MAIA (Mapping and Assessment for Integrated ecosystem Accounting) aims to mainstream natural capital and ecosystem accounting (NCA) in EU Member States (MS). MAIA uses the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EEA) as the methodological basis for NCA. The SEEA EEA is a system for NCA developed under auspices of the UN Statistical Commission, and provides a consistent framework for analysing and storing information on ecosystem assets and flows of ecosystem services (UN et al., 2017). The SEEA is part of the System of National Accounts, used by statistical agencies world-wide for the production of economic and other statistics. In MAIA, a flexible approach will be followed, allowing for adaptation of the SEEA EEA framework to the conditions of the individual EU MS. The work will be based on the detailed, recent technical recommendations in support of Experimental Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EEA TR), published by UN et al. (2017), recognising the experimental status of the SEEA EEA approach.
The specific objectives of MAIA are to: (i) assess policy priorities for accounting; (ii) test, pilot and mainstream NCA in EU MS; (iii) test innovative approaches for NCA in the European context; and (iv) support NCA in EU MS through various communication and dissemination activities such as the development of guidelines, a website and other facilitating actions.