Many of Europe’s unique habitats are highly threatened. In order to tackle these threats, the European Union (EU) is annually financing, mainly through its LIFE programme, conservation actions aimed at improving the conservation status of its habitats. We analysed the allocation of the programme’s budget since its inception in 1992 and we found that the number of projects implemented within the EU member states is only weakly related to the number of habitats within them (R2 = 0.39). In some states, fewer than 25% of the habitats have been funded, while in others, more than 75% of the habitats have been funded. There are also disparities in terms of which habitats are being funded; a quarter of them have never received any funding, while others have been targeted by multiple projects. Transnational cooperation between the states is low, further perpetuating the aforementioned disparities. Projects are implemented almost exclusively within the recipient state, often irrespectively of the conservation status of the targeted habitats in other states. We recommend that the EU addresses these disparities by encouraging projects in underfunded states, especially in habitats with unfavourable conservation statuses. Moreover, the EU should encourage transnational cooperation in order to promote effective conservation across the EU and to help underfunded states build their capacity.

Hydraulic dredging for bivalves, such as cockles (Cerastoderma edule), has the potential to cause significant impacts on marine intertidal benthos. Although this fishing activity is common in northern European Natura 2000 sites such impacts may be incompatible with conservation objectives for designated habitats and species within these sites. In 2009–2010 a spatially nested control-impact study was undertaken before (t0), 8–9 days after (t1) and 4 months (t2) following dredging and extraction of 108 tonnes of cockles from a standing stock of 2158 tonnes in Dundalk Bay. This study failed to detect significant effects on benthic sediments, or the overall community structure. However, a fishing effect on the target species C. edule in one sampling area and a short lived effect on the bivalve Angulus tenuis were identified. Significant spatial and temporal variability in abundance of species and taxonomic groups, unrelated to fishing effects, was observed. Previous studies on the effects of fisheries on marine intertidal benthos have reported variable results, related to study design and objectives and the physical characteristics of the study site. Site specific studies, relative to the intensity and frequency of proposed fishing activity, may be required to adequately inform managers whether such activities are compatible with specific conservation objectives for Natura 2000 sites.