Conflicting EU Funds: Pitting Conservation Against Unsustainable Development – Iberian lynx, Coto Dońana National Park, Spain | © WWF-Canon – Iberian lynx, Coto / WWF Spain/Jesus COBO Lynx pardinus Lynx Structural Funds and instruments by sector of expenditure (2000–06)* 1 Conflicting EU Funds: Pitting Conservation Against Unsustainable Development 2 Conflicting EU-funds: Pitting conservation against unsustainable development Case studies prepared by: © WWF Global Species Programme, Wien, Rita Alcazar, Liga para a Protecção 2006. All rights reserved. da Natureza (LPN), Lisbon. Francesca Antonelli, WWF Mediterranean ISBN: 3-901458-20-4 Programme Office, Rome. Nora Berrahmouni, WWF Mediterranean Compiled by Clare Miller, IEEP, Programme Office, Rome. London/Brussels with support of WWF network. Ulli Eichelmann, WWF-Austria, Vienna. Raúl Garcia, WWF-Spain, Madrid. Editor: Gerald Dick, WWF. Panagiota Maragou, WWF-Greece, Athens. Yorgos Mertzanis, Callisto Wildlife This publication is also available and Nature Conservation Society, Thessaloniki. as download from: Thomas Nielsen, WWF European Programme www.panda.org/epo Office, Brussels. www.panda.org/species Guido Schmidt, WWF-Spain, Madrid. Luis Suarez, WWF-Spain, Madrid. Suggested citation: Marta Majka Wisniewska, WWF-Poland, WWF. 2006. Conflicting EU Funds: Pitting Warsaw. Conservation against Unsustainable Development. WWF Global Species Editorial Board: Programme, Wien. 72 pp. Andreas Baumüller, WWF EPO Stefanie Lang, WWF EPO Any reproduction in full or in part of this publica- Martina Fleckenstein, WWF D tion must mention the title and credit the above mentioned publisher and copyright owner. Editor in chief: Gerald Dick, WWF Global Species Programme Graphics and Layout: Michal Stránský, Staré Město, Czech Republic. Printed by Agentura NP, Staré Město, Czech Republic Printed on 100% recycled paper. 3 Foreword When we talk about “European Nature” or Further support has been provided by An- “European Biodiversity”, many people associate dreas Beckmann, Joanna Benn, Wendy Elliott, this with the major legal instruments within the Marianne Kettunen, Eerik Leibak, Constantinos European Union: The Birds Directive and the Liarikos, Tony Long, Charlotte B. Mogensen, Habitats Directive, as well as the related network Thomas Nielsen, Eva Royo Gelabert, Stefanie of protected areas – Natura 2000 and The Wa- Fine Schmidt, Beate Striebel, Peter Torkler. ter Framework Directive concerning integrated and ecologically-driven river basin management. I wish to thank Christine Jalleh of the Millennium This approach is one of the most advanced in Ecosystem Assessment, Penang, Malaysia and the world, encompassing long term perspec- Reg Watson of the University of British Colum- tives and sustainability. However, to implement bia, Vancouver, Canada for providing me with a sophisticated system, one needs not only politi- high resolution graphs (p. 30 and cover III). cal will, but also financial backing. Furthermore, it seems evident it shouldn’t be threatened by I am also especially thankful to the support of competing plans funded by the very same institu- the editorial board, Andreas Baumüller, Martina tion – The European Union. Fleckenstein and Stefanie Lang as well as to the WWF network in providing and working on the In order to address this issue and to support the case studies. protection and improvement of the environment, (as recognised by the structural funds regulation I gratefully acknowledge this joint effort by the since 1999) as well as to help shape the new WWF network and its associated partners. round of EU funds for the 2007–2013 period, WWF has published this report. Gerald Dick, PhD, MAS Global Species Programme This report was written with the support of the In- Wien, December 2005 stitute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), and financially supported by the following WWF Global Programmes: Forests for Life, The Fresh- water Programme The Marine Programme, The Species Programme, as well as WWF Germany, the European Policy Office and the Oak Foun- dation. I wish to thank Geri Steindlegger, Derk Kuiper, Martina Fleckenstein, Sian Pullen, Carol Phua and Stefanie Lang. 4 Acronyms CAP Common Agricultural Policy LIFE+ Financial Instrument CBD UN Convention on Biological Diversity for the Environment CFP Common Fisheries Policy NOP National Operational Program COP Conference of the Parties NSP National Strategic Plan DG Directorate General SAC Special Area of Conservation, EAFRD European Agriculture Fund designated under the Habitats for Rural Development Directive (92/43/EEC) EAGGF European Agricultural Guidance SCRS Standing Committee and Guarantee Fund on Research and Statistics of ICCAT EEA European Environment Agency SEA Strategic Environment Assessment EFF European Fisheries Fund SNHP Spanish National Hydrological Plan EIA Environmental Impact Assessment SPA Special Protected Area, designated EIB European Investment Bank under the Birds Directive EIF European Investment Fund (79/409/EEC) ERDF European Regional SSB Spawning Stock Biomass Development Fund TENS-T Trans-European Networks – Transport ESF European Social Fund VAT Value-Added Tax FIFG Financial Instrument WFD Water Framework Directive for Fisheries Guidance (2000/60/EC) FLR Forest Landscape Restoration approach GNP Gross National Product IBA Important Bird Area ICCAT International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna ICPDR International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River IEEP Institute for European Environmental Policy LCIE Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe LFA Less Favoured Area 5 Table of contents 6 European Union at the Crossroads Introduction to current challenges within the EU The budgetary delay may slow down but will not One of the casualties of reduced agricultural stop the work on the development of the new spending is likely to be rural development. Under regulations and guidelines that will come into a compromise promoted by the Luxembourg force at the beginning of 2007 and will channel Government, the amount of money for rural the budgetary amounts that are finally agreed development was already foreseen to go down upon. In that sense, WWF’s current work on from almost 90 billion euro in the 2007–2013 influencing and shaping regulations for Life+ period to 73–75 billion euro. The newly adopted and Natura 2000, rural development, the struc- rural development regulation, and the draft rural tural funds, various water and mining directives, development strategic programming guidelines, fisheries regulations and so on will continue now include WWF priorities for implementation relatively unscathed. In fact, the feeling in Brus- of the Water Framework Directive, the imple- sels in the immediate aftermath of the 16/17th mentation of Natura 2000, the promotion of high June European Council is to some extent one of nature conservation value farming and forestry renewed vigour in working on these framework systems and renewables for energy production. regulations and policy guidance so that normal Any cutbacks in funding for this programme, and business can resume as soon as the budget is any delays in approving the guidelines, could settled. have negative consequences for WWF’s the- matic and eco-region objectives in Europe. As far as agriculture is concerned, Tony Blair’s showdown with France and Germany in particu- The rural development fund and the structural lar was over the 2002 agreement to keep agri- funds could in the best of circumstances be- cultural spending guaranteed at a 40 billion euro come the main funding mechanisms for imple- per year level until 2013. This bilateral Franco- menting Natura 2000. The much smaller Life+ German agreement was announced with little programme and budget line will also make an pre-warning and was subsequently endorsed by important contribution, especially for funding Blair in 2003 – but it is clear that he now wants species, habitats and broader nature conserva- to retract. The modernisation of the EU agenda tion objectives that would fall outside these two in line with the Lisbon agenda – Europe as the large development programmes. Since the exist- most dynamic, knowledge based economy in the ing Life Nature budget line and regulation is due world – means that a diversion of agricultural to expire at the end of 2006, the Natura 2000 funds into research and development, techno- programme is especially vulnerable if a budget- logical innovation, competitiveness issues makes ary impasse continues too much longer. more sense in the UK view. It is the speed of the reform – rather than whether reform is neces- sary – which is the real root of the difference be- tween the UK Government (and some important allies) and some other European countries. 7 Following the Common Fisheries Policy reform Regarding the external dimension of the new agreed at the end of 2002, the new propos- Financial Perspectives, there is a growing rec- als for the European Fisheries Fund include ognition that global and regional environmental objectives close to the interests of WWF. This problems will not be tackled alone through the includes making funds available for the sustaina- standard country and regional programming ble development of coastal areas, the adaptation approaches that underpin EU development of fishing fleets and fishing effort to the need for cooperation. A separately-funded Environment improved stock management and recovery plans and Energy Thematic Strategy is being drawn up and pilot projects for conservation. The Fisheries in the Commission that would