Environmental protection of nature and biodiversity

Information

Biodiversity is the variety of different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Biodiversity is important for our survival and economic development. Food security and the discovery of new medicines are put at risk by the loss of biodiversity. Vital goods and services that are often taken for granted, such as clean air and fresh water, are threatened by the deterioration of ecosystems.

There is EU and Irish law which aims to ensure biodiversity by conserving natural habitats and wild flora and fauna.

Wild Birds Directive

The Wild Birds Directive (that is, Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds) has three main elements:

• It provides for habitat conservation, including a requirement to designate Special Protected Areas (SPAs) for migratory and other vulnerable wild bird species
• It imposes bans on activities that directly threaten birds (such as the deliberate destruction of nests and the taking of eggs) and associated activities such as trading in live or dead birds
• It establishes rules that limit the number of species that can be hunted and the periods during which they can be hunted and the permitted methods of hunting.

Habitats Directive

The Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna) provides for the creation of a network of protected sites known as Natura 2000. These sites include SPAs (under the Wild Birds Directive) and other sites proposed by EU member states which meet specific scientific criteria. The designated sites must then all be run in accordance with the safeguards set out in the Directive. This means that there must be:

• Prior assessment of potentially damaging plans and projects
• A requirement that these plans and projects be approved only if they represent an overriding interest and only if is no alternative solution exists
• Measures for providing compensatory habitats in the event of damage.

The Directive also provides for a ban on the downgrading of breeding and resting places for certain animal species. This legislation is implemented in Ireland by the Wildlife Act 1976, the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 and the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997.

Biodiversity

The EU adopted a biodiversity strategy in 1998. Four biodiversity action plans were adopted:

• Conservation of natural resources
• Agriculture
• Fisheries
• Economic and development cooperation.

The EU is a party to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. This commits the parties (among other things, to creating a network of nature protection and conservation areas to safeguard biodiversity. The EU is also a party to a number of other Conventions including the Convention on migratory species (Bonn Convention), the Convention on the conservation of European Wildlife and habitats (Berne Convention) and the Agreement on the conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).