#Naturealert Stor kampagne redder EU's natur

EU-Kommissionens præsident Jean-Claude Juncker og hans kommission bekræftede den 7. december, at EU's flagskibsnaturlove, Fulge- og Habitatdirektivet, vil blive reddet og ikke omskrevet og svækket, hvilket afslutter to års usikkerhed om lovenes fremtid. Kommissionen har også opfordret til en bedre implementering af lovene.[1]

Det er en sejr for den halve million mennesker i hele EU, som har bedt Kommissionen redde og styrke lovene som del af #NatureAlert kampagnen.[2]

EU's naturlove er fundamentale for naturbeskyttelsen i EU [3] og beskytter mere end 1.400 truede arter og én million km2 naturlige levesteder. De er også enormt populære og er blevet skarpt forsvaret af forskere, offentligheden, virksomheder, EU-Parlamentet og nationale regeringer.[4]

Friends of the Earth og andre miljøorganisationer har velkommet beslutningen [A1], men har også understreget, at det hårde arbejde stadig ligger forude for at gøre denne beslutning til en reel sejr for naturen ved at fremsætte stærke forslag for implementeringen og håndhævelsen at lovene og tackle årsagerne til naturtabet herunder især industrielt landbrug.[5]

[1] http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEX-16-4308_en.htm

Free-to-use photos from a #NatureAlert stunt this morning outside the Commission: https://www.flickr.com/photos/foeeurope/albums/72157675811740352

[2] The #NatureAlert campaign launched in response to the European Commission's review of the Birds and Habitats Directives. This stemmed from President Jean-Claude Juncker's instruction in 2014 to Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella to "carry out an in-depth evaluation of the Birds and Habitats Directives and assess the potential for merging them into a more modern piece of legislation", as part of the 'better regulation' initiative.

An unprecedented coalition of over 200 NGOs across every EU member state gathered in response, calling for the Directives to be saved and better implemented – not 'modernised'.

In the biggest public consultation in the EU's history, more than 520,000 citizens called for the Birds and Habits Directives to be saved and better implemented – more than 94% of the total responses.

A record-breaking 520,325 citizens took part in the European Commission's consultation on the Directives in 2015, calling for the Directives to be saved and better implemented, contributing to the largest response to any Commission consultation to date.

More on the #NatureAlert campaign: http://www.naturealert.eu

[3] The Birds and Habitats Directives contribute to achieving the EU's commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2020. They are responsible for the creation of the largest and most coherent network of protected natural areas in the world (the 'Natura 2000' network), covering 18% of EU territory on land (over 1 million square kilometres) and around 6% of its seas.

They provide protection for threatened habitats and over 1,000 rare and vulnerable species, including the Imperial eagle, Lynx, and Dalmatian pelican.

Over one billion people visit Natura 2000 sites, including the Danube Delta, the Picos de Europa, the Carpathian Mountains and the Waddenzee each year, supporting 4.5 to 8 million jobs.

[4] In December 2015, the Environment Council recognised the importance of full implementation of these "essential" laws to "maintain legal certainty for all stakeholders".

In February 2016, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to oppose "a possible revision of the Nature Directives".

312 small and medium-sized enterprises have called on the Commission to maintain stable, effective and predictable nature legislation.

[5] NGOs next expect Commissioner Vella to propose follow up actions in a Communication or action plan to meet the EU's target of halting biodiversity loss by 2020, in spring 2017.