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Farmland bird strongholds in the EU

Distant view of Cuilcagh Mountain, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland

In May 2004, 10 countries joined the European Union. Two more countries joined in 2007, bringing the number of Member States to 27. More countries are likely to join the Union in the coming years.

Some EU Member States and accession countries, particularly Spain and the eastern-European Member States, harbour important biodiversity resources, due to their large areas of High Nature Value farming systems, wetlands and forests.

These are still home to a high number of globally threatened species such as the spanish imperial eagle, the great bustard and the aquatic warbler, as well as healthy populations of farmland birds that are now extinct in the UK, such as the wryneck and the red-backed shrike.

farmland and forest birds in particular are likely to suffer as a result of on-farm investments supported by the Common Agricultural Policy

The enlargement of the European Union is undoubtedly one of the most important political events of our times, and has the power to bring profound changes in land use and to the natural environment of vast areas of Europe. These changes, however, can have both negative and positive impacts on the conservation of wild birds and their habitats.

In the new Member States, farmland and forest birds in particular are likely to suffer as a result of on-farm investments supported by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the influx of advanced agricultural technologies that encourage intensive production.

The preservation of High Nature Value farming is vital to the conservation of much of the EU’s biodiversity. The RSPB gives technical and financial support to BirdLife partner organisations across the EU, within joint policy and research work programmes, to identify and promote conservation solutions.

Proper funding for the management of Natura 2000 sites, the EU network for nature conservation, is also a priority that can be supported by CAP funds, and are available to any Member State keen to help farmland biodiversity.

Last modified: 22 June 2009