Synergies and Conflicts Between Water Framework Directive and Natura 2000: Legal Requirements, Technical Guidance and Experiences from Practice - Wetlands and Water Framework Directive: Protection, Management and Climate Change - page 13

The exchange of populations as well as the development of a habitat network are
aims of the Natura 2000 concept as well as of the WFD ( ). With

respect to the conservation areas Annex IV Number 1 lit. v) WFD explicitly refers to
the Natura 2000 sites. The requirements of the WFD refer to the longitudinal and the
lateral continuity of rivers. In accordance with the environmental conditions of good
ecological status, unhampered migration of aquatic species and the transportation of
sediments should be possible both from the river head to the water mouth and from
the river to the wetlands attached to it. In connection with this situation, the
importance of rivers and wetlands for the functioning of the habitat network has to be
stressed. These linear elements are important for re-connecting isolated habitats
(Busse 2009 ) acting as corridors for an active and passive, longitudinal and lateral
spreading of species in general (Brunken and Meyer 2005 , p. 111).
The restoration of dynamic

' river continuity '

floodplains and their drift zone is a further objective
which contributes to both directives

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the development of the Natura 2000 network
as well as to achieve a good ecological condition for which the presence of

—

fish is an
important indicator. Alluvial forests (as mentioned in Annex I WFD) require pioneer
sites for their establishment and Annex II of the habitats directive contains pre-
dominantly rheophylic

fish species whose sustainable protection is only possible in
dynamic water bodies (Korn et al. 2005 , p. 77; Wendler and Albrecht 2012 , p. 42).
Examples for the synergetic effects between the continuing implementation of
the WFD and wildlife conservation measures in Germany can be found in rein-
troduction projects of the salmon (Salmo salar) (e.g. migratory fish project of the

Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation
and Consumer Protection of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia), the
beaver (Castor fiber) (e.g. projects in the Eifel region and at the lower Rhine) and
wildlife conservation measures for water-dependent species such as freshwater
pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) (q.v. Becker and Rebsch 2006 ). In the
Rhine River especially the construction of the fish pass at the Iffezheim hydro-

electric power plant supports the migration of salmon and other rheophylic sh

species very ef ciently and provides a paramount example for rehabilitating river

continuity.
All in all considerably more synergies than con ed between

the objectives of the WFD and those of the environmental conservation (cf.
Wendler and Albrecht 2012 , p. 33 et seq. and p. 41). This is inter alia noticeable in
the instruments

fl icts can be identi

approach as they focus both on the ecosystem, also in the devel-
opment of rivers, brooks, alluvial plains and shores as well as in the expansion of
the habitat network and the protection and further development of Natura 2000
sites. Particularly for the indigenous species and habitats, synergies are to be
expected. Furthermore, the objectives of the WFD and the Natura 2000 directives
serve the purposes of preventive

'

flood protection, climate change mitigation and
climate adaptation. These synergies can take effect because a large number of rivers
and parts of the respective valleys are protected through the HD as special areas of
conservation and therefore are subjected to the overlapping spatial scope of both
directives (Albrecht et al. 2012 ; Hofmann and Schmidt 2012 , p. 195).

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