nature

Recommendations

Info

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) 12
• Encourage good management of landscape features that support the Natura 2000 network (Articles 3 and 10) • Monitor habitats and species (Article 11) • Ensure strict protection of species listed in Annex IV • Report on the implementation of the Directive every six years (Article 17). The Directives under threat At a time of urgent environmental need, EU states should be focused on building on the Nature Directives with national action. Instead, a vocal minority are pushing for reform. Karmenu Vella: “to overhaul the existing environmental legislative framework to make it fit for purpose... to carry out an in-depth evaluation of the Birds and Habitats Directives and assess the potential for merging them”. Now, in 2015, the EU is in the midst of a “Regulatory Fitness Check” (REFIT) for the Directives, a process intended to “ease the burden on business” from EU laws. The timeline is tight. We might have just six months to prevent the EU from undoing 30 years of work. In this report, we demonstrate that all the countries of the UK and all the Member States of the EU should oppose reform of the Nature Directives. Instead, we should plan to expedite full implementation of the Directives as they stand, for the sake of wildlife, communities and business. In 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission, instructed Environment Commissioner Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com) Harvest mouse – recorded as declining in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan species list. 13
Page 1 and 2: Defend nature How the EU nature dir
Page 3 and 4: Contents Foreword 5 Summary of reco
Page 5 and 6: Foreword The world’s most importa
Page 7 and 8: Summary of recommendations “ For
Page 9 and 10: “The robin: voted Britain’s nat
Page 11: Introduction: the laws that protect
Page 15 and 16: Better for wildlife “ We focus on
Page 17 and 18: Some have also suggested that the a
Page 19 and 20: Nature and climate change Already,
Page 21 and 22: Better for people “ Biodiversity
Page 23 and 24: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com) “Peopl
Page 25 and 26: EU Environmental Law The Birds and
Page 27 and 28: Better for business “ Industry an
Page 29 and 30: wide range of species. Changing the
Page 31 and 32: The myth of bats and newts Some spe
Page 33 and 34: Forward, not back “ Environmental
Page 35 and 36: In relation to European Protected S
Page 37 and 38: the Government should plan for enri
Page 39 and 40: kites. The Directives have also hel
Page 41 and 42: Conclusion From the warmth of watch
Page 43 and 44: to implement EU legislation in the

nature

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?