Fitness check on the Nature Directives
The European Commission completed the fitness check of the Birds and Habitat Directives, reaching the conclusion that the two Directives remain fit for purpose in the context of the wider EU policy on biodiversity.
Fitness check Infographic. Source: European Commission
The fitness check procedure stems from the Commission’s REFIT initiative to keep the entire stock of EU legislation under review based on the following criteria:
- Effectiveness (Have the objectives been met?)
- Efficiency (Were the costs involved reasonable?)
- Coherence (Does the policy complement other actions or are there contradictions?)
- Relevance (Is EU action still necessary?)
- EU added value (Can or could similar changes have been achieved at national/regional level, or did EU action provide clear added value?)
A diverse array of tools were used for the evaluation, including targeted questionnaires to European and national institutions from both the public and private sectors, the input from relevant reports like the mid-term review of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Commission’ s State of Nature in the EU report, as well as a public Internet consultation.
The consultation lasted 12 weeks and gathered more than 552.000 responses, which is the largest number of responses in the history of EU consultations. The high number of responses is partly attributed to information campaigns run by environmental NGOs and other interest groups. There were 6.387 responses from Greece.
The questionnaire was divided into two parts: the first part was of a general nature and its submission was the minimum requirement in order for the response to be counted and a second optional part, which demanded a more in-depth knowledge of the Directives and their implementation. The participation of the Forestry sector was particularly dynamic. Although the 4.000 responses represented less than 1% of the total, the ones addressing the second part amounted to 17% of total questionnaires.
The full report on the outcome of the public consultation can be found here, whereas an extended summary in the Greek language is available here.
The final evaluation report by the Commission is available here, while the full report with supporting data can be found here.
The Birds Directive 2009/147/ΕU replaced in 2009 the original Directive (79/409/EC), which had been adopted in 1979 by the 9 members of the EC at that time and had been amended several times in the meantime. The Directive recognizes European avifauna as an integral part of the heritage of the peoples of Europe and the need for its conservation as international and with common responsibilities. Its Annexes include lists of endangered species and species eligible for hunting. Also, there is a list with prohibited human activities, which are detrimental to the avifauna, as well as a list of activities that assist the targets and the implementation of the Directive.
The Habitats Directive, 92/43/EEC was adopted in 1992 with the aim of preserving wild flora and fauna through the protection of both the species themselves and their habitats. It introduced the creation of the European ecological network of protected areas Natura 2000, which incorporated the protected areas designated by the Birds Directive.
The two Directives, often collectively called “Nature Directives” have been characterized as the backbone of EU policy on nature, providing the basic tools for its implementation.
