nature

This report shows why the UK and other European countries should reject reform of the
EU Nature Directives and focus instead on their full implementation. Moving forward with
the Nature Directives – rather than going back to the drawing board – will be the best
way to protect and enhance nature across the EU. This positive approach will be better for
wildlife, business and society.
The Birds and Habitats Directives (the “Nature Directives”)
have been the cornerstone of protection of Europe’s
natural environment for 30 years. Their goals are clear.
The Habitats Directive aims to restore habitats and
species to “Favourable Conservation Status”. The Birds
Directive requires EU States to maintain all European wild
bird species at a population consistent with ecological,
scientific and cultural requirements, taking account of
economic and social needs. Together, they aim to protect
nature for prosperity and for posterity.
The Directives are built around two pillars: the Natura 2000
network of protected sites and a strict system of species
protection. They safeguard over 1,000 species and more
than 200 kinds of habitat, including some of the most
magical and iconic wildlife sites across Europe, like the
Thames Estuary, Scotland’s Flow Country, the Doñana
Marshes in Spain and Romania’s Danube Delta.
All told, Natura 2000 covers more than 18% of EU land
areas and 4% of EU marine areas, making it the largest
conservation network in the world. However, the project is
not yet complete: all EU countries still have work to do in
completing Natura 2000 and implementing the Directives.
This will be vital for protecting nature.
Meanwhile, the threats facing nature are intense and
intensifying. The main challenges are:
1. Habitat destruction, as we develop more land for
housing and other infrastructure
2. Over-exploitation, as we take more from nature than
it can sustain, such as the depletion of fish stocks
3. Pollution, like the run-off from pesticides and
fertilisers, or greenhouse gas emissions resulting
in climate change
4. Invasive non-native species, introduced by humans,
which can be deadly for fragile wildlife.
Together, these pressures amount to a crisis
for biodiversity.
• Across the EU, only 23% of animal and plant species
and only 16% of habitat types are in Favourable
Conservation Status
• In the UK, the State of Nature report found that
60% of the species we know about have declined
over the last 50 years. Only a third of our Sites of
Special Scientific Interest are in “good” condition.
A crisis for our environment is a crisis for society and
the economy. Air pollution alone causes around 29,000
premature deaths in the UK every year. By contrast, a
thriving natural environment contributes to health and
wellbeing for everyone. Providing everyone access to
natural greenspace could save the National Health Service
£2.1 billion annually.
For the economy, degraded ecosystems, such as reduced
natural flood defences, can lead to costs. In 2010, just
34 floods in the EU cost €27 billion; the cost to the UK
economy is about £1.1bn annually. But healthy ecosystems
are good for the economy. In the UK, pollinators provide
£690 million of value for the rural economy every year
(Centre for Food Security (2015) Sustainable Pollination
Services for UK Crops, University of Reading).
The Nature Directives are the first line of defence against
environmental threats. They provide a strong common
standard, which individual countries must complement
with national action if we are to maintain and restore
Europe’s natural environment.
The Nature Directives
The Birds Directive requires EU countries to:
• Maintain populations of all wild bird species across
their natural range (Article 2)
• Preserve, maintain or re-establish a sufficient diversity
and area of habitats for birds, inside and outside
protected areas (Article 3)
• Designate Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for rare
or vulnerable species listed in Annex I, as well as
regularly occurring migratory species (Article 4)
• Abide by restrictions on the sale and keeping of wild
birds (Article 6) and on hunting and falconry (Article 7)
• Prohibit large-scale non-selective means of bird
killing (Article 8)
• Encourage research (Article 10)
• Guard against the introduction of non-native birds
which may threaten other biodiversity (Article 11).
The Habitats Directive requires all 28 EU Member
States to:
• Restore protected habitats and species to favourable
conservation status
• Contribute to a coherent network of protected sites
by designating Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
for habitats listed in Annex I and species in Annex II
• Manage SACs and SPAs designated under the Birds
Directive, and assess any development plans likely
to significantly affect an SAC or an SPA. Projects
may still be permitted if there are no alternatives, but
compensatory measures must be taken to ensure the
coherence of the Natura 2000 network (Article 6)
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