon as the European Commission will complete the validation process. A freely accessible online archive of phytosociological surveys representative of the various Annex I Habitats in Italy is being set up within the national "VegItaly" database, owned by the SISV. Such a long-term vision oriented to storing and enhancing knowledge represents significant progress towards constructing an effective monitoring system for preserving Annex I Habitats in Italy.