An Evaluation of Protected Area Policies in the European Union
Abstract:
The European Union designates 26% of its landmass as protected areas, limiting economic development for biodiversity. We use the staggered introduction of protected areas between 1985 and 2019 to study the selection of protected land and the causal effect of protection on vegetation cover and nightlights. Protection did not affect these outcomes in any meaningful way across four decades, countries, protection cohorts, or land characteristics. Specifically, policymakers tend to protect already-green, low-density areas, or opt for weaker forms of protection in densely populated regions. Our findings suggest that the EU does not protect land as a social planner would; instead, a combination of local jurisdictions’ limited preferences for biodiversity gains, green glow, and area-based protection targets can result in policies with minimal effects.
Organized by: Katherine Wagner
