Meeting Europe's renewable energy targets in harmony with - RSPB

108 MEETING EUROPE’S RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
4 Make biodiversity protection a high priority in
energy infrastructure plans.
Enabling rapid development of an integrated
European electricity transmission network that can
accommodate a high share of renewable electricity
is a key challenge. While the European
Commission does not have powers over
transmission system development within Member
States, it does concerning projects that are
necessary for European electricity market
integration. BirdLife Europe calls on DG Energy to
prioritise renewables and nature protection in the
implementation of its Energy Infrastructure
Package. In particular, the regulatory and financing
mechanisms must enable the right infrastructure to
be put in place for timely and efficient development
of Europe’s renewable energy resources. It falls to
European institutions to take the geography of
Europe’s energy and biodiversity resources into
proper consideration in shaping Europe’s future
electricity systems.
5 Increase R&D funding for
biodiversity-friendly renewables.
EU R&D funding should be increased for specific
technologies with potential to make significant
contributions to renewable energy supplies with
low ecological impacts and high public
acceptability. Key technologies with potential for
high carbon savings and low biodiversity impacts
include micro-renewables, floating offshore wind
turbines, wave power and tidal stream power.
6 Improve implementation of the Birds and
Habitats Directives.
While the designation and protection of Europe’s
most important sites for biodiversity under the
Birds and Habitats Directives is one of the EU’s
greatest achievements, the potential of those
Directives to fully contribute to achieving Europe’s
2020 biodiversity target will require further action.
It is essential that the European Court of Justice
takes firm action where Member States fail to
implement fully the provisions of the Directives. In
particular, many Member States are failing to
protect species and habitats in the wider
countryside outside the Natura 2000 network. This
will require better policy implementation in a range
of sectors. In part it requires better application of
the provisions in the Birds and Habitats Directives
applying to the wider countryside. It also requires
continued and expanded financing of agrienvironment
schemes. Specifically the
Commission should:
● Develop up-to-date guidance on “appropriate
assessment” for all renewables sectors, and in
particular for the appropriate assessment of
plans. Increase commitment to enforcement
action on infringements of the rules on
development in Natura 2000 areas.
● Develop targeted information campaigns that
raise awareness of the seriousness and value
of Natura 2000 designation, in particular its
importance for climate change adaptation, and
that explain/demonstrate that businesses can
thrive within Natura 2000 areas.
● Improve Member States’ understanding of EU
laws on development in Natura 2000 areas.
Ensure developments are not automatically
refused consent if they cause no harm (and
are also permitted in national legislation),
or contribute to the conservation objectives
of the designated area, such as sustainable
agriculture and forestry practices and sustainable
biomass schemes.
7 Enable better strategic spatial planning for
renewables and for climate change adaptation.
The European Commission should provide R&D
funding for EU-wide biodiversity sensitivity
mapping for a range of major renewables
technologies, following an agreed common
methodology. Guidance and capacity building will
then be needed to enable Member States and subnational
authorities to apply the maps in strategic
planning for renewables. The Commission should
also develop a European strategy to enable
biodiversity to adapt to climate change, and require
the development of national adaptation strategies
and their integration with other sectoral policies.
Maintaining or extending current agri-environment
payments under the Common Agricultural Policy
will be essential to better enable biodiversity to
adapt to climate change.
8 Improve implementation of the SEA Directive.
The SEA Directive (2001/42/EC) has the potential to
become a powerful tool to enable environmentally
sensitive spatial planning for renewable energy and
associated infrastructure. Under the Directive,
SEA is only required for a limited set of plans and
programmes that authorities at the Member State
level are “required” to produce. BirdLife
recommends that the European Commission, in
recognition of the value of SEA, should voluntarily
extend its scope to include EU-wide infrastructure
and spending plans. In any future review of the
SEA Directive, steps should be taken to ensure that