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Based on the second Target of the Biodiversity Strategy (Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services), Action 5 aims to improve knowledge of their ecosystems and services in the EU territory. Within this Action Member States with the help of the European Commission, should map and evaluate the state of their ecosystems and services on their national territory by 2014, assess their economic value and promote the integration of these values ​​into accounting and reporting at European and national levels by 2020. Cyprus is lagging behind on the implementation of a National Ecosystem Assessment. Currently a first attempt to map and evaluate the services of terrestrial ecosystems in Cyprus as well as the planning and the next steps and gaps for the implementation / completion of the country's obligations to the EU. Based on the above, a number of pilot studies are underway to demonstrate the benefits of the most important terrestrial (and marine) ecosystems in Cyprus and to assist in developing a national policy for better management of these. The specific objectives can be summarized as follows:
1. Evaluation and collation of existing data for mapping and evaluation of terrestrial ecosystem services in Cyprus.
2. Report on the design and definition of a methodology for the mapping and assessment of services of terrestrial ecosystems in Cyprus.
3. Identification of indicators for the monitoring and assessment of ecosystem services as well as status indicators and ecosystems assessment.
4. Propose the next steps and identify gaps in the harmonization of national environmental policy with the other EU Member States (design, implementation, integration)