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The impact of

environmental strategy and legislation

on land use

András Demeter,enlargement coordinator

Nature & Biodiversity Unit,Directorate-General Environment,

European Commission

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Why is this small rodent becoming ever more endangered?

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Because it needs short grass!

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Monitoring sousliksMonitoring sousliksin Hungaryin Hungary

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Community’s institutional answer to environmental challenges

1st Environment Action Programme

Single European Act-Environment titleOne component of other Community policies

Maastricht Treaty- A policy

European Community Treaty reviewed after AmsterdamTreaty- Sustainable Development pillar

1973

1987

1993

1999

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Sustainable developmentSustainable development The policy context The policy context

Gothenburg European Council-June 2001Agreement on A Sustainable Europe for a Better World:A European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development

“A long-term strategy dovetailing policies foreconomically, socially and ecologically

sustainable development”

To halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010!

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

initiatives• Review after 4 years

6th Environmental Action

Programme… in 6 figures

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Sustainable use &

management of natural

resources & wastes

6 EAP

Climate Change

Nature & biodiversity

Environment & quality of

life

Marine

Soil

Pesticides

Air

Urban

Resources

Recycling

The Thematic Strategies in the 6th EAP

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Some important EU environmental legislation for

rural landowners• Nitrate directive• Environmental Impact Assessment

directive• Strategic Environmental Impact

Assessment Directive• Water Framework Directive• Nature directives

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Nitrate Directive91/676/EEC

- Detection of polluted or threatened waters

- Designation of vulnerable zones- Code(s) of good agricultural practice- Action programmes- National monitoring

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Environmental Impact Assessment

Directive 85/337/EEC

• applies to projects• a public authority empowered to decide

whether impact assessment is adequate• permission only granted if no significant

impact or remedial measures• public participation• list of activities

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Strategic Environmental Assessment

Directive 2001/42/EC • MS-s to implement by 21 July 2004• objective: to ensure that

environmental consequences of certain plans and programmes are identified and assessed during ther preparation

• integration of views of authorities• the public are informed

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WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE

• Environmental objectives for all waters• Analysis of impact and pressures

including an economic analysis• Co-ordinated River Basin Management

Plans with programme of measures• Public participation• Efficiency of measures

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WFD:ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES

• Surface waterNo deterioration; Good ecological, chemical status; phase out hazardous substances; Restoration;

• Ground waterNo deterioration;Good qualitative and quantitative status; Balance between abstraction and recharge; Restoration

• Protected areasRespect all norms and criteria for the protected areas

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A WFD KEY CONCEPT:RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT

PLANS• Characteristics of River Basin Districts• Analysis of pressures and impacts, economic analysis• Monitoring network• Established environmental objectives and derogations• Program of measures• Results of public participation

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The Gothenburg target of halting decline of biodiversity

by 2010• Good

indicator for wild bird species, e.g. in UK

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Why dealing with nature on EU-level?• Major habitats under threat - wetlands in north

& west Europe have been reduced by 60% in recent decades

• Species also in decline - 45 % of Europe’s butterflies threatened, 38% of Europe’s birds threatened

• Transboundary problems - eg. migratory birds

• Landuse-impact of other EU-policies - agriculture, transport, fisheries, ...

JOINT ACTION NEEDED!

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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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EU-nature conservation

policyTwo 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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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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Setting up Natura 2000

Habitats Directive 1) National lists proposed (AC: by

accession)2) Selection process on biogeographical

level (aim: Community list) - MS & EC - max. 3 years

3) 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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State of play in 2003

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NATURA 2000 networkNATURA 2000 network

→ 12.000 -15.000 sites

→ 10% - 15% of the area of the

EU

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

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Member State Designated sites

Total area (km²)

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

Belgique/België 36 4 313 *** / 14.1%

Danmark 1 111 9 601 *** / 22.3%

Deutschland 466 28 977 ** Yes 8.1%

Ellas 151 13 703 ** Yes 10.4%

España 416 78 252 ** Yes 15.5%

France 155 11 749 * Yes 2.1%

Ireland 109 2 236 ** Yes 3.2%

Italia 392 23 403 ** Yes 7.8%

Luxembourg 13 160 ** Yes 6.2%

Nederland 1 79 10 000 ***   24.1%

Österreich 95 12 353 ** Yes 14.7%

Portugal 47 8 671 **   9.4%

Suomi 451 27 500 **   8.1%

Sverige 436 27 236 ** Yes 6.1%

United Kingdom 242 14 704 ** Yes 6.0%

TOTAL 3 199 272 858 8.6

NATURA BAROMETER – BIRDS DIRECTIVE – 08/10/03

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Member State Proposed sites

Total proposed area (km²)

Assessment of the

national list

Mores sites

announced

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

territory

Belgique/België 271 3184 ++ yes 10.4%

Danmark 194 10 259 ++ no 23.8%

Deutschland (2) 3 536 32 151 ++ yes 9.0%

Ellas 239 27 641 ++ no 20.9%

España 1276 118 496 ++ yes 23.5%

France (2) 1202 41 300 ++ yes 7.5%

Ireland (2) 381 10 000 ++ yes 14.2%

Italia 2 330 44 237 ++ yes 14.7%

Luxembourg 47 383 ++ yes 14.9%

Nederland 141 7 505 +++ no 18.1%

Österreich 160 8 896 ++ yes 10.6%

Portugal 94 16 500 ++ no 17.9%

Suomi (2) 1 671 60 090 ++ no 17.8%

Sverige (2) 3 420 60 372 ++ yes 13.4%

United Kingdom 601 24 721 ++ yes 10.1%

TOTAL 15 563 465 735   14.6

NATURA BAROMETER – HABITATS DIRECTIVE – 08/10/03

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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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The high level of biodiversity

in the acceding states

will enrich the EU,

and provide new opportunities!

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For example,

the second EU member

state to have the

flying squirrel will be Estonia

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2 of the 13 new bird species in Annex I also proposed by

Bulgaria (and HU, PL, SK)

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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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and…some countries asked for GEOGRAPHIC

RESTRICTION for

- wolf

- bear

- beaver

- lynx

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Acceding states

• 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 acqui

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The European Commission is closely monitoring the process of setting up the Natura 2000 network in the Accession Countries• a Comprehensive Monitoring Report

was published yesterday

• a strategy for the period up to Day 1 of membership

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As regards as regards

implementing Natura 2000, the report identified…

• High level of alignment in four acceding states

(LT, LV, SI, SK)

• Concerns and hence enhanced efforts required in the other six acceding states

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Should there always be a conflicts between conservation goals and

economic interests?

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A concern for the Commission

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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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LEADER+

• Action 1: support for integrated territorial rural development strategies of a pilot nature on the bottom-up approach and horizontal partnerships– 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.”

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/dg06/rur/leaderplus/index_en.htm

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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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Financing Natura 2000The Commission has set up a Working Group

on Article 8 of the Habitats Directive

Recognising that greater knowledge on the costs of

implementing Natura 2000 is required

The Group was formed in December 2001

Final report published in December, 2002

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Potential Outcome

Create a new funding instrument

Develop an existing funding mechanism to fit a

new purpose (e.g. LIFE Nature)

Build on existing funding mechanisms and

make one or more of them more explicitly

available for co-financing Natura 2000

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The overall Picture

Policy shifts in other areas – notably CAP and CFP

Impact of the Accession Countries to an enlarged EU

Funding is crucial for the implementation of Natura 2000

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Estimate of total costs for the Natura 2000 network of the 15 Member States:

3,4 to 5,7 billion € per year

Uncertainties of the questionnaire Not all MS responded

Rough estimates

Different designation regime

Agri-environmental measures not always included

Estimation of Costs

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Accuracy of the estimates has

been questioned

• a new questionnaire has been sent to MS & AC-s asking for better figures

• a communication from the European Commission on financing is expected!

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The spirit of the Maastricht Treaty

• Article 6 on integration

• the way forward

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“L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environment”

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LIFE-Nature for Natura 2000

10 years of the regulation’s implementation

Some data

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The European Commission is

proposing an extension of the Life Programme

• programme period 2004-2006

• rules more or less the same as so far

• budget allocation more or less the same as so far

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There are opportunities!

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CAP ReviewNeed for awareness on:

– Enlargement– WTO– Budgetary pressures

BUTCAP changes will not alone make

perfect the Agriculture - Environment

relationship

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Regulation no. 1782/2003 (29 Sept)

Article 16 of the Amended 1257/99 Regulation

“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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The agreement of June 2003 introduced the option for increases in the payment related to Article 16 (set to a maximum 200 EURO/ha/year) up to a maximum to be specified by the Member State.

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New accompanying measures:– Support for participation in “quality”

schemes– Support for producer groups for quality

promotion– Temporary + degressive aid for better

uptake of EU legislation in Environment, health, welfare and occupational areas, by introducing the measure “meeting standards”

– Support for farm audits leading to better cross-compliance

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Rural Developments Plans of the Accession

Countries

• Commission assessment– of nature conservation considerations

(Natura 2000)– if there is a mechanism for identifying

potential adverse effects– so that opportunities are not missed

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

Development of transport infrastructure

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The future of nature and land use in

Europe• with enlargement, “rural Europe” will

not be the same as before• rural areas will provide benefits other

than only food production, e.g. sustainable tourism

• the enormous pressures for development must be channelled to areas with least nature values

• Natura 2000 should be looked upon as an opportunity for, and not as obstacle to development

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Thank you for your attention!

More information at homepage:

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