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[last
online access: 09.10.2019]
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Key
definition
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provided
in 2004 by the
European
Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC BD) |
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NATURA
2000 is the EU ecological network of sites designated by Member
States under the
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# Birds
Directive (EEC/79/409 directive)
signed in 1979 (Special Protection Areas = SPAs) and under the
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# Habitats
Directive (EEC/92/43 Directive)
signed in 1992 (Special Areas of Conservation = SACs, according to
EEC/92/43, Flora Fauna Habitat directive / FFH directive).
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- REMARK:
On 21 May 1992 the Council adopted Directive EEC/92/43 concerning
the protection of natural and semi-natural habitats and wild fauna and
flora. It does not replace but complements the Directive on Wild Birds,
and, in addition to this Directive's Special Protection Areas, it provides
for Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) extended to other groups of
species and types of habitats.
Therefore: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection
Areas (SPAs) form together the NATURA 2000 network.
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- Besides
the above mentioned Directives, three international legal instruments
(Conventions) play an important role for the protection of nature
in the EU, and interrelate to the NATURA 2000 network. And most (or
all) Member States of the European Union are parties to these different
conventions.
- The Ramsar Convention (Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance)
- The Bonn Convention (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory
Species of Wild Animals)
- The Bern Convention (Convention on the Conservation of European
Wildlife and Natural Habitats).
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The
following information on the NATURA 2000 network, background and aims, was
adopted from the
NATURA
2000 website of Lithuania, Projekto adresas: Jakto 4/9 LT-01105,
Vilnius;tel.: 8-5 261 13 73, faks.: 8-5 261 13 61, el.patas: info@natura2000.lt
(and was modified by the author, last online access: 31.10.04) |
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"What
is NATURA 2000? |
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NATURA
2000 is a network of protected areas in the European Union covering
fragile and valuable natural habitats and species of particular importance
for the conservation of biological diversity within the territory of EU.
Intensification
of agriculture as well as infrastructural development, fragmentation of
natural areas and pollution are among the most important and well-known
threats to natural habitats throughout Europe, leading to a decrease in
the local population sizes of many species. This process started more
than 100 years ago and is still continuing.
Populations
of species that used to occur abundantly are decreasing to low levels,
and some species - such as the Slender-billed Curlew and the Sturgeon
- are even threatened with extinction. Among 10 000 plant species found
within the territory of EU, 3 000 are endangered and 27 species are threatened
with extinction. The main objective of the NATURA 2000 network is to ensure
the survival of species that are threatened or rare throughout Europe.
Two
main EU directives related to nature protection - the so-called Birds
Directive and Habitats Directive - form the legal basis for NATURA 2000.
These
legal EU documents ensure the protection of certain natural habitats,
flora and fauna, as well as the creation of the above-mentioned European
network of protected territories. By means of the provisions of the Birds
and Habitats directives, the EU nature protection policy thus aims to
ensure effective protection of the unique biological diversity in Europe.
All EU member states share these legal obligations to protect territories
included into the NATURA 2000 network.
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How
does the selection of territories for the Natura 2000 network take place? |
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The
creation of the NATURA 2000 network is a very important and difficult task.
In order to carry out this work successfully, the Member States and the
Candidate Countries have to pass the following three stages in dialogue
with the European Commission:
1.
Preparation of national lists of candidate Natura 2000 areas
Habitats
and species considered as endangered or rare at the European or global
level are included into the annexes of the Habitats Directive, except
for birds which are covered by the Birds Directive. However, the level
of knowledge about their distribution and conservation status varies
among the Member States and is often seen to be insufficient as basis
for the selection of appropriate sites. Therefore, it is often necessary
to carry out a scientific evaluation of each habitat or species at the
national scale as a first step in establishing the Natura 2000 network.
On the basis of this evaluation, the most important territories may
be identified and entered into a national list of potential Sites of
Community Interest (pSCIs) for further submission to the European Commission.
Territories
are selected according to a number of explicit criteria, including for
example the conservation status of the site, the importance of the site
at national level for the conservation of species and habitats mentioned
by the Directive, or the population size and density ospecies included
in the Directives and occurring in the sites.
2.
Identification of Sites of Community Interest (SCIs)
In
the second stage, member states discuss the preliminary national list
of candidate sites at biogeographical seminars organized by the Nature
Topic Centre of the European Environment Agency, in order to finally
identify Sites of Community Interest (SCIs) to be included into the
NATURA 2000 network. The European Commission executes the selection
in cooperation with the Member States or Candidate Countries. Each territory
proposed on the national list is evaluated according to a number of
criteria such as the occurrence of priority species and habitats, the
relative value of the site at natinal level for the protection of habitats
and species mentioned by the Directives, the importance of the sites
as migration routes and their geographical location in relation to important
natural areas in neighbouring countries. After discussions between the
member state and the EU, new sites may be added to the list while other
sites may be deleted. In case of dispute between the member state and
the EU, the Council of Ministers of the European Union makes the final
decision.
3.
Nomination of Special Areas Of Conservation (SACs)
When
a territory has been designated an SCI, the Member State is obliged
to designate it a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within the following
six years. Once this designation has taken place, the member state assumes
full responsibility for active compliance with the obligation to maintain
a favourable conservation status for the species and habitats for which
the sites have been designated. Member States are thus allowed a maximum
of six years for the establishment and ajustment of measures and administrative
procedures necessary for the protection, monitoring and management of
the NATURA 2000 territories.
The
special case of the Birds Directive
The
designation of Special Protected Areas (SPAs) is anticipated in the
Birds Directive. SPAs are nominated mainly for the protection of the
most rare and endangered bird species at the European level, including
migratory bird species. The Special Protected Areas (SPAs) are designated
during one stage and are directly included into the NATURA 2000
network.
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Which
restrictions will be applied when the Natura 2000 network is put into practice?
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NATURA
2000 protection for the selected territory means that each Member State
is obliged to ensure a favourable conservation status for relevant habitats
and species listed in the annexes of the Birds and Habitats Directives.
Therefore, the specific management requirements and necessary restrictions
on activities carried out within and around sites will vary from site to
site, since the peculiarities of habitats or species and their conservation
status in each case will have to be taken into account.
In
principle, the Directives allow any activity in the NATURA 2000 territories
which does no harm to the specific values of nature covered by the Directives.
Sometimes all practical activities carried out in a protected territory
may continue without any further restrictions, and it may even be possible
to carry out additional activities in the protected territory. The decision
to allow new activities in NATURA 2000 site, which are not directly related
to the conservation of species and habitats, will only be taken after
thorough considerations and, if appropriate, impact assessments and public
participation. In some cases, activities formerly carried out in the protected
areas may have to become restricted or even completely forbidden. The
Directives further imply that in some cases, on-going or planned activities
outside the NATURA 2000 areas will have to be adjusted, if they are seen
as a risk to the values protected in NATURA 2000 areas. This may especially
be the case in the areas surrounding NATURA 2000 sites.
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Beyond
the borders of "Natura 2000"
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The
establishment of the NATURA 2000 network of protected territories and corresponding
biological corridors joining these areas shows the commitment of the European
Union with respect to international obligations concerning nature conservation.
The Habitats and Birds directives constitute the main contribution of the
European Community to protect biological diversity according to the regulations
of the Convention on Biodiversity (Rio de Janeiro 1992) and the Convention
on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention
1979).
The Habitats
and Birds directives correspond to the general principles of other international
conventions
[as mentioned above],
..... and specifical regional conventions, as such, Baltic Sea Marine
Environment Protection Convention (Helsinki Convention 1974), Barcelona
or Mediterranean Convention (1976), as well as Convention on Alpine Protection
(1991). The Natura 2000 network of protected areas thus forms part
of the wider nature conservation strategy implemented by the European
Union."
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Basic
Information
on data collection, management and analysis |
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Interpretation
manual of European Union habitats, |
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Eur
25, April 2003 (129pp.) |
0,72MB |
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Managing
NATURA 2000 sites, The provisions of |
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article
6 of the habitats directive 92/43/EEC (73 pp.) |
0,79MB |
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NATURA
2000 standard data form (EU 15 version) |
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Data
Form & Explanatory notes (156 pp.) |
6,53MB |
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NATURA
2000 reference list of habitat types and species |
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present
in the Mediterranean region (15 pp.) |
0,14MB |
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Habitats
Directive (92/43/EEC) (58pp.) |
0,20MB |
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The
code corresponds to the NATURA 2000 code |
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Habitats
Directive, Annex I |
0,13MB |
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Habitats
Directive, Annex II |
0,17MB |
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Habitats
Directive, Annex III (2 pp.) |
0,05MB |
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Habitats
Directive, Annex IV (19 pp.) |
0,12MB |
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Habitats
Directive, Annex V (9 pp.) |
0,10MB |
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