Potential impacts of bioenergy developments on habitats and species protected under the birds and habitats directives : final report

The development of renewable energy sources is crucial for achieving the EU's energy and climate targets. At the same time, such developments may give rise to conflicts with EU biodiversity goals, especially those related to nature conservation. With an aim to assist stakeholders in managing these potential trade-offs and to understand better the potential direct and indirect impacts that the different forms of renewable energy developments (wind, solar, ocean, geothermal energy and bioenergy) may have on habitats and species protected under the EU legislation and the ways of mitigating them, the European Commission has implemented the project titled "Reviewing and mitigating the impacts of renewable energy developments on habitats and species protected under Birds and Habitats Directives"1. This report synthesises the messages arising from one of the 6 tasks of the project, which has addressed the potential impacts of bioenergy developments on species and habitats protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives. The analysis considered the potential impacts associated with the cultivation, production and extraction of feedstocks for all bioenergy end uses on habitats and species protected under the EU's Birds and Habitats Directives. It reviewed policies in place in Europe, and in Member States, that may support the mitigation of negative impacts. Where gaps were identified these were defined and possible solutions explored. The analysis focused on three main types of land use and land management consequences linked to use of biomass for energy, and the associated impacts on habitats and species: 1.Conventional crops (i.e. food and feed crops) including crops directly used for biofuels,bioliquids and biogas and residues from agriculture and anticipated changes in agricultural land management and land use; 2.Purpose grown energy crops cultivated on agricultural land and the anticipated changes in agricultural land use; 3.Forest biomass from existing forest land including the primary forest residues and the anticipated impact on forest management regimes.