EU Threatens to Withhold Funding Over Environmental Compliance
7/8/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: EU Threatens to Withhold Funding over Environmental
Compliance
Source: Environmental News Service
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: July 8, 1999
BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 8, 1999 - The European Commission has told
five countries that they may not be eligible for European Union (EU)
regional aid money unless they properly apply European nature laws.
In letters to Ireland, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Portugal,
the Commission warns that it may not be able to assess their
applications for structural fund money for the period 2000 to 2006
unless they have nominated a sufficient number of areas to be
included in the EU's Natura 2000 network of protected sites.
If the Commission holds to its threat, the countries concerned will
not receive some or all of the money they have been allocated under
the funding programme.
This is believed to be the first time the EU executive has threatened
member states with withholding funding as a way to make them apply
environmental legislation. The structural funds - which often go to
help infrastructure projects in poorer regions of the EU - account
for about one-third of the EU budget.
In Germany's case it amounts to over euros 28 billion for the period
2000 to 2006.
Heike Gertsbrein, spokesperson for acting regional affairs
commissioner Monika Wulf-Mathies, said, "For the new funding period
we were much stronger on environmental protection; we have extended
the polluter pays principle. Environmental protection has found a
much stronger position in the structural funds regulation."
As many infrastructure projects supported by the structural funds
might be planned in potentially important natural habitats, it would
be impossible to approve the funding applications until the Natura
2000 sites had been clearly identified, she said. Funding
applications from those countries - which member states will send to
the Commission in the coming months - would be stalled, she said.
The Commission has written to all member states in the run up to the
new funding period, reminding them that they should make sure they
are properly implementing the habitats and wild birds directives
which require them to identify protected zones under the Natura 2000
scheme. But in the five countries where implementation of the
directives is considered particularly poor, the letters contain a
clear threat.
The letter to Ireland reads, "In the case of your member state, the
Commission may be unable to assess whether new...applications are in
conformity with Community legislation...and in particular with the
provisions of the birds and habitats directives, since your
authorities have not provided the Commission with complete lists of
protected sites."
Environmental NGO World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is delighted with
the development as it has complained for years that EU funding has
often been directed into projects that damage the environment. WWF's
Tony Long said, "The Commission's action sets a very clear and
important precedent. It will make all the countries speed up their
implementation of environmental legislation."
Natura 2000 is the name given to the European Union wide network of
nature conservation sites designated, or to be designated, under two
EU Directives: one dealing with the Conservation of Wild Birds
(adopted in 1979) and one with the Conservation of Natural Habitats
and Species (1992).
The sites so designated under the birds directive and habitats
directive receive strict legal protection from unsustainable
utilization and will eventually cover a substantial percentage of the
territory of the EU, especially in southern and far-northern Europe,
where there is a much greater extent of remaining natural or
semi-natural habitat.