The management, financing and monitoring of Natura 2000, the pan-European network of protected natural areas, leave room for improvement, according to a new report published by the European Court of Auditors on Tuesday 21 February.
The special report, “More efforts needed to implement the Natura 2000 network to its full potential”, followed on from an audit, the purpose of which was to determine whether Natura 2000 had been appropriately implemented. Auditors visited 24 Natura 2000 sites in France, Germany, Spain, Poland and Romania, covering most of the biogeographical regions in Europe.
The Court recognises the major role played by Natura 2000, a key element of the EU strategy to curb biodiversity loss by 2020 but underlines that, if that objective is to be achieved, a great deal of progress will have to be made.
The shortcomings found are many. Member states have not managed the Natura 2000 network sufficiently well, and EU funds have not been well mobilised to support the management of the network. There being no specific performance indicator system for the use of EU funds, a lack of reliable information on costs and financing meant it was not possible to gauge the effectiveness of Natura 2000. In addition, funding was not sufficiently tailored to the needs of environmental sites.
“To achieve adequate protection of biodiversity across the Natura 2000 sites, the Member States must still put in place proper conservation measures, appropriately funded and with a complete set of indicators measuring the results achieved,” said Nikolaos Milionis, the member of the Court responsible for the report.
Among the shortcomings in the management of the network, the report highlights that coordination between relevant authorities, stakeholders and neighbouring member states is not sufficiently developed. Too often the necessary conservation measures were delayed or inappropriately defined. The member states visited did not adequately assess projects impacting on Natura 2000 sites. While the Commission was actively supervising member states, there was scope to improve the way its guidance was communicated.
The Court recommends that member states fully implement the habitats and birds directives. They should ensure appropriate coordination between all authorities involved in the management of Natura 2000 sites by 2019 and complete the establishment of the necessary conservation measures to make sure that assessments are of sufficiently high quality by 2020.
Between now and 2019, the Commission should increase its efforts to promote the dissemination and application of its guidance documents and the results of the biogeographical seminars, and promote the exchange of best practices on cross-border cooperation.
With regard to the funding of Natura 2000, ahead of the next programming, the Court recommends that member states should estimate accurately and completely the actual spending and the future funding needs at site level and for the network as a whole.
The Commission should give guidance to the member states on improving the quality of prioritised action frameworks and on estimating, in a reliable and harmonised manner, planned and actual support for Natura 2000 from EU funding programmes.
The recommendations could not have come at a better time as the Commission intends to adopt an action plan to improve implementation of the nature conservation directives this year (see EUROPE 11684). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)