Country case studies: Cohesion Policy Funding

1. Country case studies: Cohesion Policy Funding Environmental harmful subsidies – a real threat to biodiversity 11. January 2010, Brussels FranziskaMey, EU-Policy WWF Germany

2. Content • Funding allocations • Case studies Spain and Poland • Outlook

3. Funding Allocations Bildleiste: Feuerfalter To remind: 2007-2013 appr. 347 billion Euros for Cohesion Policy

4. Funding Allocations Bildleiste: Feuerfalter Good news • 30% of cohesion policy funding is potentially for the environment • forthefirst time fundingofbiodiversityandrelatedinvestmentsamount 3,8 billion Euros • (nearlytwicetheamountof LIFE)

5. FundingAllocations • … 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

6. Funding Allocations Bildleiste: Feuerfalter Challenging news Cohesion policy funding 2007-2013 …for biodiversity equates 1,2% • …for infrastructure equates 13% • appr. 46 billion Euros are still allocated for motorways, roads, ports and airports • - railways might also harm natural habitats

7. FundingAllocations National and regional authoritiesofthe EU Member States still stick tooldstructures e.g. German Coalition Agreement ofthenewgovernmentsays: „ERDF investments must in future still considerclassicalbusinesssupport“ 46 billion Eurosaredirectlydedicatedto traditional infrastructureinvestments

8. Case Studies • Negative Impacts due to EU Regional Development Funding (ERDF) • Funding for construction of dams and other infrastructure cause negative impacts on nature, includinglossand fragmentation of habitats

9. Case Study 1: Spain • Last funding period 2000-2006 Infrastructure projects - La Breña II Dam and Arenoso Dam (both in the province of Cordoba) • negative impact on the fragmentation of the territory of the Iberian lynx • 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

10. Proposed route of A-43 Case Study 2: Spain • Funding period 2007-2013 ERDF Operational Programm Castilla la Mancha Major project: Highway A-43 allocated total budget of 50 Mio. € • will negatively effect 12 Natura 2000 sites and important areas for the Iberian Lynx Iberian Lynx habitats

11. … but on the other hand • in the same Operational Programme of the region Castilla la Mancha I 51 Mio. Euro are allocated for „Categorie 51 – Promotion of biodiversity and nature protection (incl. Natura 2000)“

12. Case Study 3: Spain • Spanish Plan of Infrastructure and Transport (PEIT) 2010-2020 • Plannedexpendituresofappr. 250 billioneurosuntil 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 dedicatedtoinfrastructureprojects • Will negativelyaffect 180 Natura 2000 sites

13. PEIT Highway Network Horizon 2020 Natura 2000 Infrastructure planning Natura 2000 network in Spain

14. Case Study 4: Poland Bildleiste: Biebrza Nationalpark 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 to infrastructure developers across central and eastern Europe

15. Conclusion • Still conflicting EU fundingandcontradictory EU policies • Need ofmoretransparency on Cohesion/ ERDF funding • Need ofsoundinformationandmonitoring on theimpactsofCohesion/ ERDF spending • Assurea constructiveparticipationofstakeholders in the different monitoringcommitteeof ERDF

16. Bildleiste: Altwelt-Biber Outlook • Continouslyraisingawarness on sustainabilityissues (e.g. climateprotectionandbiodiversity) PawełSamecki, Comissioner DG Regio Orientation paper on futurecohesionDecember 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”

17. Bildleiste: Altwelt-Biber Outlook • Whatneedstobedone: • Strenghtingtheuseof EU cohesionfundsforbiodiversityand Natura 2000 • Development andimplementationofsuccessfulprojectexamplestoprotecthabitatsandcontributetonatureconserveration • Considerationof TEEB andecosystemservicesapproach in the EU budgetreform • Lobbying for EU policyandbudgettowards a more long term sustainability path

18. Thanks for your attention! WWF Germany Franziska Mey mey@wwf.de