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| 06 may 2016 |
14:13 |
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From nature alert to action
The Birds and Habitats Directives (the ‘Nature Directives’) are widely recognised as the cornerstone of EUwide efforts to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. Together, they establish a common legal framework for protecting rare or threatened species and habitats across their natural range within the EU via the designation of a network of protected sites and the establishment of a system of species protection measures.
In October 2013, the European Commission (the ‘Commission’) announced that it would be carrying out a fitness check’ of these Directives as part of its Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) Programme in order to assess whether they were still ‘fit for purpose’.
However, the Mission Letter issued to the newly appointed Environment Commissioner by the new Commission President in September 2014 appeared to pre-empt the findings of such a review, raising concerns that only one outcome could be expected: an “overhaul” and “merging” of these flagship laws and a lowering of the EU’s environmental standards.
In 2015 stakeholders from all 28 EU Member States submitted detailed evidence to the 'fitness check', from business, civil society, governments and science. At the same time, over 520,000 citizens across Europe showed their support for these Directives by responding in record numbers to the Commission’s public consultation.
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Since then, both the European Parliament and the European Council have identified full implementation of the Nature Directives as key to achieving the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.
The Commission is expected to publish their final conclusions on the ‘fitness check’ in a 'Staff Working Document' expected in late spring 2016, and to identify next steps in a subsequent Communication later this year.
Throughout the report the key messages are underpinned by quotes from the evidence submitted by stakeholders and governments consulted during the 'fitness check'. Where other sources have been used these are referenced.
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