Brussels, 05/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 3 February, the European Parliament called on the Commission to “develop an EU wilderness strategy”, coherent with the Birds and Habitats Directives. With the adoption by 538 votes to 19 and 12 abstentions of the own initiative report on “virgin” areas in Europe drafted by Gyula Hegyi (PES, Hungary), the EP considers it necessary to provide special funding for reducing fragmentation of such areas, and careful management to restore these areas to their natural state of wilderness.
The world “wilderness” or “virgin” areas applies to a natural environment that has not been significantly modified by human activity. Such areas are core areas for nature. Wilderness areas are places where nature and wildlife thrive. These areas are large areas of land or sea which - together with native plant and animal communities and the ecosystems of which they are a part - are in a natural state and where major human interference needs to be avoided. Still some 46% of the world's land mass is wilderness. The EP calls on the Commission to define the areas of wilderness given that this definition should take different aspects into account (ecosystemic services, value of conservation, climate change). It calls on the Commission and member states to devote special attention to the effective protection of wilderness areas.
Wild natural areas and Natura 2000. The EP expresses its grave concern about the future of Community biodiversity policy due to the lack of funding for management of the Natura 2000 network. In this context, it calls on the Commission to prepare, as foreseen in the Habitats Directive, Community co-funding for the management of sites in member states.
Finally, MEPs call on the Commission and member states to work together to develop a robust legislative framework on invasive alien species, to tackle both the ecological and economic impact that such species have and the particular vulnerability of wilderness areas to this threat. (L.C./transl.jl)