The Zero association today stated that Portugal’s condemnation by the Court of Justice of the European Union is the confirmation of a “paper management” of the Natura 2000 Network, which demonstrates the “inertia of public policy”.
The European Court condemned Portugal today to pay ten million euros and a daily fine for failing to implement a ruling regarding the Habitats Directive violation.
Zero reiterated that what is at stake is the absence of specific conservation measures and effective management plans, essential to maintaining or restoring the favorable conservation status of habitats and species.
“The result of the inoperativeness is a 10 million euro fine (plus daily costs) and an unacceptable waste of public funds. This amount, which represents 25% of what has been invested under the Cohesion Fund in the last 10 years, could have been invested directly in habitat restoration or in strengthening the resources of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests,” reads the association’s position, sent to the Lusa agency.
“Zero criticizes the fact that protection exists in law, but not on the ground,” added the environmental organization, noting that the lack of management plans allowed activities such as intensive irrigation farming to advance in areas that should be protected, such as in the Comporta-Galé, Arrábida-Espichel and Southwest Coast zones.
For Zero, the tactic of “pursuing the damage, with decrees published on the very day of the ruling reveals “a total lack of strategic planning”, with environmental policy being made “in response to courts, and not by scientific conviction and generational commitment.”
The association referred to today’s publication in the Diário da República of diplomas intended to conclude the process of designating Special Conservation Areas (ZEC), namely Moura/Barrancos, Serras de Aires e Candeeiros, Sicó/Alvaiázere, Serra de Montejunto, Azabuxo/Leiria, Sintra/Cascais and Arade/Odelouca.
According to Zero, the ruling exposes the “political fragility” of conservation in the face of other ministries (Agriculture, Infrastructure, Economy), which “overrun biodiversity targets in favor of short-term economic gains”.
Thus, it advocated the creation of a robust long-term financing mechanism for the Natura 2000 Network, “eventually with mixed funding (public and private)”, which would help to “professionalize management based on contracting oriented toward concrete results”.
Among other measures, Zero also proposed a public portal for monitoring the Natura 2000 Network, in which citizens could consult in real time the conservation status of each species and habitat and the application of funds in the different measures.
The compulsory daily monetary penalty imposed by the Court of Justice of the European Union is 41,250 euros per day until the ruling is fully executed and will be reduced according to the progress made.
