Natura 2000: The European Protected Network And Its Challenges
Natura 2000, a network of protected areas throughout the European Union, is considered a landmark conservation initiative for promoting cooperation across geographic and political boundaries. The network currently comprises 18% of land and over 27,000 sites in 28 EU countries and has contributed greatly to biodiversity knowledge. However, while the initiative has achieved many successes, it has also faced several challenges. This paper, published in Conservation Biology, reports on the first poll-based study of conservation experts aimed at evaluating the implementation of Natura 2000.
The authors surveyed 242 conservation professionals from 24 EU countries about various aspects of Natura 2000, including its physical design, processes in place to monitor it, and levels of participation by local and national governments. They also asked respondents to choose or write in their top suggestions for improving Natural 2000 effectiveness.
Results show that overall, conservation scientists “expressed a moderate amount of satisfaction regarding the implantation of Natura 2000.” Cluster analysis classified respondents into 3 groups: satisfied (20%), moderately satisfied (48%), and unsatisfied (32%). Unsatisfied respondents were more likely to be older, work for a non-profit or government, and have more involvement with Natura 2000 policies and management.
Identified strengths of Natura 2000 include the following:
- spatial designation in terms of both size and representativeness of the network
- an increase in biodiversity knowledge throughout Europe, as Natura 2000 generated the first systematic European biodiversity database
- positive involvement of nongovernmental organizations in Natura 2000 implementation
- an overall adequate legal framework in the EU for Natura 2000 implementation
Identified weaknesses include primarily social and policy issues as follows:
- political unwillingness at local and national levels for Natura 2000 implementation
- negative attitude of local people toward Natura 2000
- the lack of knowledge of local stakeholders regarding Natura 2000
- the lack of employees for Natura 2000 site management
Suggestions for improvement were in line with weaknesses and also included the improvement of environmental impact assessments of Natura 2000 and the establishment of an independent fund for the network management. In their discussion, the authors reiterate the need for reforms at local and national government levels. They cite the failure of many EU member states to comply with EU directives on Natura 2000 and note that survey respondents consider Natura 2000 effective at halting large development projects but not smaller harmful projects, including illegal activities. They also call for increased public awareness and outreach to local stakeholders, as respondents believe local people are either uniformed or see conservation initiatives as hindrances to development.
The authors note that their survey results could be used to inform further conservation policies in Europe and guide other international networks of protected areas. Conservation advocates may find the results useful for identifying potential roadblocks to creating conservation networks—primarily resistance by local and national government and communities; assessing potential benefits of conservation networks, such as increased biodiversity knowledge; and creating strategies and actions to guide effective implementation and planning, including running public awareness campaigns, involving non-profits, and designating earmarked funding for such initiatives.