Country case studies: Cohesion Policy Funding

Environmental harmful subsidies – a real threat to biodiversity

11. January 2010, Brussels

Franziska Mey, EU-Policy WWF Germany

Content1. Funding allocations

2. Case studies Spain and Poland

3. Outlook

Bildleiste: Feuerfalter

2,143

347,41

88,294316,586

6,7186,636

EU Budget UE 2007-2013

Life+

Cohesion

Rural Development

Marked related payments

Fisheries

other

Funding Allocations

To remind: 2007-2013 appr. 347 billion Euros for Cohesion Policy

Bildleiste: Feuerfalter

Funding Allocations

Good news

30% of cohesion policy funding is potentially for the environment

for the first time funding of biodiversity and related investments amount 3,8 billion Euros

(nearly twice the amount of LIFE)

Inland waterways (regional and local)

Mitigation and adaption to climate change

Multimodal transport (TEN-T)

Mobile rail assets

Inland waterways (TEN-T)

Cycle tracks

Mobile rail assets (TEN-T)

Integrated prevention and pollution control

Renewable energy: wind

Air quality

Renewable energy: solar

Intelligent transport systems

Renewable energy: hydroelectric, geothermal and other

Promotion of natural assets

Protection and development of natural heritage

Multimodal transport

Other measures to preserve the environment and prevent risks

Urban transport

Renewable energy: biomass

Assistance to SMEs for the promotion of environmentally-friendly products and productionprocesses (introduction of effective environment managing system, adoption and use of pollution

Promotion of biodiversity and nature protection (including Natura 2000)

Rehabilitation of industrial sites and contaminated land

Railways

Energy efficiency, co-generation, energy management

Risk prevention (including the drafting and implementation of plans and measures to prevent andmanage natural and technological risks)

Promotion of clean urban transport

Management of household and industrial waste

Management and distribution of water (drink water)

Integrated projects for urban and rural regeneration

Water treatment (waste water)

Railways (TEN-T)

… but 30 % environmental spending allocates for:

is 2/3 for transport, environmental infrastructure and risk prevention! (red)

Climate change investments include more than 50% for rail and risk prevention Intelligent transport and clean urban

transport account for 7bio € Energy efficiency and renewables

account for 9bio € which is only 2,6% of cohesion funding (light green)

Biodiversity related investments can reach 4 bio € (dark green)=> 1,2% of cohesion policy funding

Funding Allocations

Bildleiste: Feuerfalter

Funding Allocations

…for infrastructure equates 13%- appr. 46 billion Euros are still allocated for

motorways, roads, ports and airports

- railways might also harm natural habitats

…for biodiversity equates 1,2%

Challenging news

Cohesion policy funding 2007-2013

1

Allocation of cohesion policy budget: transport sector

Motorways (TENT-T)Regional/ local roadsNational roadsMotorwaysPortsAirportsInland waterways (TEN-T)Inland waterways (regional and local)

National and regional authorities of the EU Member States still stick to old structures

e.g. German Coalition Agreement of the new government says:

„ERDF investments must in future still consider classical business support“

46 billion Euros are directly dedicated to traditional infrastructure investments

Funding Allocations

• Negative Impacts due to EU Regional Development Funding (ERDF)

• Funding for construction of dams and other infrastructure cause negative impacts on nature, including loss and fragmentation of habitats

Case Studies

• Last funding period 2000-2006 Infrastructure projects - La Breña II Dam and Arenoso Dam (both in the province of Cordoba)

Þ negative impact on the fragmentation of the territory of the Iberian lynx

Case Study 1: Spain

• received important funding through the ERDF funds• La Breña II Dam the European Union provided €

79,878,501 of a total budget of € 159,757,002. • Arenoso Dam the total budget is € 59,997,251

and the provision from the European funds is € 29,998,625

• WWF Publication on Conflicting EU Funds www.panda.org

Case Study 2: Spain

• Funding period 2007-2013ERDF Operational ProgrammCastilla la Mancha

Major project: Highway A-43 allocated total budget of 50 Mio. €

Þ will negatively effect 12 Natura 2000 sites and important areas for the Iberian Lynx

Proposed route of A-43

Iberian Lynx habitats

… but on the other hand

• in the same Operational Programme of the region Castilla la Mancha

I51 Mio. Euro are allocated for „Categorie 51 –

Promotion of biodiversity and nature protection (incl. Natura 2000)“

Spanish Plan of Infrastructure and Transport (PEIT) 2010-2020

- Planned expenditures of appr. 250 billion euros until 2020- 20% of the financing in the last four years came from

European funds (European Regional Development Fund and Cohesion Funds)

- In 2000-2006 1/3 ERDF funding was dedicated to infrastructure projects

Þ Will negatively affect 180 Natura 2000 sites

Case Study 3: Spain

Natura 2000 Infrastructure planning

Natura 2000 network in Spain

PEIT Highway Network Horizon 2020

Via Baltica - 277-mile run from Warsaw to Helsinki

• Case => section of “Via Baltica” expressroad (the bypass of Augustow city) should be funded by ERDF

• The road was planned to cut pristine wetlands in Rospuda river Valley within a protected Natura 2000 site

• Due to strong efforts of different stakeholders in Poland and the rest of the EU a bypass route was found which

• Poland released the environmental consent for the Augustow bypass

A case which could serve as startling wake-up call toinfrastructure developers across central and eastern Europe

Bildleiste: Biebrza Nationalpark

Case Study 4: Poland

• Still conflicting EU funding and contradictory EU policies

• Need of more transparency on Cohesion/ ERDF funding

• Need of sound information and monitoring on the impacts of Cohesion/ ERDF spending

• Assure a constructive participation of stakeholders in the different monitoring committee of ERDF

Conclusion

Outlook • Continously raising awarness on sustainability

issues (e.g. climate protection and biodiversity)

Paweł Samecki, Comissioner DG RegioOrientation paper on future cohesion December 2009 - “Cohesion policy has a key role to play in smoothing

transition to a low-carbon economy and enhancing environmental quality”

- “Improving […] environmental sustainability through the Cohesion Fund”

Bildleiste: Altwelt-Biber

Outlook • What needs to be done:• Strenghting the use of EU cohesion funds for

biodiversity and Natura 2000 - Development and implementation of successful project

examples to protect habitats and contribute to nature conserveration

• Consideration of TEEB and ecosystem services approach in the EU budget reform

• Lobbying for EU policy and budget towards a more long term sustainability path

Bildleiste: Altwelt-Biber

WWF Germany Franziska Meymey@wwf.de

Thanks for your attention!