EU Environmental Policies and Biodiversity Protection
EU Environmental Policies
The EU has established its environmental objectives through community action programs. The first program was launched in 1973, and since then, five additional programs have been developed.
- Initially, proposals were divided into sectors such as air pollution, water pollution, chemical management, and nature protection.
- The third program introduced a major change by adopting an integrated approach to environmental issues, linking all productive processes and establishing Environmental Impact Assessments as a preventive measure.
- The fourth program elaborated on the idea of linking environmental policy with economic decisions.
- The fifth program developed the concept of sustainable development, creating community rules and incentives for polluting industries to reduce contamination using cleaner technologies.
- The sixth program is integrated into the European Employment Strategy, with sustainable development objectives structured into seven strategies: land protection, marine environment protection, sustainable use of pesticides, air pollution control, urban environment management, sustainable resource use, and waste prevention and recycling.
Biodiversity Protection in the EU
EU environmental policies for biodiversity protection are based on two main directives:
- The Birds Directive (1979): Aims to protect wild birds and their habitats, making it compulsory to create a European network of Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs).
- The Habitats Directive (1992): Extends protection to other species (mammals, plants, reptiles, etc.), ensuring their long-term survival. Member states propose Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), which, after ratification, are declared Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
To meet these objectives, the EU has created the Natura 2000 ecological network.
Global Protection Designations in Spain
Spain has various global protection categories, including:
- National Parks: Large territories with minimal human intervention, aimed at reconciling conservation with visitor enjoyment, environmental education, and research.
- Biosphere Reserves: Created by UNESCO to establish a global network of ecosystems demonstrating a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Spain has 38 Biosphere Reserves.
- Wetlands of International Importance: Designated to protect wetlands crucial for waterfowl habitat and migratory birds. Spain has over 60 such areas.
Natura 2000 in Spain
Natura 2000 is a European ecological network of biodiversity conservation areas, formed by SPAs and SACs. Spain has proposed a significant number of SPAs and SCIs, covering approximately 19% of its territory, organized by biogeographic regions (Alpine, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Macaronesian).
Environmental Terminology
Environmental Issues: Processes negatively impacting nature and society, requiring human action for diagnosis and remediation.
Natural Risk: The probability of individuals or social groups being affected by extreme natural hazards.
Desertification: Land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry sub-humid areas, caused by climatic variations and human activities such as farming, overgrazing, deforestation, and aquifer overexploitation.