Save biodiversity in Europe. Stop wildlife extinction in EU

  • by: Pawel D
  • recipient: European Parliament

Biodiversity of Europe is in grave danger. Millions if not more animals killed each and every year. Hundreds of plant species almost extict now. And all of above done not by some evil spirit or even bad intentions but by one bureaucratic directive of EU CAP law.

It can be stopped very easily.

Biodiversity is shrinking all over the planet, there are many reasons and there is no quick fix. However there is a very easy solution to one of the reasons. And it does not require any financial donations. It does require Your attention and will.

EU CAP
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the agricultural policy of the European Union. All EU countries implemented it and it is kind of exactly the same in each and every one of them. Now, part of CAP is system of direct payments  for farmers (direct farming subsidies). To cut long story short - every farmer in EU receives some money for farming his or her land. It is very rough simplification but no need to go into further details.

What is important is the fact payments are for "farming", for "cultivating" the soil, not just for having it. For CAP legal purpose it is enough to declare land you own (or sometimes just claim right to) as a "pasture" (grassland) and mowe/ cut the grass once or twice a year, within given deadlines. You can plough the land instead, it is often even easier.

There were reasons why EU wanted "proof of farming/using". Still it is irrelevant now.
There is a lot of  "fake farmers"  who just own some land and collect their direct payments. Some of them are genuine old farmers, just to old to farm for real, some of them inherited farms but they are not farmers, most of them are just common people who noticed good oportunity. Few of them are crooks who don't even have the land but they claimed right to abandoned, disputed or unclaimed land.  It does not matter, it is absolutely irrelevant at this point.

WHAT DOES REALLY REALLY MATTER IS MILLIONS OF HECTARES OF THE LAND ARE "FAKED FARMED" BY PLOUGHING/ CUTTING/ HAYMAKING ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.
And almost every time it is a small armageddon, real massacre for animals and even some plants.

Various species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects including bumble bees and wild honey bees are killed. Millions of them are slaughtered each and every year.
Even wild flowers and other plants are often removed and destroyed. Simply be ploughing the soil. Do you remember when I mentioned crooks? I've seen amazing huge meadows completely destroyed and only because they grown on land abandoned for decades and deep in state forests. Completely useless for farming but perfect for "fake farming".
And so it goes. Ecotops of wild meadows, barrens, wet meadows, etc. are devastated and often completely destroyed.

And killing animals is not even worst part. All those places are natural hideouts, feeding grounds and often natural habitats. Animals scared once often do not return there for long time.
It is not too late. Wildlife extinction can be stopped very easily and I dare to say, perhaps even reversed. And you do not have to donate any money but we all have to act

ALL WE NEED IS "QUICK PATCH" IN EU CAP POLICY.
Please do read carefully.

Solution is to allow all "fake farmers" of European Union to keep their direct payments under one condition. They are collecting it every year anyway so it is not like it will cost EU anything.

Add one, just one sentence to CAP bureaucratic forms.

One box to tick for those who are filling online.

Allow all "fake farmers" to declare their land "Naturae refugium in statu nascendi" (Nature sanctuary in progress) and therefore an extemp from cutting/ploughing duty for next 3 years. And then just sit down and watch Nature taking it back.

Thank you for reading.

UPDATE:

Thank you for helping me. It's my first petition so I missed obvious things. Target of this petiton is European Parliament.

Twitter added:

https://twitter.com/EuropeSave

UPDATE2:

As I mentioned earlier it is my first petition ever. I did sign few but I never made my own. So I followed site suggestion and decided to make it as short as possible. However, I already have over 150 signers (thank you all) and I also received very valuable advice (thank you András) so I decided to add some boring stuff. I kindly ask all you signers to read.
1. Why I think this petition really matters?
TL;DR:
IT WILL WORK. IF WE WILL GATHER ENOUH SUPPORT  EUROPEAN UNION WILL IMPLEMENT IT.
Bit longer answer:
Because Europen Union policy makers do care about enviroment and they are doing a lot to preserve it. Proofs: Creation and implementation of The Habitats Directive and The Birds Directive and Natura 2000. Designated aims for CAP 2020-2027.
If this petition will have enough support they will include it in next CAP policy (2020-2027) or even add it sooner as a revision.
Additional proof:
EU policy makers already noticed some minor CAP limits and flaws and they succeeded in fixing those. EU is able to revise it policies when it's clearly explained why it should.
For example: "Active farmer" status introduced in 2013, revised in 2017.

2. What is it about? Why it is so important?
TL;DR
SAVING BIODIVERSITY IN EUROPE. FOR FREE
Bit longer:
This petition is not about saving a harrier or 5 falcons or even one whole kind of birds. It is about roughly 5 millions hectars (12 millions acres) of the land (if not more) and and preserving and enriching biodiversity in bigger part of Europe. We are talking about tremendous positive effect on hundreds of species. Maybe even reversing mass extinction locally.
And EU policy makers are aware of the problem and they do want to help. Still due to very nature of EU every new policy requires consensus (a general agreement between all 28 member states) and most of the time it is some kind of compromise. Also new policies have to be promoted. For example they are wind turbines manufacturers advocating and lobbing for green energy.
Unfortunately hares, snailes, bees, fireflies, wolves, frogs and deers do not have their union yet. Buttercups, houseleeks and monkshoods also didn't express their concers about state of enviroment.

So long before EU will notice what is wrong and what is best possible solution all those millions of hectars of the land will be lost to nature. All animals and plants will be dead.
Proofs: Again Designated aims for CAP 2020-2027 (The 9 objectives of the future CAP as presented on 1 June 2018, the European Commission legislative proposals on the common agricultural policy (CAP) beyond 2020) and  GAEC 9 and 10.
3. Why now?
TL;DR
IT'S NOW OR NEVER
Bit longer:
Because due to very nature of EU (28 member states!)  legislation process takes a very long time and while EU is consulting new laws consultations for new CAP policy are almost close.
Thank you for reading.
Please do share.
Please feel free to copy+paste entire text or even take the idea and make it yours if you think you can make it real.
Links:
CAP PAYMENT STRUCTURE https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sites/agriculture/files/cap-funding/beneficiaries/direct-aid/pdf/annex2-2016_en.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sites/agriculture/files/statistics/facts-figures/direct-payments.pdf
(Bean counters) Counter Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS)  https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/direct-support_en
Future CAP
https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/environmental-care-and-climate-change-objectives-future-cap-2019-jan-25_en
https://pouruneautrepac.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Cour-des-comptes-UE-sur-prop-CE.pdf
https://ieep.eu/uploads/articles/attachments/63db952e-0825-4eb8-80fe-f88708cfd62f/NABU%20CAP%20Report%20-%20FINAL%20.pdf?v=63710723894
https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/key-policies/common-agricultural-policy/future-cap_en
https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/shaping-cap-reform-consultation-stakeholders-and-citizens-2019-jan-21_en
Other:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/index_en.htm
https://www.wwf.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-10/LPR2018_Full%20Report.pdf
https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-6th-mass-extinction-2019-3?IR=T
https://www.ft.com/content/0ee3cfbe-b5e4-11e8-bbc3-ccd7de085ffe
https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/cap-funding/beneficiaries_pl
Update #25 years ago
Hello

I just posted long update with some additional informations. I'll be grateful if you will find some time to read it. Thanks
Update #15 years ago
Thank you for helping me. It's my first petition so I missed obvious things. Target is European Parliament. I am aware only European Commission has legislative initiative but I hope at least some members of EUP will be interested and they can push it forward.
I can provide some informations like CAP legal basis, main flaw with examples, why I think proposed solution is best one (I didn't just jump to conclusions, it took me quite a time to put it all together, consider and confirm facts).

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