Current situation
Despite concerted efforts, biodiversity is today still rapidly declining, in the EU and worldwide. On a global level, this rapid decline in biodiversity is one of the most serious environmental threats facing mankind and is comparable to climate change and soil degradation. The UN-supervised Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) report of March 2005, representing the consensus of 1,300 experts from 95 countries, made an inventory of the the world’s ecosystems and reached some very clear conclusions: Many ecosystems are in steady decline, which has far-reaching consequences for humanity. The report also concludes, on a more optimistic note, that some negative consequences can be mitigated but only if significant changes in policies, institutions and practices take place. It is really in our hands. However, these changes are not currently underway.
In the EU, many of the policy responses identified by the MEA report as successful are in place in the form of EU legislation. The Habitats Directive, the Birds Directive, the Water Framework Directive and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directives have proven to be major drivers for positive change. The Environmental Liability Directive, when properly implemented, should also play a similar role for biodiversity. But these Directives are often poorly implemented and their requirements not enforced. Closing this enforcement gap should be given the highest priority if the EU is to bring about the necessary changes.
What is the EEB doing?
The EEB’s Biodiversity Working Group, consisting of experts and specialists from the EEB’s member organisations, is committed to protecting biodiversity, especially within the EU. The Working Group focuses on several key issues:
Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010
After a long review involving all relevant stakeholders and a major conference in Malahide under the Irish Presidency, the Commission published in spring 2006 its Biodiversity Communication, including a 2010 Action Plan. This specifies what needs to be done, by whom and by when, if the EU is to meet the target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010. The key challenge now for the EEB and other NGOs is to monitor the implementation of this Action Plan and to hold governments to their commitment. To this end, the EEB is working with the Countdown 2010 Initiative.
Implementing the Habitat and Birds Directives
Working Group members monitor progress in implementing EU laws relevant to biodiversity protection, particularly the Birds and Habitats Directives. Regarding the Habitats Directive, the group closely follows the establishment of the Natura 2000 Network, the approval of the lists of sites, the definition of conservation objectives, the elaboration of conservation measures including management plans and securing adequate financial resources. The EEB is also a member of the European Habitats Forum, a group of 14 international NGO networks, committed to the conservation and restoration of habitats and species in Europe.
Quality of implementation and infringements
Being closely involved in the implementation of the Nature Directives also means getting into action when an infringement occurs. Many of the EEB’s working group members are at one point or another actively involved in bringing such infringements to the attention of the European Commission. Partly because of such complaints, the European Court of Justice has to date in 27 cases come to a ruling. Although some rulings are on clear cut infringements, in other cases they clarify important implementation questions which are not immediately clear from the legal text. Such clarifications are crucial for a consistent and effective implementation of the Directive throughout the EU. One important pre-condition for arriving to such court rulings is that NGO’s are efficient, thorough and strategic in preparing and bringing forward their complaints. In order to facilitate this process the EEB will, in cooperation with BirdLife International and WWF, launch a joint resource website that will serve as a platform for sharing experiences and best practices in dealing with infringements. |
The estimated costs for the management of the Natura 2000 network are estimated to be around €6bn per year for the enlarged Union. About half this amount is to be co-financed by the EU. The Commission has proposed to fund the bulk of Natura 2000 from the new European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and Structural Funds. The new financial instrument for the environment called LIFE+ contains a nature and biodiversity component which will finance dedicated biodiversity actions. In 2008/9, the EU will review its budget in order to start timely preparations for the next financial perspectives for 2013-20. The EEB will work to ensure that an assessment of Natura 2000’s financing, looking critically at the contributions the different funding lines have made, will be part of this review and its outcome will be reflected in proposals for the next financing round.
Nature conservation outside Natura 2000
The Natura 2000 network, although a crucial first step, will not alone be enough to halt the decline of biodiversity. Many important natural areas will not be part of the network and the network’s quality will depend on the general state of the environment outside its boundaries. It is therefore also important to address nature conservation outside Natura 2000 areas. The network should also be enhanced by developing ‘stepping stones’ and corridors for species migration and distribution outside the designated Natura 2000 areas. See the EEB/ Stichting Natuur en Milieu publication “Protecting Nature in rural areas outside Natura 2000 – the role of agriculture”.
Integrating biodiversity into different sectors does not stop with agriculture. In other sectors such as transport and energy, this should also be a priority. Under the SEA and the EIA Directive’s this is now a legal obligation for Member States from project to the programming level. To make an initial assessment of the quality of the national transposition and the SEA Directive’s application, and to promote better implementation of this Directive, the EEB produced a ‘snapshot’ report in 2005. This found that although the Directive had brought improvements in planning processes, Member States still fell far short of meeting the Directive’s full potential. There was an especial lack of awareness of the role of biodiversity in impact assessment.
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