ESPO calls for better implementation of the Birds and Habitats directives rather than an in-depth revision

24 August 2015

In July, ESPO published together with the European Federation of Inland Ports (EFIP) a position paper on the Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats directives.

As part of its Smart Regulation policy the Commission has initiated a Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT). Under the first stages of this programme, the Commission has reviewed the entire stock of EU legislation and decided on follow-up actions, one of which is to undertake a Fitness check of EU Nature legislation.

The Habitats Directive (together with the Birds Directive) forms the cornerstone of Europe's nature conservation policy. It is built around two pillars: the Natura 2000 network of protected sites and the strict system of species protection. All in all the directive protects over 1.000 animals and plant species and over 200 so called "habitat types" (e.g. special types of forests, meadows, wetlands, etc.), which are of European importance.

ESPO and EFIP actively contributed to the ongoing Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats directives. Both organisations participated in the evidence gathering exercise, responded to the online consultation and encourage all their member ports to do so. Overall, ESPO and EFIP feel that the existing challenges in working with the Nature directives relate mainly to their implementation and enforcement and not to their text, spirit and objectives that remain relevant and well-intended. Given the dedicated time and effort by all stakeholders in reaching an understanding regarding the nature directives, ESPO and EFIP stress that any revision of the current framework needs to be thoroughly assessed, and significant added value needs to be demonstrated. The focus of any potential revision should be on maintaining the well-intended objectives while simplifying procedures where justified in line with these objectives and enhancing legal certainty.

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