Close Menu
    Latest Category
    • Finance
    • Tech
    • EU Law
    • Energy
    • fx
    • About
    • Contact
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Login
    • EU News
    • Focus
    • Guides
    • Press
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Directory
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Home

    EU Nature Directives are ‘Fit for Purpose’, concludes European Commission expert study

    npsBy nps5 July 2016Updated:3 July 2024 No Comments3 Mins Read
    — Filed under: Focus
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    — last modified 05 July 2016

    “This evaluation concludes that the Nature Directives are fit for purpose, and clearly demonstrate EU added value” confirms the expert study that WWF received today by the European Commission as a result of an official access to document request.


    Advertisement


    WWF strongly supports the evidence presented in the independent analysis and urges the Juncker Commission to focus its attention on the implementation of the laws and the threats to Europe’s nature.

    The study, prepared for the European Commission by a consortium led by the consultancy Milieu, is a thorough evaluation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, Europe’s most important pieces of nature conservation legislation. The assessment is part of the Better Regulation action launched by the Commission to assess whether the directives are effectively contributing to protecting Europe’s nature (Fitness Check).

    “We now have indisputable evidence that the EU Nature Directives are “fit for purpose” in protecting Europe’s natural heritage. President Juncker and his Commission must now urgently put an end to this debate which causes unacceptable delays in the implementation of the laws and address the threats to Europe’s nature,” said Genevieve Pons, Director of WWF European Policy Office.

    The Natura 2000 network of protected areas, which was created by the Nature Directives and now covers almost one fifth of Europe’s territory and more than 5% of its seas, is one of the most successful European projects thanks to strong collaboration among all stakeholders (including governments, businesses and civil society).

    “The EU Nature Directives are an excellent example of a more united and sustainable Europe that delivers tangible benefits for both current and future generations. In the current climate of Euro-scepticism, it is especially important for EU leaders to unite around a political agenda with nature and people at its heart. Nature conservation must play a fundamental role in this endeavour to revert to core European values,” she concluded.

    The experts discourage any change in the Directives, including the Annexes, as “the balance of evidence suggests that updates at this stage would generate uncertainty and be counter-productive in both nature conservation and economic terms.” The evaluation confirms that the Directives are effective in providing protection of natural sites from developments and other damaging activities and that the benefits of their implementation exceed their costs.

    It is also highlighted that the legal protection provided by the EU laws is stronger than most national systems and they provide “a balanced and workable framework for addressing the varying interests of stakeholders while respecting nature conservation objectives.” The Directives have also brought a new “modern” approach to nature conservation by enabling positive partnerships and different forms of stakeholder participation.

    More than 48,000 people from across Europe have so far joined WWF’s campaign “Turn Up the Volume of Nature” (#NatureAlert) and sent thousands of nature songs and messages to the European Commission and national environment ministers asking for concrete political actions. The European Commission is expected to publish its Report on the Fitness Check and its Communication on EU Nature in autumn.

    WWF

    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    nps
    • Website

    Related Content

    EU approves EUR 300m for common defence procurement projects

    EU proposes e-declaration for the posting of workers

    EU calls on Apple to end geo-blocking on media services

    EUR/USD touches one year low as Trump takes control of Congress – Euro currency news daily

    EU artificial intelligence factories set for 2025

    Council agrees reform of EU VAT rules for the digital age

    LATEST EU NEWS

    EU approves EUR 300m for common defence procurement projects

    14 November 2024

    EU proposes e-declaration for the posting of workers

    14 November 2024

    EU calls on Apple to end geo-blocking on media services

    14 November 2024

    EUR/USD touches one year low as Trump takes control of Congress – Euro currency news daily

    14 November 2024

    EU artificial intelligence factories set for 2025

    13 November 2024
    BRIEFING

    Agenda

    This week, COP29 begins in Azerbaijan; finance ministers discuss the EU's annual budget for 2025; and MEPs hold a plenary session on EU-US relations, EU summits, deforestation and COP 29...

    EUbusiness Week

    This week competitiveness and environment ministers will hold informal meetings…

    Eurozone Economic Calendar

    Key economic calendar events for the week 11 to 16 November 2024

    The Week's Top Stories

    This week competitiveness and environment ministers will hold informal meetings…

    Advertisement

    Subscribe to EUbusiness Week

    Get the latest EU news

    Latest Posts

    EU approves EUR 300m for common defence procurement projects

    14 November 2024

    EU proposes e-declaration for the posting of workers

    14 November 2024

    EU calls on Apple to end geo-blocking on media services

    14 November 2024

    EUR/USD touches one year low as Trump takes control of Congress – Euro currency news daily

    14 November 2024

    CONTACT INFO

    • EUbusiness Ltd 117 High Street, Chesham Buckinghamshire, HP5 1DE United Kingdom
    • +44(0)20 8058 8232
    • service@eubusiness.com

    INFORMATION

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Info

    Services

    • Privacy Policy
    • Tems
    • EU News

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Facebook
    eubusiness.com © EUbusiness Ltd 2025
    Design and developed by : Dotsquares

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login below or Register Now.

    Lost password?

    Register Now!

    Already registered? Login.

    A password will be e-mailed to you.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok