Nature conservation and sustainable hunting in EU

The EU nature legislation on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, has created a comprehensive scheme of protection for nature in the Union. It aims to ensure the long-term preservation of our wild fauna and flora through the protection of their habitats, especially through the designation of the most important sites within Europe, which forms the network of Natura 2000, as well as through controls of hunting and other forms of exploitation. Indeed, there are many pressures on our wildlife like the loss and degradation of their habitats, which is the greatest threat that they are facing today.

Sustainable Hunting and the "Birds Directive"

There has been a lot of controversy and in recent years some confrontation, over the compatibility of hunting with certain requirements of the Birds Directive. The controversy is often fed by differing interpretations of those requirements.

The EU Sustainable Hunting Initiative

The Commission has recognised the need to start a new dialogue with a view to developing co-operation between governmental and non-governmental organisations concerned with the conservation and wise and sustainable use of our wild birds. A ‘Sustainable Hunting Initiative’ was launched by the Commission in 2001 aiming at improved understanding of the legal and technical aspects of the Directive’s provisions on hunting as well as developing a programme of scientific, conservation and awareness raising measures to promote sustainable hunting under the directive.

In order to develop such a dialogue a series of ten measures was suggested for consideration. These have broadly the main aims to improve the legal and technical interpretation of the directive’s provisions relating to hunting, to develop a programme of scientific, conservation and training/awareness measures, and to draw a charter on Sustainable Hunting within the framework of the Birds Directive. Further details of the ten proposed measures:

Sustainable Hunting within and around the Natura 2000 Network

The EU Birds (Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds) and Habitats directive (Directive 92/43/EEC) fully recognise the legitimacy of hunting as a form of sustainable use. They do limit this activity to certain species and provide rules governing their exploitation. This includes a requirement that migratory bird species are not hunted during their return migration to their breeding grounds. These controls on hunting are intended to ensure a balance between the activity and the long-term interest of maintaining healthy and viable populations of huntable species. This provides the framework for the management of hunting, and was discussed at a dedicated workshop during Green Week 2002. [See the report of the Green Week Workshop on Sustainable hunting within and around the Natura 2000 network, 19th April 2002, Brussels (pdf 41KB)]

In line with the principle of subsidiarity it is the Member States who fix the hunting dates in accordance with the biological principles of the directives (cf. Key Concepts document on Period of Reproduction and prenuptial Migration of huntable bird Species in the EU). The directives only allow for exceptions to the general protection regime and hunting provisions for a number of reasons and under strict conditions specified in Article 9 of the Bird Directive and Article 16 of the Habitats Directive.

Hunting is an activity that provides significant social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits in different regions of the European Union. Member States are fully responsible for the practical application of hunting regulation. It is implemented through Member States legislation.

The Guidance document on hunting under the "Birds Directive"

The first outcome of the EU Sustainable Hunting initiative was the publication in 2004 by the Commission of a Guide on Hunting under the Birds Directive, which provides clear guidance on how Member States should be reflecting the principles laid down in the directive in their national measures for regulating hunting.

The guidance document aims to provide better clarification of the requirements of the Birds Directive relating to hunting, within the existing legal framework and case law. It is strongly based on scientific principles and data and faithful to the overall aims of the directive. In particular it looks at the issue of the timing of recreational hunting under the Birds Directive and identifies the possibilities and limitations for flexibility in fixing hunting seasons.

In 2007, it was decided to proceed with an update of the earlier version of the Guidance document on hunting under the "Birds Directive"  in light of recent important judgements of the Court of Justice relevant to hunting under the Birds Directive (Cases C-79/03, C-344/03, C-135/04, C-60/05). The necessary amendments have now been made to the text of this guide to fully reflect the latest jurisprudence on the subject. 

• Official launch of EU guide to the sustainable hunting of wild birds
• Guide on hunting (updated in 2008)

NB: The original text is in English and therefore it is the authentic language version.

EU Management plans for huntable bird species considered to be in unfavourable status

The "Birds Directive" allows for certain species to be hunted, which are listed in Annex II of the Directive. Since the adoption of the Directive in 1979, regular monitoring reports from BirdLife International are indicating that certain huntable species are considered to have an unfavourable conservation status. The Commission is therefore supporting the preparation of management plans for several species listed in Annex II. These draft framework plans have been extended to EU-25 and define clear management measures. It will be the Member States who will ultimately have responsibility for implementation the plans at national level but this will be made much more feasible with the support of the key stakeholders, including FACE and BirdLife. These plans will need to be regularly monitored and updated in the light of new scientific knowledge.

The Sustainable Hunting Agreement

In 2004, the key partners – BirdLife International and FACE (the Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU) – have reached an agreement on ten points which will enable hunting to continue within a well-regulated framework, whilst fully respecting the provisions of the Directive.

'The European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity'

The annual meeting of the Parties (Standing Committee) to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern, 1979), adopted the European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity in November 2007. The Committee recommends Contracting Parties to the Convention to take into consideration the European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity and apply its principles in the elaboration and implementation of their hunting policies so as to ensure that hunting is carried out in a sustainable way.

This charter is meant to reinforce the implementation and coherence of global and European biodiversity instruments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the European Community’s Birds and Habitats Directives, and is fully supportive of the EC’s Sustainable Hunting Initiative.

European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity  in EN and FR  

Recommendation No. 128 (2007) of the Standing Committee on the European Charter  on Hunting and Biodiversity  in EN and FR 

Natura 2000 Networking Initiative and Sustainable Hunting

In line with the commitments made by the 25 European Environment Ministers and the Commission in the 'El Teide Declaration', the Commission has launched an awareness-raising programme on Natura 2000 - the Natura 2000 Networking Initiative, continued as the Natura 2000 Networking Programme. This programme aims to promote awareness and understanding of Natura 2000, partnerships involved in the conservation and management of Natura 2000 sites, the share of experience and good practice in managing the network, including for recreational and educational purposes. In this process, the Commission is playing the role of facilitator. Within this initiative, a dedicated awareness-raising programme on Natura 2000 among hunters was supported by the Commission. For more details on this initiative, see www.facenatura2000.net.

The Commission is keen to see similar initiatives being launched with key stakeholders, such as farmers, foresters, anglers, tourism operators, etc and to see these agreements put into practice at the level of the sites, for instance, through the Natura Networking Programme.

Natura 2000 - Conservation in Partnership (pdf 2MB)

The EU scheme for bag statistics – ARTEMIS

There is a need for high quality up to date information on the status and trends of the different bird species and in particular the huntable ones. There appears to be generally poor data on the hunting take for different huntable bird species in most Member States. This is especially important for those species that are considered to have an unfavourable conservation status. Such information is central to determining the effect and impact hunting may have on the dynamics of populations of huntable species. This lack of data is also not in the interests of hunters as regards the management of populations or in arguing that hunting does not play a role in the decline of certain species or populations. The Commission is supporting the setting up of an improved bag statistics in Europe. The overall objective is to ensure a common scheme for the collection of hunting bag statistics, along with their scientific interpretation and proper use. This initiative, which was formally launched in Athens on 3rd June 2006 in presence of Environment Commissioner Dimas (see photo hereunder) will be developed by FACE in cooperation with BirdLife International, and several bodies such as the European Environment Agency.

ARTEMIS-FACE website

Commissioner Dimas at the launch of the initiative on EU scheme for Bag statistics
Artemis, Greece, 3 June 2006