COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS An Action Plan for nature, people and the economy
Date: 2017-04-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, action programme, application of EU law, biodiversity, economic activity, environmental law, environmental protection, protected species, sustainable development

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   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 27.4.2017  COM(2017) 198 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS An Action Plan for nature, people and the economy {SWD(2017) 139 final}  
 
 
1.  Protecting and realising the potential of Europe’s natural heritage 

While having some of the most densely populated areas in the world, Europe also has a very rich 
and diverse natural heritage. The Nature Directives1 aim to ensure healthy nature in the European 
Union  by  providing  a  framework  to  protect  species  and  natural  habitats  of  conservation  interest. 
The Directives establish the largest coordinated network of biodiversity-rich protected areas in the 
world, called Natura 2000, which covers 18 % of the land area and 6 % of the sea area of the EU. 
They  protect  about  1 500  animal  and  plant  species  and  some  200  rare  habitat  types  inside  and 
outside these protected areas and combine nature protection with sustainable land use and economic 
activity. 

Under  its  commitment  to  Better  Regulation,  the  Commission  launched  in  2014  a  comprehensive 
evaluation  of  the  Nature  Directives,  called  a  "Fitness  Check".  Upon  taking  office  as  European 
Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Mr Vella was tasked by President 
Juncker to finalise this evaluation. With this process the Commission has listened to the concerns of 
citizens and businesses, who sometimes feel that European rules are difficult to understand, apply 
and enforce.  

This Fitness Check has found that, as part of broader EU biodiversity policy, the Nature Directives 
are fit for purpose but that achieving their objectives and realising their full potential will depend 
upon  substantially  improving  their  implementation2.  Improvements  are  needed  both  in  their 
effectiveness and efficiency and in working in partnership with different stakeholder communities 
in the Member States and across the EU to deliver practical results on the ground. 

Only around half of the birds and a smaller proportion of the other protected species and habitats in 
the EU have good conservation status today. The Natura 2000 network is now largely in place on 
land but important gaps remain in the marine environment. Only 50 % of all Natura 2000 sites have 
management plans with conservation objectives and measures. Key factors behind the shortcomings 
in  implementation  include  limited  resources,  weak  enforcement,  poor  integration  of  nature 
objectives  into  other  policy  areas,  insufficient  knowledge  and  access  to  data,  and  poor 
communication  and  stakeholder  involvement.  Moreover,  those  who  implement  the  Directives, 
particularly at regional and local level, are sometimes not sufficiently aware of their requirements or 
of the flexibility and opportunities they offer. This can lead to tensions between nature protection 
and economic activity. 

However, the Fitness Check has shown that where targeted action takes place on a sufficient scale, 
the status of species and habitats improves, sometimes leading to remarkable recoveries. Moreover, 
there  is  increasing  recognition  that  our  natural  environment  underpins  various  sectors  of  our 
economy such as tourism. Conserving and using it sustainably are more important today than ever 
before.  Doing  so  offers  ample  opportunities  to  attract  and  encourage  investment  in  nature 
protection. 

1  Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive)  — OJ 
L 206 of 22.7.1992, p. 7 and Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (Birds Directive) — OJ L 20 of 
26.01.2010. p. 7. 

2 Commission Staff Working Document (2016) 472 final of 16 December 2016 Fitness Check of the EU Nature 

Legislation (Birds and Habitats Directives) 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/index_en.htm. 

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On  7  December  2016  the  Commission  held  an  orientation  debate  on  the  findings  of  the  Fitness 
Check and their follow-up. In response, it decided to develop a concrete action plan to improve the 
implementation of the Directives, their coherence with socio-economic objectives and engagement 
with national, regional and local authorities, stakeholders and citizens. Given the strong territorial 
dimension  of  the  Directives  and  the  key  role  that  regional  and  local  authorities  play  in  their 
implementation, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) has been closely associated in preparing this 
action plan and will play an essential role as regards engagement with and outreach to regional and 
local authorities.  

This  comprehensive  action  plan  aims  to  rapidly  improve  practical  implementation  of  the  Nature 
Directives  and  accelerate  progress  towards  the  EU  2020  goal  of  halting  and  reversing  the  loss  of 
biodiversity and ecosystem services3, including in relation to climate resilience and mitigation. This 
will  also  benefit  people  living  in  Europe  and  the  economy.  Actions  will  be  taken  at  EU  level,  in 
particular  by  the  Commission  and  the  Committee  of  Regions,  but  Member  States  and  the 
stakeholders  concerned  will  also  need  to  act,  with  increased  support  and  assistance  from  the  EU. 
The  action  plan  offers  real  opportunities  to  engage  stakeholders  and  the  public  and  create 
partnerships  across  policy  areas.  This  will  lay  a  solid  foundation  for  reconciling  and  building 
bridges between nature, people and the economy.  

2.  The content of the action plan 

The action plan covers four priority areas with 15 concrete actions. Most actions will be launched in 
2017 so that the Commission can report on their delivery before the end of  its current mandate in 
2019. The table in this Communication provides an overview of the actions. It is complemented by 
detailed factsheets providing more information. 

Priority  A:  Improving  guidance  and  knowledge  and  ensuring  better  coherence  with  broader 
socioeconomic objectives 

Member  States'  different  approaches  to  implementing  the  Directives  can  lead  to  unnecessary 
conflicts  and  problems.  Inflexible  application  of  the  species  protection  rules,  delays  and  unduly 
heavy  burdens  in  site  permitting  procedures,  and  insufficient  stakeholder  awareness  can  create 
needless tensions between nature protection and socioeconomic activities. The action plan provides 
practical  solutions  to  these  problems  and  promotes  smarter  participatory  approaches  to  encourage 
the  full  involvement  of  landowners  and  users.  The  Commission  will  improve  its  guidance  and 
promote  greater  understanding  of  the  legislation  on  the  ground  to  help  public  authorities  apply  it 
better.  Member  States  will  need  to  improve  knowledge  and  access  to  data  necessary  for 
implementation  of  the  Directives.  The  Commission  will  support  work  to  improve  recognition  of 
how healthy ecosystems contribute to wellbeing and economic development (Actions 1-3). 

Measures  the  Commission  is  preparing4  on  streamlining  monitoring  and  reporting  across  EU 
environmental legislation will also help to improve the efficiency as well as the effectiveness of the 
Nature Directives. 

3 Communication from the Commission: Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 

(COM(2011) 244). 
4  Fitness Check evaluation of the regulatory monitoring and reporting obligations of the EU environment acquis and its 

follow up — see http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/reporting/fc_overview_en.htm.  

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Priority B: Building political ownership and strengthening compliance 

While the Member States are ultimately responsible for implementing the Nature Directives on the 
ground,  the  Commission  will  work  more  closely  with  them  to  facilitate  and  promote  the 
conservation  and  sustainable  use  of  nature.  Together,  we  must  ensure  that  a  fully  coherent  and 
functional Natura 2000 network is in place and that species are protected and, where appropriate, 
used sustainably. 

This  priority  will  include  bilateral  dialogue  with  Member  States  and  stakeholders  aimed  at 
improving the implementation of Natura 2000 and promoting cooperation in its management across 
the different biogeographical regions of Europe. Habitat and species action plans will be developed 
and delivered (Actions 4-7). 

For  strengthening  Member  States'  compliance  with  the  Nature  Directives,  other  measures  in  the 
broader area of environment policy, on training of national judges and prosecutors, access to justice, 
and assuring compliance with EU environmental law, will also be very relevant5. 

Priority C: Strengthening investment in Natura 2000 and improving synergies with EU funding 
instruments 

The cost of implementing of Natura 2000 has been estimated at EUR 5.8 billion per year, while its 
annual benefits are estimated at EUR 200-300 billion. However, funding shortages are preventing 
the  network  from  delivering  these  benefits  in  full  and  are  a  major  factor  undermining  the 
effectiveness of the Nature Directives.  The action plan therefore aims at making better use of the 
EU funding available and making nature more attractive for private investment. 

The  Fitness  Check  has  highlighted  the  worrying  decline  in  species  and  habitats  associated  with 
agriculture  and  has  pointed  to  the  need  for  more  effective  integration  of  Natura  2000  and  wider 
biodiversity with the common agricultural policy (CAP). The action plan proposes ways, under the 
current legal framework6, to improve synergies with the CAP and other key EU policy sectors such 
as cohesion policy, the common fisheries policy, and research and innovation policy. It proposes an 
increase in dedicated funding for nature and biodiversity which would allow higher investment in 
Natura 2000. It also provides for the development of more guidance and planning for the national 
Natura 2000 financial frameworks that Member States should develop. Finally, it proposes ways to 
stimulate  private  investment  and  to  better  support  connectivity  between  Natura  2000  areas, 
including through green infrastructure and nature-based solutions (Actions 8-12). 

Priority  D:  Better  communication  and  outreach,  engaging  citizens,  stakeholders  and 
communities 

The  action  plan  seeks  to  strengthen  the  involvement  of  the  public,  stakeholders,  local  authorities 
and  communities.  Protecting  nature  and  its  benefits  concerns  us  all  because  it  is  our  common 
heritage. The Commission together with the Committee of Regions will use all available platforms 
to raise awareness and promote local involvement and exchanges of knowledge. It will give more 

5  See  Commission  Work  Programme  2017  Delivering  a  Europe  that  protects,  empowers  and  defends  (Commission 

Communication COM(2016), 710 final). 

6 Further details about the consultation on modernising and simplifying the CAP are available at 

https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/consultations/cap-modernising/2017_en and 
https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/simplification_en. 

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recognition to good management practices in Natura 2000 areas. Through the European Solidarity 
Corps  the  Commission  will  help  young  people  to  get  directly  involved  in  conserving  nature  and 
gain valuable expertise for their professional life (Actions 13-15). 

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Table of actions 

Improving guidance and knowledge and ensuring better coherence with broader socioeconomic objectives 

1.  Update, develop and actively promote, in all EU languages, guidance on 

(a) site permitting procedures, species protection and management as well as sector-specific guidance 
(b) integrating ecosystem services into decision-making 

Actions 

Timeline 

Responsible 

2017-2019 
2018-2019 

COM / CoR / MS / 
stakeholders 

2. Establish a support mechanism to help Member State authorities address key challenges in applying the permitting 

2017-2019 

requirements of the Birds and Habitats Directives for Natura 2000 and species protection rules 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

3.  Improve knowledge, including through enhanced and more efficient monitoring, and ensure public online access to 

2017-2019  COM / EEA / MS 

data necessary for implementing the Directives (e.g. satellite imagery from the Copernicus programme) 

Building political ownership and strengthening compliance 

4. Complete the Natura 2000 network, especially filling gaps for the marine environment, and put in place the 

ongoing  MS / stakeholders / 

Actions 

Timeline 

Responsible 

necessary conservation measures for all sites 

5. Use the new Environmental Implementation Review process for dedicated bilateral meetings with national and 

2017-2019 

regional authorities to develop agreed roadmaps to improve implementation and consult with landowners and other 
stakeholders on implementation challenges 

COM 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

6. Bring together public authorities and stakeholders from different Member States at the biogeographical region level 

2017-2019  COM / CoR / MS / 

to address common challenges, including on cross-border issues  

7. Further develop Species and Habitats Action Plans for the most threatened species and natural habitats as well as 

2017-2019 

stakeholder platforms on the coexistence with conflict species (e.g. large carnivores) 

stakeholders 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Strengthening investment in Natura 2000 and improving synergies with EU funding instruments 

8.  Strengthen investments in nature 

Actions 

(a) Help Member States to improve their multiannual financial planning for Natura 2000 through the update of their 

prioritised action frameworks (PAFs)  

(b) Propose a 10% increase in the LIFE budget dedicated to projects supporting the conservation of nature and 

biodiversity, while keeping the overall budgetary envelope of the LIFE programme unchanged 

(c) Stimulate private sector investment in nature projects 

Timeline 

Responsible 

2017-2019  COM / EIB/ MS / 

stakeholders  

9.   Promote synergies with funding from the common agricultural policy, including effective use of Natura 2000 

2017-2019 

payments and agri-environment-climate measures, the development of result-based schemes, support to farmers 
through Farming Advisory Services, and innovation and knowledge transfer through the European Innovation 
Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability 

10.  Increase awareness of cohesion policy funding opportunities and improve synergies 

2017-2019 

11.  Improve synergies with the common fisheries policy and the integrated maritime policy, including more effective 

2017-2019 

use of the financing opportunities available 

12.  Provide guidance to support the deployment of green infrastructure for better connectivity of Natura 2000 areas; 
support nature-based solutions projects through EU research and innovation policy and Horizon 2020 funds  

2017-2019 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

COM / 
stakeholders 

Better communication and outreach, engaging citizens, stakeholders and communities 

13.  Support knowledge exchange and engagement of local and regional authorities through a joint platform with the 

2017-2019 

CoR / COM 

Committee of the Regions 

14. Support recognition of good management of Natura 2000 sites and awareness-raising of the Nature Directives 

2017-2019  COM / CoR / MS 

Actions 

Timeline 

Responsible 

through relevant fora, availing of new technologies and outreach activities, and strengthen links between natural 
and cultural heritage, especially in the context of 2018 as European year of cultural heritage 

15.  Involve young people actively in measures dealing with societal needs by giving them the opportunity to get 

2017-2019 

involved in nature protection in Natura 2000 sites (European Solidarity Corps) 

stakeholders 

COM / MS / 
stakeholders 

7