December 7th, 2016 by ie-admin
Today European Commissioners took the historic decision to retain the EU’s flagship environment legislation: the Birds and Habitats Directives (the ‘Nature Directives’). Pressure to revise these laws, as their fitness was under review, was met by an 18 month Defend Nature campaign run by environmental NGOs across Europe. Public response was unprecedented, with a record 550,000 people engaging with the European Commission’s consultation on the future of the legislation.
Revered worldwide and perceived as the foundation of nature conservation across Europe, the Nature Directives protect species and create the critical network of European protected wildlife sites – the Natura Network. Where properly implemented these laws are scientifically proven to be effective, delivering demonstrable positive outcomes for nature, as well as significant social and economic benefits.
Paul Walton, of Scottish Environment LINK’s Wildlife Subroup said:
“Wildlife does not recognise borders, and today’s news is of huge significance for species and habitats right across the continent. We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to maintain European standards of environmental protection in Scotland, whatever outcomes emerge following the EU Referendum results. A key test will be maintaining the integrity and international significance of Scotland’s Natura network sites, and delivering favourable conservation status for our threatened species. It is increasingly clear that the natural environment is a key factor in the health and wellbeing of the people”.
The European Commission said that the ‘fitness check’ has recognised that the Nature Directives remain relevant and fit for purpose, but their implementation needs to be improved. To this end, the Commission will develop an Action Plan with local authorities to assess implementation challenges and help Member States take the necessary corrective action
End
Contact details:
Dr Paul Walton of the LINK Wildlife Group
Email: paul.walton@rspb.org.uk
Phone: 07979 240 857
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy Officer
Email: daphne@scotlink.org
Phone: 0757 211 33 79
Editors’ Notes
(1) Record-breaking campaign to save the nature laws
• The European Commission’s review of the Directives arose from President Jean-Claude Juncker’s instruction in 2014 to “carry out an in-depth evaluation of the Birds and Habitats Directives and assess the potential for merging them into a more modern piece of legislation”, as part of the ‘better regulation’ initiative.
• Over 100 NGOs from across the UK countries came together in response, calling for the Directives to be saved and better implemented – not ‘modernised’ http://bit.ly/2haaBcL.
• More than 550,000 citizens took part in the European Commission’s consultation on the Directives in 2015 – the largest response to any Commission consultation to date http://bit.ly/1i4b6Bo.
• In December 2015, the Environment Council recognised the importance of full implementation of these “essential” laws to “maintain legal certainty for all stakeholders”. http://bit.ly/2g2pFnH.
• In February 2016, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to oppose “a possible revision of the Nature Directives” http://bit.ly/1Sq0gFO.
• In March 2016, a Commission external evaluation concluded that the Directives are ‘fit for purpose’ (released through an access to documents request) http://bit.ly/2gClHGG.
(2) Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
(3) Statement of Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella on outcome of Fitness Check: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/vella/announcements/my-statement-orientation-debate-next-steps-fitness-check-birds-and-habitats-directives_en
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
Have you heard about LINK Local ? LINK’s one-year trial of a matchmaking service for local groups working on environmental issues across Scotland. Why not find our more at LINKLocal or follow us on facebook
ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress/
www.savescottishseas.org
ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress//local
October 17th, 2016 by ie-admin
October 12th, 2016 by ie-admin
Announcement of Scottish GDP performance for the second quarter of 2016 is keenly awaited and today’s figures will be interpreted in the light of the uncertainty leading up to the Brexit vote. Figures show that GDP grew by 0.4% during this period, a lower figure compared to the UK average of 0.7%. But Scotland has consistently outperformed other parts of the UK when it comes to well-being and social progress indicators.
“This is not at all paradoxical. Higher GDP does not mean greater well-being overall. GDP simply measures how busy our economy is, but tells us nothing about its effect on people or on the environment. In other words, the quality of economic activity is just as important as the quantity”, noted Matthew Crighton Convenor of LINK’s Economics Group. “Our economy should be a means to wellbeing, providing us with satisfying work, enough income, and products and services that are good for society, without harming the environment. If we aspire to a happy population and a healthy environment, GDP is simply not synonymous with this kind of progress. Other information needs to be considered alongside GDP. Luckily there is an increasing recognition of this and interesting data is available to us”, added Matthew.
The Social Progress Index, published yesterday, allows comparisons between Scotland and other parts of the UK. Scotland outperforms other UK regions on most indicators, showing that our quality of life is better. Moreover, recent personal well-being data from the Office for National Statistics, shows that over the period 2012 – 2016, Scotland, especially the North and West, score higher than most other parts of the UK.
This confirms the relevance and importance of Scotland’s National Performance Framework for policy development. The National Performance Framework includes a range of indicators against which we can gauge our progress beyond GDP.
Scottish Environment LINK members has been working with the Scottish Government on promoting and improving a suite of indicators that can adequately reflect the wellbeing of society and the health of our environment as well as the state of our economy. Given the oft-quoted adage that ‘what we measure affects what we do’, clear indicators are needed to measure progress towards a more sustainable Scotland.
Download the full press release here.
//ENDS//
For more information, please contact:
Matthew Crighton, LINK Economics Group Convenor
Email: mcrighton@foe-scotland.org.uk, Tel: 07851348426
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy Officer
Email: daphne@scotlink.org, Tel: 0131 225 4345
Notes to Editors:
October 5th, 2016 by ie-admin
Scottish Environment LINK welcomes the publication of the Fairer Scotland Action Plan and hopes this can be a starting point for engaging the environment movement in the conversation. With the exception of the references to the Good Food Nation strategy, the environment is otherwise absent from the 50 actions proposed.
“A vision of a fair society which omits our environment is quite simply inadequate. The importance of the environment has been recognised in the formulation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to which the Scottish Government has signed up. We know that our poorer communities also live in the most environmentally degraded areas of Scotland. And we also know how much the environment can benefit our health and well-being. By not bringing the environment into the discussion about fairness, we are missing important connections”, noted Helen Todd, LINK Chair.
Scottish Environment LINK members believe it is critical that the policy discussions for a Fairer Scotland reflect the three pillars of sustainable development, namely the economic, social and environmental aspects. All three elements need to be addressed to make progress in this critical issue.
“We hope that following the publication of the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, Scottish Government officials and ministers will work more closely together to identify the areas where ambitious environmental legislation can help deliver a fairer society. LINK members are keen to contribute and be part of those discussions”, added Helen.
Scottish Environment LINK was active during the consultation process and will continue to work with the Scottish Government and Members of the Scottish Parliament for a Fairer Scotland.
Download the full press release here.
For more information, please contact:
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy officer
Email: daphne@scotlink.org
Tel: 0131 225 4345
Notes to Editors:
Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899).
LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
Visit us at ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress/ or follow us on @ScotLINK
September 21st, 2016 by ie-admin
The Nature of Politics: Species Champions go wild in the Scottish Parliament. Press release, 21 September 2016. The award winning Species Champion is relaunched in the Scottish Parliament with the announcement of the first 48 Champions.
September 8th, 2016 by ie-admin
Environment groups urge immediate action
Scottish environment groups have expressed concern that an important consultation on the protection of special places for seabirds has been held back by the UK Government. Earlier this year in July the Scottish Government launched a consultation on 10 marine Special Protection Areas, a requirement under EU law to help safeguard areas crucial for internationally important bird populations.
However, a further five proposed marine SPAs were not included in the consultation as the required agreement of the UK Government had not been provided.
Now Scottish Environment LINK’s Marine Group has written to the UK Environment Minister, Thérèse Coffey MP, urging her to agree to the Scottish Government consulting on the sites without further delay
July 24th, 2016 by ie-admin
Urgently-needed measures to protect and recover populations of whales, dolphins and basking sharks must not fall victim to administrative delays, warn environmental groups. Two years ago (24th July 2012), the Scottish Government received formal advice recommending four Marine Protected Areas to safeguard some of the largest mammals and fish in our seas, including the world’s first MPAs for basking sharks and Risso’s dolphins. Despite governmental commitment, progress has stalled and the plans remain on hold.
July 13th, 2016 by ie-admin
Charlie Phillips/WDC
Scotland’s planning system must be directed to improve the health of our marine environment, according to a new report published today by Scottish Environment LINK’s Marine Group. ‘Living with the seas’ outlines a far-sighted vision for delivering sustainable development of Scotland’s sea area and securing environmental recovery from decades of decline. The report makes a series of recommendations that include the need for marine planning to:
- Plan for recovery: our seas are at risk of poorly-coordinated development. Plans must seek opportunities to recover our damaged marine environment. If the planning system is directed to enhancing the health of our marine environment using the ‘ecosystem approach’, our seas will become more productive.
- Help empower communities: the process of developing and delivering regional marine plans must be transparent and accessible to coastal communities and all stakeholders to ensure local knowledge contributes to the decision-making process.
- Receive adequate funding at regional level: regional marine planning partnerships must be adequately resourced to deliver effective regional marine plans
June 30th, 2016 by ie-admin
June 24th, 2016 by ie-admin
24 June 2016 – On 23 June, 52% of the UK’s population voted in favour of the UK withdrawing from the European Union (EU) while 62% of Scottish voters supported remaining in the EU. Given that environmental legislation falls primarily within the competence of the EU, with 28 different Member States working together on common policies, the referendum result will have critical implications for Scotland’s environment.
Reacting to the referendum results, Scottish Environment LINK’s President Joyce McMillan said:
“This is a hugely significant vote. The UK’s journey towards a withdrawal from the EU will be a lengthy process, and it is critical that Scotland’s government and elected Members of the Scottish Parliament work together to ensure that the standards of environmental protection enshrined in European law are upheld and enhanced.”
“The UK electorate’s decision to vote in favour of leaving the EU does not change the fact that Scotland and the UK are facing tremendous challenges in terms of environmental degradation. Through the UK’s EU membership, Scotland has benefited from a number of critical pieces of EU environmental legislation such as EU Nature Laws, air and water quality. Now, the direction of travel for Scotland needs to be one that builds on those achievements, rather than one that seeks to weaken or undo the progress which our EU membership has helped us to secure. This is equally true for UN agreements to which the UK and Scotland have committed themselves via the EU, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change”, added Joyce.
EU Directives and Regulations continue to apply to Scotland and the UK until a withdrawal agreement is negotiated between the EU and the UK. “It is important that we continue to respect the EU laws to which we remain bound. Any failure to do so could result in court action and will damage existing relationships with EU partners. Environmental challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss know no boundaries. This is why redefining our relationship with the EU and its member countries will be particularly important in the coming months. We look to our leaders here and in the UK to open discussions with all relevant stakeholders now, to consider the relationships we will need with Europe as a whole, and to ensure delivery of adequate environmental protection. A healthy, sustainable environment is the key to our future economy, health and wellbeing”, underlined Joyce, “and no change in political or constitutional structures alters the need for well-designed and well-enforced legislation to protect and maintain our precious natural environment.”
Scottish Environment LINK will be closely monitoring the UK’s and Scotland’s next steps in the process of EU membership withdrawal to ensure that protection of our environment is upheld and enhanced, at Scottish, UK and international levels.
Download the full press release here.
For more information please contact:
Daphne Vlastari, LINK Advocacy Officer
Email daphne@scotlink.org
Tel 0131 225 4345
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s environment organisations facilitating and enabling informed debate, information-sharing, discussion and joint action. Our 36 member organisations have cumulatively over 500,000 individual members, and represent a range of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
- According to Article 50 of the Treaty of the EU, an EU Member State wishing to withdraw from the EU needs to notify the European Council of its intention to exit the Union. A withdrawal agreement is negotiated between Council, on behalf of the EU, and the relevant Member State. EU law ceases to be applicable to the withdrawing Member State from the date of the withdrawal agreement enters into force or, failing that, within two years of the notification unless the Member State and Council both agree to extend this period. The agreement must set out the arrangements for withdrawal, including a framework for the Member State’s future relationship with the EU. The agreement is approved by the Council acting by qualified majority and the European Parliament needs to provide its consent.
- It is important to note that any national acts adopted in implementation or transposition of EU law would remain valid until the national authorities decide to amend or repeal them. More information on the process and timescale for an EU membership withdrawal can be found here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/577971/EPRS_BRI(2016)577971_EN.pdf
Scottish Environment LINK is the forum for Scotland’s voluntary environment community, with over 35 member bodies representing a broad spectrum of environmental interests with the common goal of contributing to a more environmentally sustainable society.
LINK is a Scottish Charity (SC000296) and a Scottish Company Limited by guarantee (SC250899). LINK is core funded by Membership Subscriptions and by grants from Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Government and Charitable Trusts.
Visit us at ukvps3.ie-dev.co.uk/scotlink-wordpress/ or follow us on @ScotLINK
