Nature 2000: network of European biodiversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity , a legally binding treaty signed at the Earth Summit in Rio 1992, was the starting signal for the European common effort to protect and preserve Europe’s biodiversity. To comply with it, the Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats of wild fauna and flora, commonly known as the Habitats Directive, was adopted and it complemented the existing Council Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (Birds Directive).
These two directives are the cornerstone of Natura 2000, a network of nature protection areas in the EU territory. Consisting of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs, proposed by Member States and approved by the European Commission) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for bird life (designated directly by Member States), Natura 2000 has the aim to assure the long-term survival of the most valuable, representative and threatened European species and habitats, both inland and coastal.
Nevertheless, not all the SACs and SPAs are strict nature reserves where all human activities are excluded, but areas where all these activities are managed in a way that doesn’t endanger the conservation of designated species and ecosystems: “the conservation objectives should be met while taking account of economic, social, cultural, regional and recreational requirements1 ”. However, the Habitats Directive doesn’t establish the management procedures of the sites, being it competence of each Member State. The European Commission has elaborated guidance documents and best practice guides with regard to management of the sites.
Currently the Natura 2000 network has more than 26,100 sites, covering more than 750,000 km2 inland (17.51% of the EU’s total territory) and 198,000 km2 offshore.
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26 Jan 2014
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juancarlosgomezmartin
IMSD /
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