Spain is the subject of an action before the EU Court of Justice for persistent failure to adequately protect both the groundwater bodies supplying the wetlands and protected natural habitats in Doñana National Park, the European Commission announced on Thursday 24 January.
Through this action (the third stage of the infringement procedure), the Commission hopes to put pressure on the Spanish authorities to remedy the infringements of the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), and the two nature protection directives: the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC).
The Doñana wetlands are among the largest in Europe and are home to exceptional biodiversity, including seriously endangered species such as the imperial eagle, the Iberian lynx and the Moorish turtle. Several areas of the national park and its surroundings include sites designated under the pan-European Natura 2000 network.
Despite a reasoned opinion sent to them in April 2016, the Spanish authorities have not sought to rectify the matter, as the Commission considers that the measures currently in place to ensure sustainable water resources management and habitat conservation are insufficient and poorly implemented. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)