DG Env.B2 1

The EU environmental policy for the enlarged Europe

András DemeterNature & Biodiversity Unit,

Directorate-General Environment,European Commission

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EU Environment PolicyTrends in Policy

• 1973 First Action Programme;• 1987 Treaty Provisions;• 1997 Amsterdam Treaty

> Environmental Protection became a guiding objective> Move from Pollution Abatement to

Preventive Measures> Wider involvement of Stakeholders and Public> More focus on Implementation> Integration of Environment into other

Policies

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6th Environmental Action Programme… in 6 figures

• 10 years programme• 4 environmental areas• 3 cross-cuttings issues• 156 actions• 3 to 4 years to present initiatives• Review after 4 years

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Key Priorities of the 6th Environment Action

Programme1. Climate Change

2. Nature and BiodiversityOne of the specific aims(Gothenburg summit):Halt biodiversity decline by 2010!

3. Environment and Health andquality of life

4. Natural Resources and Waste

= 156 priority actions

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EU Environment PolicyThe Challenge

• Adoption of EU legislation in the area of the environment is a major challenge:– Legislative -

• more than 270 pieces of legislation; 80 Major Directives– Institutional -

• strengthen administrative structures : ministries, agencies but also implementation and enforcement institutions

• improve intra-ministerial co-ordination• environmental management in business needs attention

– Financial • High estimates of compliance costs.

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EU Environment Policy Strategies for Accession

• Certain pieces of legislation stand out as particularly investment heavy :• waste water treatment and drinking water supply• fuel quality and large combustion plants• waste management - landfill, incineration• IPPC

• EC Assistance can help support implementation

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Negotiations• No opt outs from environmental legislation• Full transposition by accession• Transition periods allowed for investment heavy directives

(waste water treatment, landfills etc.)– Implementation plan with clear stages of application

• All new investments must meet with the acquis

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The candidates

• Bulgaria and Romania– Entry foreseen for 2007

• Turkey – Candidate but negotiations not yet open

• Croatia– Positive Opinion from Commission – Council decision on status imminent

• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia– Applied for EU membership in March 2004– Commission must prepare Opinion on membership

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South East Europe potential member states

• Stabilisation and Association Process– Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and

Montenegro and FYROM – Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAAs)– prospect of EU integration– variable speed– Regional approach– transfer enlargement experience

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European Neighbourhood Policy

• new framework for relations over coming decade with Russia, Western NIS and Southern Mediterranean countries

• EU aims to work in partnership to develop a zone of prosperity and friendly neighbourhood - a “ring of friends”

• Identify priorities and develop Action Plans

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Some important EU environmental legislation for the natural environment

• Nitrate directive• Environmental Impact Assessment directive• Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment

Directive• Water Framework Directive• Nature directives• …also on forests, GMOs, biocides &

pesticides

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Why deal with nature at the EU-level?

JOINT ACTION NEEDED!

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EU biodiversity policy• Birds Directive 1979, Habitats Directive 1992• CBD 1992, EC ratification 1993• EC Biodiversity Strategy 1998• Biodiversity Action Plans 2001• Gothenburg 2001 – SDS, 6EAP, EU 2010

commitment• COP6/WSSD 2002 – global 2010 commitment

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Legal Instruments for nature

National LegislationProtected species, protected areas, hunting

provisions, ...

European Union

International ConventionsBern, Bonn, Ramsar, Washington (CITES),

Biological Diversity

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EU-nature conservation policy

Two main directives:• “Wild Birds Directive” (79/409/EEC)

bird species• “Habitats Directive” (92/43/EEC)

other animal and plant species, habitat types

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Natura 2000 network

Global aim: Maintain or restore the favourable

conservation status of certain species and natural habitat

types in their natural range

SPA SCI

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What is the target of protection under Natura 2000?

Birds Directive– 181 vulnerable bird species

(Annex I)+13 species (EU15+10)

– migratory bird species (esp. wetlands)

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Implementing the Birds Directive –nesting and migratory species

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Setting up Natura 2000

Birds Directive

1) Member States classify (CC: by accession)2) Commission takes coordinating role

Reference list: Important Bird Areas (IBAs) based on international criteria

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What is the target of protection under Natura 2000?

Species and habitatsof Community interest

• Habitats Directive (its annexes I-V)– appr. 200 habitats (EU15)

+ 20 habitats (EU15+10)– appr. 700 species (EU15)

+ 165 species (EU15+10)

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Setting up Natura 2000

Habitats Directive

1) National lists proposed (CC: by accession)2) Selection process on biogeographical level (aim:

Community list) - MS & EC - max. 3 years3) Designation by MS max.

6 years after Community list

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What is special about Natura 2000?

• Clearly defined objectives

• Science based

• Biogeographic regions

• Site evaluation/selection on EU-level

• Management / Integration

• Legal obligation for the member states

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Dealing with plans and projects under Art. 6

Possible negative impact?

yes

If negativeNature impact assessment

If noAlternatives?

Overriding public interest? If yes

Compensation measures -Commission opinion

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Natura 2000 in the EU-15

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10 Acs- Pannonian- 20 habitats- 77 animals- 88 plants

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NATURA BAROMETER – BIRDS DIRECTIVE – 08/10/03

8.6272 8583 199TOTAL

6.0%Yes**14 704242United Kingdom

6.1%Yes**27 236436Sverige

8.1%**27 500451Suomi

9.4%**8 67147Portugal

14.7%Yes**12 35395Österreich

24.1%10 00079Nederland 16.2%Yes**16013Luxembourg

7.8%Yes**23 403392Italia

3.2%Yes**2 236109Ireland

2.1%Yes*11 749155France

15.5%Yes**78 252416España

10.4%Yes**13 703151Ellas

8.1%Yes**28 977466Deutschland

22.3%/***9 601111Danmark 114.1%/***4 31336Belgique/België

Proposed terrestrial (+marine) area as of % of national terrestrial territory

AnnouncedProgressTotal area (km²)

Designated sites

Member State

DG Env.B2 2714.6465 73515 563TOTAL

10.1%yes24 721601United Kingdom

13.4%yes60 3723 420Sverige (2)

17.8%no60 0901 671Suomi (2)

17.9%no16 50094Portugal

10.6%yes8 896160Österreich

18.1%no7 505141Nederland

14.9%yes++38347Luxembourg

14.7%yes44 2372 330Italia

14.2%yes10 000381Ireland (2)

7.5%yes41 3001202France (2)

23.5%yes118 4961276España

20.9%no27 641239Ellas

9.0%yes32 1513 536Deutschland (2)

23.8%no10 259194Danmark

10.4%yes3184271Belgique/België

Proposed terrestrial (+marine) area as of % of

national terrestrial territory

Mores sites announced

Assessment of the national

list

Total proposed area

(km²)

Proposed sites

Member StateNATURA BAROMETER – HABITATS DIRECTIVE – 08/10/03

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42,477,579100.0Total

1,825,3354.30Other1,596,3173.76Snow - Rocks

778,0191.83Orchards - Dehesas12,296,96528.95Forests2,373,7225.59Agriculture

11,170,88826.30Pastures / Heath- Scrubs-Grasslands

5,459,88512.85Inland waters - Marshes - Bogs1,671,2753.93Coastal areas & Wetlands5,301,80312.48Marine areas

Area(ha)

% coverLand use category

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Enlargement

• The long technical discussions of modifying the annexes (more than 1000 proposals from the 12 candidate countries)

• Result - new, consolidated annexes in the Treaty and Act of Accession (ca. 150 pages!)

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Modifications of the annexes of the Birds and Habitats Directives a summary

• Birds Directive, Annex I: 13 new species• Habitats Directive,

– Annex I: 20 new habitat types– Annex II: 76 new animal species

(3 priorities)89 new plant species

– Annex IV: 68 new animal species 88 new plant species

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2 of the 13 new bird species in Annex I

proposed by CZ, HU, PL, SK, BG

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The high level of biodiversity in the new member states and the candidate countries

will enrich the EU!

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• The second EU member state to have the flying squirrel is Estonia

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The species

such as the steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii)or the beetle Carabus hungaricus

have been proposed by both the Czech Republic and Hungary

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Some Romanian proposals are already in the annex

• Lycaena helle (RO, PL)

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AND…Estonia asked for GEOGRAPHIC RESTRICTIONfor

- wolf

- bear

- beaver

- lynx

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Candidate countries

• No transition periods for nature legislation• Prepare national lists to be ready by

accession• Art.6.2/3/4 applies by accession• All new investments to comply with the EC

environmental acquis• Adaptation of the annexes of both

directives

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State of play in the new member states as regards Natura 2000

• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia have already submitted the national lists – congratulations!

• 2 more submissions expected in the near future

• 3 remaining lists expected by the end of summer 2004

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Using the Opportunities...

• Rural tourism

• Extensive agriculture and forestry - commercial asset

for products

• Employment effects

• Access to funding possibilities

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Should there always be a conflicts between conservation goals and economic interests?

There are opportunities!

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LIFE-Nature for Natura 2000

10 years of the regulation’s implementationNew regulation being prepared

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INTERREG III

• Initiative to stimulate interregional cooperation in EU• Strand A: cross-border• Strand B: transnational• Strand C: interregional

• INTERREG IIIC– Regional and other public authorities across the

entire EU

• financed from the European Regional Development Fund

http://www.interreg3.net

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LEADER+• To encourage and support rural actors to think about

long-term potential of their area, and to develop strategies for sustainable development

• Under Action 1:

– One of the priority themes:„making the best use of natural and cultural

resources, including enhancing the value sites of Community interest selected under Natura 2000.”

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Review of the Common Agricultural Policy

Need for awareness on:– Enlargement– WTO– Budgetary pressures

BUTCAP changes will not alone make perfect

the Agriculture - Environment relationship

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CAP Mid-term Review(Rural Development)

The Article 16 of the Amended 1257/99Regulation

“Payments to compensate for costs incurred and income foregone may be made to farmers who are subject to restrictions on agricultural use in areas with environmental restrictions as a result of the implementation of Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC, if and in so far as such payments are necessary to solve the specific problems arising from the implementation of those Directives.”

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Is this there a gloomy future for the Is this there a gloomy future for the Natura 2000 network?Natura 2000 network?

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Final thoughts:

• After enlargement, “rural Europe” will not be the same as before

• Transboundary cooperation in nature protection now in a new context in the EU

• Biosphere reserves are potential candidate sites for Natura 2000

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/home.htm