EU Nature Directors meet in Prague
A meeting of directors of central EU nature conservation bodies was held in Prague on 8-10 June under the auspices of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council. This meeting is a traditional event of each EU Presidency.
This meeting offers a platform where directors of nature conservation departments of the EU Environment Ministries and of national nature conservation agencies can discuss fundamental issues related to the implementation of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, two key pieces of EU legislation in the field of nature protection. The Prague meeting was attended by delegates from 25 EU Member States, Norway and the candidate countries Croatia and Turkey. Furthermore, the event brought together representatives of important international governmental as well as non-governmental organisations and associations, such as the European Environment Agency (EEA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), WWF, Birdlife International, representatives of the European Landowners’ Organisation (ELO) and the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU (FACE).
The meeting focused on the practical implementation of both directives. The Directors addressed two main issues – the assessment of projects where a significant impact on Natura 2000 sites cannot be excluded (“Natura assessment”) – a fundamental requirement set out in the Habitats Directive – and the state of play of monitoring and data assessment for the purpose of submitting evaluation reports on Europe’s nature to the European Commission.
As regards the assessment of projects where a significant impact on Natura sites cannot be excluded, the Member States agreed that there is currently a lack of information on how this duty is fulfilled and adhered to in the individual Member States. The debate highlighted the need for a regular and sufficient exchange of information between the Member States (in particular those sharing borders), which should be coordinated and methodically directed by the European Commission. Using the example of persons authorised in compliance with the Nature and Landscape Conservation Act, the Czech Republic presented its way of meeting these requirements. Its approach was an inspiration to a number of other Member States.
Concerning the second issue, the Member States emphasised the key importance of securing sufficient funds for the collection and assessment of data on European nature at national level. The participants also discussed the possibility of co-financing these activities from European funds. At the same time, they agreed that it is necessary to harmonise the processes and methodologies so as to ensure that in the future such data concerning the state and development of nature in the whole of the EU are objective enough. In this respect, the European Commission highlighted the systematic approach of the Czech Republic to data collection and assessment, carried out by the Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic in cooperation with non-governmental organisations, e.g. the Czech Society for Ornithology. The result of the debate was an agreement that the Czech Republic will secure and assess information on the state of accomplishment of this task in individual Member States as a basis for further discussion.
The Czech Presidency continued the discussion, started at a similar meeting held during the French Presidency, on the issue of connectivity, i.e. interconnection of natural elements in the landscape. It presented the evaluation of questionnaires which had been sent to the Member States. The questionnaires show that a number of Member States have created a concept of so-called environmental networks, firmly grounded in legislation, while financing their implementation. On the other hand, a large number of Member States still lack such a concept. The Presidency recommended that the European Commission take the existing instruments as a basis while considering the “green infrastructure” concept and only then start drafting new instruments and obligations.
The European Commission, together with the Swedish Presidency, opened a debate on the goals in the area of global biodiversity protection after 2010 and appreciated the efforts of the Czech Presidency in drafting Council conclusions for the EU action plan for biodiversity and for dealing with the issue of invasive species, which the Environment Ministers Council should adopt on 25 June in Luxembourg.
Contact:
- Jakub Kašpar, Director of the External Relations Department and spokesperson Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic
- tel.: 267 122 040, mobile: 724 175 927 fax: 267 311 496, e-mail: [email protected]
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:19
