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Box 18 Examples of alternatives considered under Article 6(4) procedure Case 1. Deepening and widening of the ship fairway of a river The project involved the deepening and widening of the ship fairway of the River Main along the Wipfeld, Garstadt and Schweinfurt sections in Bavaria, Germany. The appropriate assessment concluded that there would be significant impact on two Natura 2000 sites and two habitat types would be damaged directly, involving a surface loss of 9 460 m2 for priority habitat 91E0* and 6 440 m2 for habitat 6510. Three alternatives were examined in addition to the zero alternative. The latter showed the importance of the river transportation objectives. One of the alternatives was discarded because it would negatively affect another Natura 2000 site and would lengthen both the construction time and the spatial extent of the project. Another alternative was rejected because, although it would have less adverse ecological impact, it would not improve the river’s nautical characteristics, which is one of the project’s objectives. The alternative selected would create a continuous navigation channel with uniform minimum width and depths and was mainly limited to the existing riverbed. Although it would affect the two habitat types of Community interest mentioned above, the competent authorities considered that the proposed solution achieved the best balance between ecological and river transportation objectives. The loss of the habitats would be adequately compensated. Case 2. Long-distance and suburban railway connection The project concerned a long-distance and suburban railway connection from Bad Cannstatt to Stuttgart (Germany). It would significantly affect a Natura 2000 site, which holds an important habitat for the hermit beetle (Osmoderma eremita), a protected priority species. The authorities examined route alternatives covering the entire section, parts of the section and the ‘zero’ option. The latter would not meet the project criteria of linking Stuttgart and Bad Cannstatt stations and renovating the railway bridge over the River Neckar. All the other alternative solutions would significantly affect the Natura 2000 site, including zones with the priority species, and their comparison showed that some would cover a larger area of the Natura 2000 site than the one selected or would lead to clearing a larger number of trees which provide potential habitats for the species. The proposed solution therefore offered the best balance between ecological and economic objectives. Case 3. Construction of a new port The project concerned the construction of a new port in Granadilla, Tenerife, Canary Islands. The project would adversely affect two Natura 2000 sites designated for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), a priority species, and for a priority habitat type 2130 (fixed coastal dunes with herbaceous vegetation ‘grey dunes‘). The Spanish authorities studied several alternatives, including the option of not developing more port capacity (the ‘zero option’) as well as the further expansion and development of the existing port in Santa Cruz. The zero option was discarded because the existing port facilities would not be able to handle the expected increase in maritime traffic and because increased port capacity was necessary for the island’s economic development. Expansion of the existing port facilities in Santa Cruz would not be possible for a number of technical reasons. Other alternative locations could not be chosen because of different factors such as the depth of the seabed at the shore, the lack of a quarry close enough to the envisaged site, availability of free adjacent land for handling and logistics operations, adequacy of transport connections with the hinterland and proximity to port users.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.