NATURAmanagingour heritage

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONDGXI - Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection

NATURAmanagingour heritage

20002000

OFFICE FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONSOF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

L-2985 Luxembourg

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urope’s rich diversity is built on the mutual respect of different identities.Our biodiversity, of inestimable biological, aesthetic and genetic value, is

one element of this. It is our moral duty to manage this natural heritage respon-sibly, and preserve it for future generations. Though still rich, it is fragile.Safeguarding it is therefore a matter of vital importance to the Union.

Nature conservation has been a central pillar of Union environment policy sincethe early 1970s. The “Birds” and “Habitats” Directives constitute a solid legalbasis for the protection of rare and endangered species and natural habitats.Over 250 million ECU of Community co-financing has gone towards hundreds ofnature conservation projects in all the Member States.

The Union’s Council of Ministers has now decided to take up a major challenge:to create, on the eve of the third millenium, a network of sites protected atCommunity level. This network, known as “Natura 2000”, will play a key role inprotecting natural resources.

To ensure the project’s success, each Member State can choose the mechanisms itwill use to implement the relevant conservation measures on its territory. Thesemust take account of scientific, economic, social and cultural requirements. Thesuccess of Natura 2000 therefore depends on the full participation and commit-ment of all the countries concerned.

The creation of Natura 2000 is also a unique opportunity to demonstrate howenvironmental concerns can be integrated into other policies. Nature conserva-tion is an integral part of land use policy which can be compatible with numer-ous economic activities, and even create jobs.

I hope that this brochure will give readers a better understanding of Natura2000, and encourage discussion about the sites of Community interest to beprotected. ■

C o n t e n t s

A rich but fragile natural heritage 2

Preserving biodiversity together 4

“NATURA 2000”, a major challenge for the Union 8

Beyond “NATURA 2000” 12

Towards shared management ofour natural heritage

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he fifteen Member States of the European Union cover themajor part of Western Europe, with a surface area of over 3

million km2 and a population of 370 million. Differences in cli-mate, soil, topography and the influence of human activities havecreated a great variety of natural and semi-natural habitats whichare home to a multitude of species.

The European Union has several thousand types of natural habi-tat which are home to 150 species of mammal, 520 species ofbird, 180 species of reptile and amphibian, 150 species of fish,10,000 plant species and at least 100,000 species ofinvertebrate(1). These figures testify to the immense wealth ofEurope’s natural heritage, synonymous with diversity of lifeforms, scenic beauty and a particular quality of life.

Endangered species

Despite progress in the nature conservation policies of theMember States, the populations of many species are continuingto decline rapidly. It is not only rare species that are affected.Recent studies show a sharp drop in the populations of commonspecies such as the garden warbler (Sylvia borin) and the skylark(Alauda arvensis).

Today, half our mammal species and a third of reptile, fish andbird species are endangered. Marine species (monk seal, turtles,etc.) affected by pollution and fishing are among the most threat-ened. The Slender-billed Curlew and the sturgeon have becomeso rare that their short-term survival could be in question. As forplants, 3,000 species are endangered and 27 threatened withextinction.

Natural habitats in decline

The dramatic decline in the populations of many species is pri-marily due to the deterioration of the natural habitats necessaryfor their survival. In a few decades, the intensification of manyhuman activities - agriculture, forestry, industry, energy, trans-port, tourism, etc. - has led to the loss or fragmentation of naturalhabitats, leaving little room for wildlife or confining it to a mea-gre portion of Community territory.

River ecosystems and estuaries, of vital importance to manyspecies, have been severely damaged throughout Europe. Otherhabitats of great biological value are now a fraction of their origi-nal size. Heathland, steppes and peat bogs have shrunk by 60-90%, according to the Member States. Since the beginning of thecentury, 75% of the dunes in France, Italy and Spain have disap-peared.

For centuries, traditional forms of agriculture and pastoral activitieswere a way of managing semi-natural habitats. The abandonmentof these activities have led to a general impoverishment of biodiver-sity and variety of landscape. ■

(1) Environment in theEuropean Union 1995,Report for the review of theFifth Environmental ActionProgramme - EuropeanEnvironment Agency, EEACopenhagen, 1995.

A rich but fragile naturalheritageT

■ Atlantic biogeographicalregion

■ Macaronesianbiogeographical region

■ Continentalbiogeographical region

■ Mediterraneanbiogeographical region

■ Boreal biogeographicalregion

■ Alpinebiogeographical region

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o encourage better management of Europe’s natural her-itage, the Community has gradually been implementing a

nature conservation policy on its territory. In 1973, the prioritieswere established in the first Action Programme for theEnvironment. Ten years later, specific financial instruments werecreated for nature conservation.

Successive revisions of the Treaties have strengthened the legalbasis of this policy. In 1992 the Maastricht Treaty reaffirmed theobligation to incorporate environmental protection into allEuropean Union policies. The fifth Action Programme for theEnvironment specifies nature conservation and the preservationof biodiversity as major priorities.

Community legislation comprises two Directives: the “Birds”Directive(1) and the “Habitats” Directive(2), which are concernedwith the protection of natural habitats, fauna and flora and thecreation of a European network of protected sites.

The “Birds” Directive, a firststep towards combating speciesdecline

Adopted in 1979, the Birds Directive is con-cerned with the long-term protection and man-agement of all bird species living in the wildstate on Community territory and of theirhabitats.

The Member States are responsible for protectingall these species, especially migratory birds, anatural asset shared by all Europeans. It is theirduty to preserve the natural habitats where thewild birds live.

181 species and sub-species which are endan-gered because of their low numbers and/orrestricted range benefit from specific conserva-tion measures. The Member States must classifythe most appropriate areas as Special ProtectionAreas. Well-known birds such as the white stork,the crane and the griffon vulture are benefitingfrom these measures.

Although over a 1,600 sites have been classifiedas Special Protection Areas, covering a surfacearea larger than Benelux (more than 100,000km2), there are still many sites of ornithologicalinterest to be conserved in most of the MemberStates.

The “Habitats” Directive, a com-mon framework for biodiversity

This Directive, adopted in 1992, the year of theRio summit on the environment and develop-ment, is the main Community instrument safe-guarding biodiversity. It introduced the obliga-tion to preserve habitats and species ofCommunity interest. Each Member State isresponsible for identifying and designating asSpecial Areas of Conservation sites which areimportant for the protection of the species andhabitats covered by the Directive. These areaswill benefit from statutory or contractual mea-sures and, where appropriate, managementplans which will ensure their long-term preser-vation by integrating human activities into a sus-tainable development strategy.

Together, the Special Areas of Conservation des-ignated by the Member States will make up theEuropean network of protected sites, Natura2000. All the Special Protection Areas createdunder the “Birds” Directive will form part of thisnetwork.

Each Member State can choose the mechanismsit uses to participate in this joint enterprise. TheCommission is helping to set up the network andensure that the common goals become reality. ■

(1)Council Directive79/409/EEC of 2 April1979 on the conserva-tion of wild birds.(2)Council Directive92/43/EEC of 21 May1992 on the conserva-tion of natural habitatsand of wild fauna andflora.

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Habitats and species of Communityinterest

These are habitats whose natural range is very small or hasshrunk considerably on Community territory: peat bogs, heath-land, dunes, coastal and freshwater habitats, etc. Also includedare outstanding examples of typical characteristics of theEuropean Union’s six biogeographical regions (Alpine larchforests, Atlantic salt meadows, etc.). Approximately 200 types ofhabitat are classified by the Directive as natural habitats ofCommunity interest.

The species of Community interest include those which areendangered or becoming endangered, as well as certain endemicspecies. The Directive identifies nearly 200 animal species andover 500 plant species whose habitats require protection. To takeaccount of differences between the Member States, certainspecies of Community interest benefit from an exemption clause,in countries where their populations are not threatened (e.g. Lynxin Finland).

Urgent measures for certain priorityhabitats and species

The European Union has a particular responsibility for the con-servation of natural habitats which are in danger of disappearing(posidonia beds, lagoons, alluvial forests, etc.) or species threat-ened with extinction (wolverine, monk seal, etc.). Classified aspriorities, they must benefit from urgent protection measures.

The Natura 2000 network will include a representative sample ofall habitats of Community interest, especially priority habitats. Itwill thus ensure that all fauna and flora of Community interestreceive sufficient protection to guarantee their long-term viability.

Since these Directives entered into force, the situation of some ofthe habitats and species concerned has changed. Scientistsshould therefore evaluate the conservation measures that havebeen taken to enable the European Commission and the MemberStates to adapt these Directives after consulting specialized com-mittees (the Habitats and Ornis committees). ■

Definitions

Art. 1 Principal terms: conservation status, habitattypes and species of Community interest, priorityhabitat types and species, etc.

Art. 2 Aims of the Directive

Conservation of natural habitatsand habitats of species

Art. 3 Definition of the Natura 2000 networkArt. 4 Establishment of national l ists of Sites of

Community Importance and Special Areas ofConservation (SACs)

Art. 5 The Council ’s role in identifying Sites ofCommunity Importance proposed by theCommission

Art. 6 SACs: conservation measures and managementplans

Art. 7 Obligations relating to Special Protection Areas(“Birds” Directive)

Art. 8 Conservation and Community cofinancing

Protection of species

Art. 12 Measures to protect endangered animal andto 16 plant species

Other dispositions

Art. 20 Role of the Habitats Committeeto 21

Annex I Natural and semi-natural habitat types whoseconservation requires the designation of SACs

Annex II Animal and plant species whose conservationrequires the designation of SACs

Annex III Criteria for selecting sites for SACs

Annex IV Animal and plant species in need of strict pro-tection

Annex V Animal and plant species whose taking in thewild and exploitation may be subject to man-agement measures

Annex VI Prohibited methods and means of capture andkilling

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he creation of the Natura 2000 network is the cornerstoneof Community nature conservation policy and a major chal-

lenge for the fifteen Member States. Introducing effective conser-vation and management measures for the sites is a huge under-taking. It requires the participation of all national and localoperators and strict selection of sites at Community level. Tocarry out this operation successfully, the European Commissionand the Member States must proceed in three stages.

Preparation of national listsThe habitats and species covered by the “Habitats” Directive arerecognized as being endangered or sensitive throughout Europe.However, knowledge of their distribution and conservation statusvaries widely from one Member State to another. The first step inthe designation process is therefore a scientific assessment atnational level of each habitat or species of Community interest. Onthis basis the important sites can be identified and proposed in theform of national lists presented to the European Commission.

The sites are preselected on the basis of common criteria: degreeof representativity, ecological quality of the habitat, size and den-

“Natura 2000”, a majorchallenge for the UnionT

sity of the population of the species concerned,degree of isolation of the species relative to its nat-ural population range, surface area occupied, etc.

Identification of Sites ofCommunity ImportanceThe second stage, with the support of the NatureTopic Centre of the European EnvironmentAgency, is the identification of the Sites ofCommunity Importance which will form theNatura 2000 network. The selection is done bythe European Commission in collaboration withthe Member States. Each site proposed on anational list is evaluated on the basis of its rela-tive value, its importance as a migratory route ortransboundary site, its total surface area, the co-existence of the various types of habitat andspecies concerned and its unique character as abiogeographical region. The sites on nationallists which contain priority habitats or speciesare selected as Sites of Community Importance.

In cases where a Member State overlooks anexceptional site, the European Commission cansuggest adding it to the list, if it can be scientifi-cally demonstrated that the site is essential forthe preservation of habitats or species covered bythe Habitats Directive. After discussion with theMember State concerned, the final unanimous

decision rests with the European Union’s Councilof Ministers.

Designation of Special Areasof ConservationWhen a site is selected as a Site of CommunityImportance, the Member States must designate itas a Special Area of Conservation within sixyears, i.e. at the latest in 2004. The sites whichare most endangered or most important for con-servation must be designated first. This six-yearperiod should be used by the Member States togradually introduce the measures required toconserve and manage the sites.

The special case of the BirdsDirectiveThe Birds Directive also provides for the designa-tion of sites to conserve the habitats of the mostendangered bird species as well as for migratorybird species. Particular importance is given to theconservation of wetlands. However, all the sitesare designated as Special Protection Areas in a sin-gle stage. They are then directly incorporated intothe “Natura 2000” network. The conservationaims are similar to those of the Special Areas ofConservation. ■

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“Natura 2000”, your questionsansweredIs it the purpose of Natura 2000 to cre-ate reserves for endangered species andhabitats?

The “Habitats” Directive is contributing tothe general aim of sustainable development.Its objective is to encourage the preserva-tion of biodiversity while taking account ofscientific, economic, social, cultural andregional requirements. The purpose of theNatura 2000 network is therefore not to cre-ate nature sanctuaries where all humanactivity will be systematically excluded. Thepreservation of biodiversity in the desig-nated sites may require human activities tobe maintained or encouraged. For instance,some types of meadow have to be mown orgrazed so that they do not become fallow,which would lead to the disappearance of

certain endangered species.

However, human activities must remain compatible with the con-servation aims of the designated sites. When the managementplans are being prepared, the Member States must assess eachactivity so as to prevent any deterioration of habitats or danger tothe species for which the site was designated.

What are the management obligationswith regard to the Natura 2000 sites?

Article 6 of the Directive obligesthe Member States to establishconservation measures. Manage-ment plans, specifically designedfor the sites concerned or inte-grated into other developmentplans seem to be the best way ofachieving this. Objectives can beidentified, problems foreseen andsolved with the owners or users ofthe site, implementing mecha-nisms defined and long-term con-servation plans established.

Each Member State is free tochoose the method and type ofmeasures to be taken. Whetherstatutory, adminitrative or con-tractual, they must prevent anydeterioration of the site and ifnecessary restore them.

Once a Natura 2000 site has been desig-nated, can any projects or new activitiesbe authorized there?

Article 6 of the Directive explains the situation clearly: any newplan or project likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000site must take account of the natural value which determined theintegration of the site into the network. An appropriate assess-ment of the effects of the project on the site’s conservation aimsis therefore required. The national authorities are free to autho-rise an activity provided that the assessment shows that it will nothave an adverse effect on the site.

If it is found that the activity will adversely affect the site, andthere are no alternative solutions, the activity concerned mayonly be carried out on the site if it is declared to be of major pub-lic interest. The Member State must then take all the requiredcompensatory measures and inform the Commission thereof.However, if a site hosts priority habitats or species, the only con-siderations which may be raised are those relating to humanhealth, public safety or the environment. If there are other imper-ative reasons of overriding public interest, the Commission willbe asked for its opinion.

Can the cost of managing Natura 2000be evaluated at present?

Under the terms of Article 8 of the Directive, each Member Stateestimates the amounts needed for the conservation of sites hostingpriority habitats or species and informs the European Commission.The Commission must participate in the co-financing of measuresessential for the conservation of the Natura 2000 sites.

Since the beginning of the 1980s, the European Commission hasbeen financing nature conservation projects in the Member States.The current Community LIFE fund is already supporting the creationof Natura 2000 by financing activities on future network sites.However, the nature component of the available LIFE funds will notbe sufficient to meet the needs of all the sites in the long term.

Other resources should be mobilised with the integration of theCommunity environment policy into other Community policies.Henceforth, agri-environmental measures will cofinance themanagement of outstanding sites by farmers. The StructuralFunds, the Cohesion Fund and several Community initiatives aresupporting the sustainable economic use of natural sites. ■

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y helping to establish the Natura 2000 network of sitesand afterwards the appropriate elements connecting

them, the European Commission is demonstrating the Union’scredibility in respecting its international commitments.

With regard to nature conservation, the “Habitats” and “Birds”Directives are the Community’s main contribution to the con-servation of biodiversity as defined by the Rio Convention(1992) or, earlier, by the Berne Convention on EuropeanWildlife and Natural Habitats (1979). They are also in linewith the general principles of more specific conventions suchas the Ramsar Convention on the conservation of wetlands(1971) the Bonn Convention on migratory species (1979) andconventions on specific regions: the Helsinki Convention onthe Baltic Sea (1974), the Barcelona Convention on theMediterranean (1976) and the Convention on the protectionof the Alps (1991).

The creation of “Natura 2000” is thus part of a wider environ-mental strategy being implemented by the European Union.

Beyond “Natura 2000”…In accordance with the commitmentsmade in 1992, it is developing a range ofinstruments designed to increase environ-mental responsibility in all the sectors ofactivity concerned and at all levels of soci-ety: integration of the environment intothe Common Agricultural Policy, industrialeco-labelling, impact studies, etc.

The Union is also stepping up its role ininternational activities and cooperationfor sustainable development, especiallywith its neighbours in Central and EasternEurope. ■

If you wish to be kept informed of theEuropean Commission’s nature con-servation activities, please send usyour full address, stating your choiceof language (English, French orGerman) to:

European CommissionDG XI.D.2 - Nature protection,coastal zones and tourismTRMF 02/04200 rue de la LoiB - 1049 BrusselsFax: + 32 - 2 - 296 95 56

You will receive the Natura 2000newsletter free of charge three timesa year.

You can also access the Commission’sinternet server at the followingaddress:http ://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg11/dg11home.html

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Titelphotos : © Bertrand/Bios, Boutin/Bios,Cornuet, Bringard/ Bios, Dejonghe/Quetzal

Zeichner : Manuel Manolos