Question reference: S4W-28386
- Asked by: Stewart Maxwell, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 10 November 2015
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Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 November 2015
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that nine EU countries representing 63% of the EU's population have written to the European Commission urging it to protect the birds and habitats directives and concentrate on improving implementation rather than weakening protection for wildlife, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware that a number of European Union member states have written to the European Commission in advance of the ‘Fitness Check’ conference being held in Brussels on 20 November 2015. This event will hear the emerging findings from the evidence gathering phase of the ‘Fitness Check’ which are published in the contractor's draft Evaluation Study to support the Fitness Check of the Birds and Habitats Directives – Emerging Findings, which is available via the link below:
Scottish Government officials are attending the event. The Scottish Government is not aware of any European Union proposals to weaken protection for wildlife.