Brussels, 16/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - Member States that have not yet submitted the required lists of protected sites in the framework of the Habitats Directive, will have to undertake to present them within a set deadline. They will also have to undertake to ensure that projects supported by the Structural Funds do not risk deteriorating these sites. These conditions will have to be respected for the Commission to adopt, for each country, the Community Support Framework or the Planning Document. These documents define those areas of Structural Fund intervention and must be adopted so that Community funding for the 2000-2006 period may begin. Almost all Member States are concerned by this requirement of coherence between regional and environmental development. The adoption of the Community Support Framework for Portugal has just been an initial example (see next article).
Were the commitment to submit a list of protected sites not to be respected in the time allowed, the Commission would take "appropriate measures", and could, notably, suspend payment for ongoing projects. Once the list is presented, were the project to turn out to be in contradiction with the Natura 2000 network, the Commission could suspend payments, demand that the funds be refunded, or even launch an infringement procedure. In addition, the Commission intends monitoring implementation of measures taken in the framework of Natura 2000, notably by on the spot checks.
The Commissioners responsible for regional policy, Michel Barnier, and the environment, Margot Wallstroem announced their intention end-January of tightening the link between the Structural Funds and the European network of protected natural habitats, Natura 2000, defined by the Habitats Directive, intention they have now made clearer. The lists required by the Habitats Directive should have been presented by end-1995 - the directive is the subject of many infringement procedures, Member States not sufficiently respecting its provisions. Several NGOs have, moreover, protested against the lack of a link between the Structural Funds and the Habitats Directive.