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Natura 2000 / EU Nature Legislation

Overall State of Play:

Fitness Check Completed Q4 2016, SWD(2016) 472
Action Plan adopted COM(2017)198

State of play, main conclusions, outlook

On 16/12/2016 the Commission published the 'Fitness Check' evaluation of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives (the 'Nature Directives') and concluded that, within the framework of broader EU biodiversity policy, they remain highly relevant and are fit for purpose.

Based on the findings, the Commission adopted an Action Plan to address shortcomings in implementation identified in the Fitness Check and improve the Directives' coherence with broader socio-economic objectives. The European Committee of the Regions is a key partner in this process. The Action Plan was adopted on 27 April 2017, setting out an ambitious programme of work for the next two and a half years.

Estimated savings and benefits

Several stakeholders considered that unnecessary costs related to authorisation procedures stem from incomplete or insufficient knowledge and data relating to the conservation objectives and measures of Natura 2000 sites as well as to the status of species and habitats they host and / or from unnecessarily complex implementation approaches/procedures set out at national level. The follow-up Nature Action Plan is meant to promote smarter and more efficient implementation approaches in relation to the site permitting and species protection rules of the Directives. The Action Plan should also contribute to enhancing the Directives’ effectiveness, leading to better conservation status of habitats and species.

REFIT Platform

In its opinion on EU policies on water, renewable energy and nature protection (Ref. IX.14.a), the REFIT Platform considers that those policies are not in contradiction but instead allows renewable energy generation to proceed in appropriate circumstances following procedures set out in the relevant pieces of legislation. Several members of the Government Group underlines the importance of working towards an integrated and balanced approach for implementing different EU legislative acts or policies. The sector specific guidance on hydropower and Natura 20001, on electricity transmission facilities and Natura 20002 as well as the updated interpretative guidance on Article 63 issued in the context of the Action Plan reflect the need for an integrated approach.


1https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2018:213:TOC

2https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2018:213:TOC

3Commission Notice no C(2018) 7621 of 23/11/2018 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/management/docs/art6/Provisions_Art_._nov_2018_endocx.pdf