Progress in the creation of new nature areas
New nature areas are being created more slowly than expected.
Policy objectives
According to the "Nature for People, People for Nature" (Natuur voor Mensen, Mensen voor Natuur) memorandum, the National Ecological Network (Ecologische Hoofdstructuur, EHS) is to have been completed by 2018. In order to achieve that target, 151 500 hectares of new nature areas will need to be acquired and/or redeveloped. The memorandum states: "In order to achieve the target, an annual area of at least 5 500 hectares and on average 6 500 hectares of the EHS must be developed and transferred to the bodies that will manage it or, in the case of private management, must be developed for the private management body, or - if an existing nature area is concerned - only transferred."
Trends
The intention is that by 2018 more than 150 000 hectares of new nature areas should have been created (areas that are newly acquired and/or redeveloped and transferred to management bodies). New nature areas comprise both existing areas (reserves) and nature development areas.
As of 31 December 2001, approximately 55 000 hectares of new nature areas had been created, which means that the programme is some 17 350 hectares behind schedule. In order to achieve the 2018 target, more than 70 000 hectares should have been created by the end of 2001 (see the derived target in the figure). In 2001, more than 4 500 hectares were created. As in 2000, that figure is somewhat higher than in previous years but still too low to keep up to schedule.
