Natura 2000

Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated respectively under the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. The network includes both terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas.Sign identifying a 'Natura 2000 area' (Haslauer Moor nature reserve) in AustriaSign identifying a Natura 2000 site in Belgium.Sign identifying a 'European protected area' (Special Area of Conservation Lieberoser Endmoräne und Staakower Läuche) in GermanyThe Foloi oak forest in Greece is a Natura 2000 site.Castro Verde, Natura 2000 site in PortugalNatura 2000 locality in SlovakiaNäverkärr in Bohuslän, Sweden, is a Natura 2000 site.Natura 2000 locality in Police, Poland (estuary of Oder and Szczecin Lagoon)The Oostvaardersplassen is a Natura 2000 site in the Netherlands. Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated respectively under the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. The network includes both terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas. In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. The Habitats Directive complements the Birds Directive adopted earlier in 1979 and together they make up the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. The Birds Directive requires the establishment of Special Protection Areas for birds. The Habitats Directive similarly requires Sites of Community Importance which upon the agreement of the European Commission become Special Areas of Conservation to be designated for species other than birds, and for habitat types (e.g. particular types of forest, grasslands, wetlands, etc.). Together, Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation form the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Furthermore, the Natura 2000 network is the EU contribution to the 'Emerald network' of Areas of Special Conservation Interest set up under the Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats. Natura 2000 is also a key contribution to the Program of Work of Protected Areas of the Convention on Biological Diversity. As prerequisite for becoming EU member, accession states have to submit proposals for Natura 2000 sites meeting the same criteria as EU member states. Some new member states have large areas which qualify to be protected under the directives and implementation has not always been simple. The Natura 2000 sites are selected by member states and the European Commission following strictly scientific criteria according to the two directives mentioned above. The Special Protection Areas are designated directly by each EU member state, while the Special Areas of Conservation follow a more elaborate process: each EU member state must compile a list of the best wildlife areas containing the habitats and species listed in the Habitats Directive; this list must then be submitted to the European Commission, after which an evaluation and selection process on European level will take place in order to become a Natura 2000 site. The Habitats Directive divides the EU territory into nine biogeographic regions each with its own ecological coherence. Natura 2000 sites are selected according to the conditions in each biogeographical region, thus selected sites represent species and habitat types under similar natural conditions across a suite of countries. Each Natura 2000 site has a unique identification form called a standard data form. This form is used as a legal reference when assessing the management of the species and habitats through the concept of favourable conservation status. The Natura 2000 Viewer is a tool to explore the network and gives access to every standard data form. Natura 2000 protects 27,312 sites with terrestrial area 787,606 km2 (around 18 percent of land of the EU countries) and marine area 360,350 km2 in 2017, and is considered almost complete in the EU terrestrial environment. The process of designation has not always been smooth as the infringement procedures against member states show. While designation of sites may be near complete, the management and enforcement of protection on sites is less advanced and many sites lack management plans. Natura 2000 faced criticism from developers, farmers and politicians who fear that the conservation of habitats and species places a brake on development.