BirdLife and the Birds Directive
 P Olaf Sidlo
The flood-plains of the Biebrza river valley in Poland are an IBA
Zoom In |
In the European Union the BirdLife International work programme is closely linked to the requirements and obligations arising from the Birds Directive. Through its Partner organisations BirdLife is working towards implementing the Birds and Habitats Directives to benefit birds and people.
BirdLife Partners together with BirdLife Secretariat carry out research in order to gather the best available information on birds and their habitats. This information is updated regularly and is provided to decision makers and other audiences.
BirdLife Partners have also created a Birds and Habitats Directive Task Force, where all Partners from EU Member States and candidate countries are represented and which convenes twice every year.The group discusses current developments and problems concerning the two Directives and its implementation, on both EU and national level, and develops and promotes common positions and responses on these issues.
Thus, the Task Force works as a liaison between the BirdLife European Partnership and the relevant bodies of the European Union.
Important Bird Areas
The Important Bird Areas (IBA) Programme of BirdLife International is a worldwide initiative aimed at identifying and protecting a network of critical sites for the conservation of the world’s birds. These sites, carefully identified on the basis of scientific criteria for the bird numbers and species that they hold, are termed Important Bird Areas (IBAs).
Because of their selection according to solid scientific criteria, BirdLife promotes the classification of all IBAs as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to implement the Birds Directive – one of the key elements in establishing Natura 2000. The first inventory of European IBAs was published by BirdLife in 1989, with the specific aim of aiding the Commission and the Member States in the identification of the ‘most suitable places’ for the conservation of wild birds. Since then, IBAs have been used by conservationists, ornithologists, governmental and non-governmental agencies, policy makers and planners to guide practical management and actions at sites and to target political and legal mechanisms to achieve their protection. BirdLife published the second revision of IBAs in Europe in 2000.
The BirdLife inventories of Important Bird Areas have been recognized four times by the European Court of Justice as the list of sites that should be classified as Special Protection Areas under the Birds Directive in the absence of other scientific evidence. This has been in cases against the Netherlands (Case C-3/96), France (Case C-202/01), Finland (Case C-240/00) and Italy (Case C-378/01).
 Dietrich Ristow
An Eleonora's Falcon surveys its breeding cliffs.
Zoom In |
BirdLife helps to establish the SPA Network across the EU and promotes its benefits
BirdLife Partners across the EU work daily to influence their national governments in order to ensure the completion, and full protection and management of the SPA Network. BirdLife Partners provide information, monitor implementation and enforcement of the Birds Directive and the BirdLife Secretariat offers advice.
In some EU countries, stakeholders in protected areas (such as local councils, farmers’ unions, hunters’ associations, landowners) have concerns that the protection of sites under the Birds and Habitat Directives will compromise their activities. They often fear that classifying natural sites as Special Protection Areas will stop all economic uses and development of the protected area.
This has contributed to causing delays in the implementation of Natura 2000, in particular the designation of an adequate network of SPAs. Many European citizens support Natural and National parks, but few are fully aware of the benefits and value of SPAs and the contribution that they make to establishing Natura 2000. As well as working to monitor and manage Important Bird Areas in Europe, BirdLife International has launched a European wide campaign to dispel common myths that conservation puts an end to economic activity. The campaign, which involves several BirdLife Partners in the EU, provides information, promotes understanding and raises awareness of the benefits of Natura 2000, to nature and people, so facilitating its successful completion and implementation.
 BirdLife
A White Stork on its nest
Zoom In |
Balancing the needs of biodiversity and people
The Habitats Directive includes full recognition that protection of Natura 2000 sites should not necessarily stop economic development. It aims to set a framework for the conservation and protection of Natura 2000 sites as well as achieve integration of biodiversity into economic activities and policies, thus ultimately facilitating sustainable development.
Member States must establish management measures to ensure maintenance of Natura 2000. However, in some exceptional cases it might not be necessary to implement any action. Among measures involving positive action can be the implementation of agri-environmental schemes, organic farming, sustainable practices in forestry activities, etc. Member States must also take appropriate preventative measures to stop degradation of sites.
Sponsored by:
 |
|
 | |
 |
|
| |