EU protected areas starved of cash

13 November 2009, Brussels - Natura 2000, the EU’s impressive network of protected areas [1] does not receive enough money from the various EU funding streams, according to a new report published today by BirdLife International [2]. The report looked at both the financing needs of keeping the Natura 2000 sites in good status and the availability of EU funds to this effect in six countries ranging from Spain to Finland and The Netherlands to Bulgaria. These countries represent a wide range of conditions and between them cover one-third of the network. Assuming that half of the necessary funds should come from the EU, there is a funding gap of between 45 and 89% of the total funding need in Austria, Finland, The Netherlands and Spain. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, where the potentially available funds from the EU Structural and Rural Development Funds could cover the funding needs, however, it is unlikely that the required amount of money will actually be spent by the governments concerned.

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