Conservation
science as an antidote to EU conservation politics (mis-) guided by interests
Bonn,
Nairobi, New York, Washington, Gland, Paris - the geography of decision-making in
international conservation policy is complex, and one of the most influential hubs
is Brussels. It is the birthplace of the EU Birds and the Habitats Directives that
underlie Natura 2000, the world’s most ambitious site-based conservation
project. Their implementation, however, has been accompanied by a background
noise of political struggles. And this ado is currently growing. With his rise
to power in 2014, the new Commission President Juncker programmed a “Fitness
Check” for the two EU conservation directives. Among conservation advocates,
this assessment is feared to serve as an excuse for softening the directives
and reversing important achievements made under considerable efforts. The Policy Committee
(PC) of the Society for Conservation Biology’s Europe Section thinks scientific
information is badly needed in the ongoing battle of interests and opinions.
Thus, we decided this year’s PC meeting should make the Society visible on the
spot as a unique stakeholder that can feed tested “top runner” scientific evidence
into this and other important debates.
On 26 and
27 May, facilitated by Belgian PC member Willem Laermans’ brilliant logistical
coordination, we met with delegates of the European Parliament, Commission representatives
as well as Brussels-based conservation advocates from the NGO sphere. As we had
hoped, Micheal O’Briain, Deputy Head of the Nature Unit at Directorate-General
Environment, was willing to give us a comprehensive overview of the “Fitness
Check” and its uses and misuses. We agreed the Society’s Europe Section should
participate in the ongoing public consultation, possibly including an in-depth
comment on the different Fitness Check questions under scrutiny. The value of
such a contribution was confirmed by a delegation of BirdLife International,
led by its Head of EU Policy, Ariel Brunner. With BirdLife, we also discussed
cornerstones of a possible strategic collaboration between our institutions. We
are glad Trees Robijns, Birdlife’s Senior EU Agriculture and Bioenergy Policy
Officer, will be able to attend the upcoming ICCB-ECCB 2015 in August this year.
Agriculture
was also in the focus of our meeting with the German Members of Parliament Maria
Heubuch (Greens), Susanne Melior and Maria Noichl (both Socialists &
Democrats). Our exchange addressed the failed “greening” reform of the EU
Common Agricultural Policy. The exchange proved so fruitful that this can
certainly be considered the start of a continued dialogue in the future. We are
also deeply grateful to Maria Heubuch for hosting us and helping us to make our
Brussels trip a success.
Another meeting brought us together with Karin Zaunberger and Nicholas
Hanley (both DG Environment) as well as Arnold Jacques de Dixmude (DG International
Cooperation and Development). They are involved in efforts directed at a better
conservation and sustainable development in the EU’s Overseas Territories and
Outermost Regions, a conglomerate of small to large
territories that cover the same area as the “core” EU, but which are spread across the globe. We explored
options how the Society and its worldwide expert network may add value to these
European activities. Mrs Zaunberger confirmed she will take part in a round-table
discussion on EU Overseas Territories at the ICCB-ECCB 2015.
The
Roadless Areas Initiative, initiated by our Policy Committee in 2007, was another
important item of our agenda in Brussels. While the Roadless Areas Initiative has
flourished into an activity across SCB sections since then, we think it is also
time to reach out beyond the scientific community to policy-makers. Our
Brussels visit thus marked the onset of a dialogue with DG Mobility and Transport.
With Judit Bertrand, who is involved in coordination of the Trans-European
Transport Networks TEN-T, we had a promising brainstorming exercise how
transport planning in the EU may start to take into account the remaining
roadless areas.
We are
looking forward to our next meeting at the ICCB-ECCB 2015 in two months in
Montpellier. Symposia organised by the Policy Committee of SCB’s Europe Section
will follow up on Natura 2000, the Common Agriculture Policy, roadless areas
and more. Be there and check them out!
Stefan
Kreft
(Chair of
the Policy Committee of the Society for Conservation Biology - Europe Section)
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