Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-22-Speech-2-153"
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"en.20050222.12.2-153"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there can be no doubt that the protection of biodiversity is a priority policy for the Commission and that the successful application of the Natura 2000 framework is the cornerstone of the European Union's efforts to achieve this objective. Securing adequate financing for Natura 2000, as Mr Florenz stressed, is therefore one of our top priorities, and I fully endorse the objectives and priorities of the European Parliament.
I should also like to point out that this priority is shared by many of my colleagues in the Commission, who have agreed to adjust the Regional, Agricultural and other Funds in order to include Natura 2000 in financing.
The Member States have a legal obligation and are committed to effective management of Natura 2000 areas. Safeguarding the financial resources for such management comes within the jurisdiction of the Member States but, precisely because of the specialised character of Natura 2000, the Commission helps by providing Community cofinancing. Use of these Community resources is the responsibility of the Member States but, for our part, we are prepared to offer all possible help in order to facilitate access to them. If, therefore, it is found that management of these areas is not being adequately supported, the Commission is prepared to refer the Member State in question to the Court of Justice.
Bearing this in mind, the Commission, as Mr Florenz said, adopted a communication on financing for Natura 2000 on 15 July 2004. It examined all the possible permutations, including the creation of a separate fund, and concluded that the most efficient approach is to incorporate financing for Natura 2000 in existing Community funds. The new Structural Fund regulations, which are currently being discussed in the Council, will be applied by the Member States and the regions on a decentralised basis. Consequently, there is no facility to determine a specific sum within any one fund.
For the time being also, we cannot know what sums it will be possible to make available each year for cofinancing of Natura 2000 areas during the period from 2007 to 2013. This is because, on the basis of the principle of subsidiarity, it is incumbent upon each Member State to decide on the requirements of these areas when preparing their national programmes. In all events, the Commission has the means to safeguard priority for Natura 2000 within these national programmes. I shall come back to this point at the end of my intervention.
To start with, a few comments on the new regulations being debated. As regards the regulation on the European Regional Development Fund, I must say that it contains a reference to cofinancing for Natura 2000 and for biodiversity, which are included in the objectives of convergence and competitiveness. There are also cofinancing facilities under the Cohesion Fund and European Social Fund regulations, especially in order to strengthen management capacities in relation to Natura 2000. Natura 2000 is also included – and this is important – in the second land management axis in the new rural development regulation, which will account for 25% of its total. The Commission is proposing a total of EUR 22 billion for land management during the period from 2007 to 2013. It is necessary – and here, Mr Florenz, I need the support of the European Parliament – for this sum to be secured and, if possible, increased. The support of the European Parliament on this issue is therefore of prime importance. The new regulations contain mechanisms which allow the Commission, as I said earlier, to provide guidance and to control to some degree the content of the programmes submitted by the Member States.
Immediately after the adoption of the proposed regulations for the Structural Funds, which will possibly happen towards the end of spring, the Commission will define its specific priorities for financing all the funds in detail in one set of strategic guidelines. As is standard practice, consultations will be held on the content of the guidelines with the participation of all the interested services, including the Environment DG. Care will be taken during these consultations to ensure that cofinancing for Natura 2000 is included as a priority.
Once the strategic guidelines have been issued, the Member States will need to prepare national strategic frameworks during the second half of 2005 or in early 2006, together with operational programmes, which they will submit to the Commission. All the interested Commission services will be included in the consultations held on the content of these programmes. Of course, suitable action will be taken on the part of the Environment DG to safeguard the priority of Natura 2000 actions.
In particular, as far as national rural development programmes are concerned, which Mr Florenz said earlier would be in a competitive relationship, every programme submitted will be examined in detail in order to ensure that account is taken both of the Community legislative framework and the priorities of policy on issues such as biodiversity, Natura 2000 area management, climate change, the application of ideas on water resources and other issues. If, of course, it is found that a national programme does not include adequate financial coverage for all this, the Commission services always have the right to reject it. This is another safeguard to ensure that Natura 2000 maintains its priority in the Member States' programmes, although it is not an absolute guarantee. It is therefore the main obligation of everyone interested in financing Natura 2000 to exert pressure so that the Member States not only propose ambitious objectives in their national and operational programmes, but also safeguard permanent and continuing action to prepare valid Natura 2000 programmes. Thank you for your attention."@en1
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