TEN-T: the most damaging projects

Sebastian Bugariu The wetlands of the Lower Danube and Danube Delta and their key species such as the globally threatened Dalmatian Pelican are particularly threatened by plans to straighten sections of the Lower Danube as part of Priority Project 18. Zoom In

Malgorzata Górska Construction of the Augustow Bypass in Poland, which is part of the TEN-T corridor known as 'Via Baltica', threatens the pristine Rospuda Valley wetlands within the Augustow Primeval Forest Natura 2000. Lack of proper consideration of biodiversity during the planning of this project has resulted in it being referred to the ECJ. Zoom In | Hi-Res

Priority Projects (PPs) with possible high impact on Natura 2000 sites unless planned carefully

• PP1 Railway axis Berlin-Verona/Milan-Bologna-Naples-Messina-Palermo – 56 SPAs and 117 SCIs/pSCIs
• PP3 High-speed railway axis of south-west Europe - 49 SPAs and 148 SCIs/pSCIs
• PP6 Railway axis Lyons-Trieste-Divaca/ Koper-Divaca-Ljubljana-Budapest-Ukraine border - 36 SPAs and 109 SCIs/pSCIs
• PP24 Railway axis Lyons/ Genoa-Basle-Duisburg-Rotterdam/Antwerp - 32 SPAs and 86 SCIs/pSCIs
• PP8 Multimodal axis Portugal/Spain-rest of Europe - 29 SPAs and 98 SCIs/pSCIs
• PP18 Rhine/Meuse-Main-Danube inland waterway axis - 14 SPAs and 79 SCIs/pSCIs plus 62 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Bulgaria and Romania, as a surrogate for impacts on SPAs in Bulgaria and Romania
• PP22 Railway axis Athens-Sofia-Budapest-Vienna-Prague-Nuremberg/Dresden - 16 SPAs plus 42 SCIs/pSCIs plus 43 IBAs in Bulgaria and Romania

All modes of transport have environmental impacts, even rail projects frequently promoted as environmentally friendly on carbon dioxide reduction grounds. Hence, it is essential that transport projects are developed as sustainably as possible, factoring in and reducing potential impacts on other environmental resources, such as Natura 2000.

To avoid potential impacts, it is essential that both strategic and detailed project planning fully integrate Natura 2000 considerations as is required by European environmental law. There are positive examples that demonstrate that this is possible, but unfortunately also many examples where this really needs improving.

Positive examples

• ‘Appropriate assessment’ of German Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan - shows that consideration of Natura 2000 at the strategic level is feasible and can avoid conflicts, costs and delays at the project stage;

• Rail Baltica Feasibility Study on Rail Baltica railways in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – which demonstrates coordinated strategic planning incorporating environmental assessment.

Negative examples

• Danube inland waterway axis in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria – the piece meal approach to project planning and lack of strategic planning/Strategic Environmental Assessment for the whole axis could result in basin-wide ecological impacts undermining the coherence of the Natura 2000 network;

• Via Baltica, Poland – where the lack of strategic planning and salami-slicing of projects on a corridor has led to court challenges and delays/higher costs at the project level due to Natura 2000 conflicts.

Click here to download the full version of the report TEN-T and Natura 2000: the way forward
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