A revision is being carried out of overland transport infrastructures (roads, motorways and railways) subject to a procedure of environmental impact assessment by the State, with the aim of providing an initial estimate of their effect on the Natura 2000 Network in Spain.
Directive 92/43/CE came into force in July 1994, for which reason all projects whose environmental impact declaration was made after that date are being considered. Taking into account that the list of Sites of Community Interest (SCIs) of the four biogeographical regions to be found in Spain was unavailable in its entirety until very recently, the analysis centres on the effects on the Special Protection Areas for birds (SPAs), by virtue of the application of article 7 of the Habitats Directive, although an initial approximation of the effect brought about by these projects on the proposed SCIs was also made. Given that the effects on the Network were most seriously felt in the Community of Madrid, a brief description was drawn up of the problems experienced in this area.
Emphasis has been placed on the need to achieve a greater spread of information regarding the limits of the Network area, SPAs, SCIs and future Special Areas of Conservation, along with the values which justify their designation, if we are to protect them more effectively. It is essential that this information be available in the early planning stages of the project. Furthermore, it has been noted that environmental impact studies generally lack an analysis of the existing corridors, which could be destroyed by the implementation of the project. This along with the limited attention paid in such studies to mitigation and compensatory measures that can minimise habitat fragmentation and its associated processes.
There should be an improvement in the mechanisms needed so that precise information on the Network areas and data on connectivity should be made known as soon as possible, so that they may be considered in the initial study of alternatives, in the design of mitigation measures and, if there is one, in the study of the compensatory measures the project must include before being made public.
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