Biodiversity, action plans: conservation of natural resources, agriculture, fishing and development
The Council adopted conclusions encouraging
biodiversity conservation. Recalling the objective of halting biodiversity
loss by 2010, the Council reaffirmed that integration of environmental
and, in particular, biodiversity considerations into Community sectoral
policies and the promotion of sustainable development played a crucial
role in the conservation and sustainable use of European biological
diversity. Two dimensions should be taken into account to reverse the
current trend: 1) With regard to the internal dimension (Natura 2000
network), the Council noted the many difficulties which had been
encountered in implementing the different stages of the ‘Habitats’
Directive and encouraged all Member States and the Commission to resolve
the outstanding difficulties: - to urgently finish the selection of Sites
of Community Importance and adopt the lists of other bio-geographic
regions; - to designate Special Protection Areas for birds, as an
essential pillar of the network; - to encourage the participation of all
stakeholders in the future development of Natura 2000, paying special
attention to the rural community; - to adopt measures aimed at raising
public awareness of the purposes and aims of the Natura 2000 network and
increasing public debate on this issue; - to carry out studies addressing
the economic valuation and benefits of biodiversity and, in particular,
the Natura 2000 network to encourage both private sector involvement in
biodiversity conservation and positive debate on the role of Natura 2000
as an instrument for sustainable development; - to apply the results of
scientific research in order to keep under review and, when necessary,
adapt the Annexes to the ‘Habitats’ and ‘Birds’ Directives; - to
implement, as soon as possible, the provisions of the Directive concerning
the management of the network and to address the issue of financing,
including an appropriate framework for Community cofinancing; -
presentation by the Commission of options for an adequate and effective
Community financing framework as an input into the future Community
financial perspectives; - development of further guidance and common
criteria for the application of compensatory measures which should be
included as part of any plan or project having a significant adverse
effect on a Natura 2000 site; - establishment of effective instruments at
the appropriate administrative level to provide for protection of sites
and allow for the adoption and full implementation of appropriate
management measures; - establishment of an appropriate monitoring process,
based on existing or planned mechanisms, to ensure that the management of
sites was achieving the conservation objectives set by the Directive. 2)
At international level, the Council welcomed the outcome of the 6th
Conference of the Parties to the CDB and emphasised that the Convention on
Biological Diversity was the principal international legal instrument for
the coordination, consolidation and strengthening of efforts undertaken
through the various regional, sub-regional and international
biodiversity-related agreements and programmes. The Council stressed the
importance of moving forward the agreements reached in The Hague, in
particular by committing to the effective implementation of: - the
Expanded Programme of Work on Forest Biological Diversity; - the Bonn
Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing
of the Benefits Arising out of their Utilisation; - the Guiding Principles
for the Implementation of Article 8(h) on Invasive Alien Species; -
the Strategic Plan for the Convention. The Commission and