WRITTEN QUESTION E-1844/98

by Yves Verwaerde (PPE) to the Commission

(12 June 1998)

Subject: Financial support for an information campaign to publicize Natura 2000

Further to Mrs Bjerregaard's answer to my Written Question E-0629/98(1), I should like precise information concerning:

- the nature of the communication activities carried out as part of the two projects financed from Item B4-3060 in 1997 in connection with Natura 2000:

- the target public, the number of persons targeted, their nationality, environment (rural or urban), geographical areas,

- communications media (press, TV, pamphlets, etc.) and frequency,

- amount of the Community subsidies granted respectively to the two projects,

- assessment of the projects after they had been carried out.

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(23 July 1998)

As part of the call for the submission of proposals for general measures to inform and increase awareness of environmental problems(2), the Commission in 1997 jointly financed two projects concerning the Natura 2000 programme under budget heading B4-306.

The "Green Islands for Natura 2000" - European Union for coastal conservation (EUCC) project (subsidy granted: ECU 90 154) is intended to disseminate good practice concerning nature conservation and local economic development in coastal areas in connection with Natura 2000. Communication campaigns have been devised in cooperation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the local authorities in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Albania, the Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The target publics are the local populations in the coastal areas of those countries, tourists, local elected officials and the public authorities. Roughly 15 000 persons are directly concerned. The activities consist of a media campaign promoting green islands, i.e. via press communications, 25-minute documentaries and 10-minute video productions on the information campaign; "Green island presentations" to be held in order to make the local populations aware of rare animal species, the twinning of coastal areas, educational packs, school activities, brochures, exhibitions and promotional material; developing green island networks by increasing the number of coastal areas involved; publishing articles in information bulletins for environmental teachers and for those responsible for natural sites; and the production of a guide to involvement in the network.

The aim of the project entitled "Activities to raise awareness of the habitats directive" - World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) - Italy (subsidy granted: ECU 100 000) is to inform the public and make it aware of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna(3) in order to spur implementation of the Natura 2000 programme. The Member States concerned are Austria, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. Target publics have been identified in each Member State (farmers, landowners, forestry officers, rural tourist associations, local and regional authorities, Members of Parliament) and specific activities are being performed (holding information symposia, publishing articles in the specialist press, talks on the radio and television, press communiqués and publishing reports).

These two projects are currently under way. The Commission will assess their results when the final activity reports - on 1 May 1999 in the case of WWF, Italy and 31 May 1999 for the EUCC, are presented.

(1) OJ C 310, 9.10.1998, p. 106.

(2) OJ C 53, 22.2.1997.

(3) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.