www.iucn.org/parks 79 THE EUROPEAN NATURA 2000 PROTECTED AREA APPROACH: A PRACTITIONER’S PERSPECTIVE Roger Crofts 1* *
[email protected], www.rogercrofts.net 1 WCPA Emeritus, Edinburgh, Scotland ABSTRACT Natura 2000 is the first and only regional biodiversity protected area approach in the world. Over its 20 years of existence it has been a positive force for conservation, but it has certain limitations. This paper assesses some of its strengths and weaknesses from a practitioner’s perspective. Overall, the assessment is positive as without it biodiversity loss would probably have been greater, and with it there is a unique transnational approach. The positive aspects identified are the biogeographical framework, pan-European classification of species and habitats, and the political will to implement it. The negative aspects are that it is a static approach to species and habitat conservation, the Natura approach to biodiversity conservation is being undermined by perverse subsidies from other EU funding mechanisms, especially the Common Agricultural Policy, and the effects of development on the fragmentation of habitats are dominant. Also, in practice, there has been a failure to implement wider countryside and connectivity measures. Lessons relevant to other parts of the world are discussed. KEYWORDS: Natura 2000, practitioner’s perspective, perverse subsidies, connectivity, lessons learned INTRODUCTION 1979); it is now known in its amended form as Directive The European Union (EU) programme for the protection 2009/147/EEC. The Directive provides for the of birds, and of species and habitats has been protection, management and control of all species of implemented primarily through Natura 2000.