EU stakeholders agree stronger bird protection

Environment Daily 1766, 11/11/04

Europe must take further steps to safeguard wild bird species, stakeholders agreed at a conference on Tuesday organised by the Dutch EU presidency. According to a new survey by environmental group Birdlife, 43% of species occurring regularly in Europe now have "unfavourable status", up from 38% a decade ago.

The presidency conference was organised to mark the 25th anniversary of the EU birds directive. Recommendations to be passed to EU environment ministers include completing a network of "special protection areas" by 2005 and extending them to sea areas by 2008.

Delegates also called for stronger integration between the birds directive and key policies on infrastructure, fisheries, forestry and agriculture. The over-arching challenge is how stabilise or improve the conservation status of birds in line with the EU's broader commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity by.

Birdlife's in-depth survey of bird populations across 52 European countries or territories reports declines for 45 species, in particular farmland birds, some urban bird species and some migratory and wading species. However it also reports population increases for 14 species, including several birds of prey.

The NGO issued its own recommendations for action to protect birds. As well as better policy integration and completing the EU's special protection areas, it called for adequate, dedicated EU co-funding for nature conservation, most of which the European Commission has proposed drawing in future from rural development and structural funds.

Follow-up:

meeting press release http://www.eu2004.nl/default.asp?CMS_ITEM=7EB8C2F4CA3942248B981F78F269502CX1X65889X04;

Birdlife International http://www.birdlife.net/.