Appeal to save nature laws

An Taisce has appealed for members of the public to join nearly half a million other people in signing an online petition in a bid to save Europe’s nature laws.

A deadline of 12 midnight tomorrow night has been set by the European Commission for public submissions to a re-evaluation of existing EU laws protecting wildlife.

The laws protect over 1,000 key species and over 27,000 natural sites in Europe. They have been credited with saving a number of iconic species native to Europe such as the grey wolf, the white-tailed sea eagle and the common seal.

As well as more than 488,000 members of the public, more than 120 environmental non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have made submissions.

Dr Andrew Jackson, natural environment officer and solicitor for An Taisce, said. “As this huge response shows, the public cares deeply about nature conservation and the laws that preserve our most treasured places, including our national parks and many hundreds of other spectacular sites across Ireland.

“The message to the European Commission is loud and clear: we need to see better implementation and enforcement of these laws, not renegotiation and weakening.”

In May, environmental organisations including Friends of the Earth, the World Wildlife Federation and An Taisce launched a “Nature Alert” campaign in response to the commission’s year-long evaluation process. The campaign is urging for no change to the birds and habitats directives, and an improved implementation and enforcement of the existing laws.

An analysis of the consultation process will be published in the autumn and a final commission decision on the future of the laws is expected by June 2016.

www.naturealert.eu