Mainstreaming the Birds and Habitats Directives’ conservation objectives

Subject: Mainstreaming the Birds and Habitats Directives’ conservation objectives

Implementing and managing Natura 2000 depends not only on the approval of site management plans allowing them to maintain their conservation status, but also on the mainstreaming of nature protection and conservation objectives in other EU policies and instruments.

1. Can the Commission demonstrate using concrete results (in terms of the best results for nature) that, in designing and applying sector-specific policies and other EU instruments (common agricultural policy, common fisheries policy, Water Framework Directive, environmental impact assessments on infrastructure financed by cohesion funds or other EU funds) all reasonable measures have been taken to ensure consistency with the requirements of the Birds and Habitats Directives?

2. How will the Commission ensure that Natura 2000’s prioritised action frameworks will be integrated into the new common agricultural policy’s new strategy plans?

3. How is the Commission managing and evaluating the use of compensatory measures in projects that have a negative impact on Natura 2000 sites?

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (9 June 2020)

The Fitness Check (1) of the Nature Directives (2), (3) revealed that they are consistent with and complementary to the Water Framework (4) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (5) Directives. Sustainable management of natural resources is promoted in EU funding instruments (6), (7), (8). It is a responsibility of Member States to effectively implement all these policies on the ground. The Fitness Check also revealed the need for more effective integration with the common agricultural policy (CAP). The Commission intends to publish an evaluation of the impact of the CAP on biodiversity later in 2020.

The Commission proposal for the CAP beyond 2020 (9) explicitly requires Member States to take into account environmental planning instruments emanating from Union legislation, which include the prioritised action frameworks (PAFs), while preparing the CAP strategic plans. The Commission will support them in achieving this goal and will assess and approve the Plans as regards their effective contribution to the CAP environmental specific objectives and the objectives and needs identified in such planning instruments, including the PAFs.

⋅1∙ The Commission findings of the Fitness Check are presented in the Staff Working Document published

on 16 December 2016 — SWD(2016) 472 final — http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/index_en.htm. ⋅2∙

Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (OJ L 20 of 26.01.2010. p. 7). ⋅3∙

Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ L 206 of 22.7.1992, p. 7). ⋅4∙

Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ 327 of 22.12.2000, p. 1). ⋅5∙

Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (OJ L 124 of 25.4.2014, p. 1).


Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005, OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 487‐548. ⋅7∙

Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 320‐469. ⋅8∙

Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003, (EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council, OJ L 149, 20.5.2014, p. 1‐66.


https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2018%3A392%3AFIN


















| | )The Commission evaluates the compensation measures proposed by Member States authorities in the context of the application of Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive in accordance with the principles expressed in its guidance document (10). When legally required, this leads to the issuance of Commission opinions (11).


Managing Natura 2000 sites: The provisions of Article 6 of the ‘Habitats

Directive 92/43/EEC’https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/guidance_en.htm ⋅11∙

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/opinion_en.htm