Natura 2000 and spatial planning; a way to avoid land use conflicts

A number of European policy documents indicate that spatial planning which reconciles nature conservation with other policies' objectives can be a useful tool for implementing the EU nature legislation. However, a thorough exploration of the potential role of spatial planning and its instruments for the implementation of Natura 2000 has not yet been made either at EU or Member State level. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, this study provides an insight into the role and functions of spatial planning policies at EU and Member State level in relation to Natura 2000 and Nature Directives more generally. The key areas of analysis in this study are the notion and rationale of spatial planning, its instruments and governance processes, the current and potential mechanisms for integration of Natura 2000 in spatial planning processes and in sectoral policies, the legal frameworks, cross border-cooperation and relevant spatial planning technologies.