N2000 Biogeographical Process

Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process

Natura 2000 sites cover one-fifth of the land territory in the EU and the Natura 2000 network includes most areas of highest biodiversity value.

The Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process is a multi-stakeholders’ co-operation process managed at the biogeographical level. It is guided and monitored by an Expert group on Natura 2000 management and by Steering Committees, composed of representatives of the Member States, the European Commission, the European Environmental Agency, the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity, the European Habitats Forum and the Natura 2000 Users Forum. Specifically, the Natura 2000 Biogeographical process:

  • Aims to strengthen implementation of Natura 2000 and achieve favourable conservation status for habitats and species of Community importance.
  • It is central to achieving Targets 1 and 2 of the Biodiversity Strategy and has an important contribution to make to the other targets.
  • Namely, for instance: the management and restoration agendas for Natura 2000 are key priorities – they require new know-how and practical measures to achieve the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy targets.

EUROPARC is making sure the expertise, needs and expectations of Protected Areas  are represented and taken into account, as they are managing a relevant portion of the N2000 network.

Biogeographical Process Events

Seminars, workshops and cooperation activities are being regularly organized in each region to enhance effective implementation, management, monitoring, financing and reporting of the Natura 2000 network. Below you will find a summary of the upcoming and past Events organised within the Biogeographical Process framework:

Events scheduled for 2020:

  • Alpine seminar;
  • Mediterranean Seminars.

Major events of 2019:

3 rd Atlantic Seminar, 12-14 June – Antwerp.
The report of the event is available here. The revised roadmap for the Atlantic region shall be made available by the end of the year.
Participants discussed 4 topics:
  • Protection and conservation of meadow birds
  • Integrated approaches to tackling nitrogen pollution
  • Improving the conservation of Natura 2000 sites through integrated management
  • Involving local land managers through integrated site management
3 rd Boreal seminar, 14-16 October – Tallin.
Here you can access the seminar  preparatory document.
4 priority themes were discussed there:
  • stakeholder involvement;
  • Communication;
  • Improve prioritisation for restoration and conservation – PAF;
  • N2000 and climate change.

Main events of 2018:

  • First Natura 2000 seminar for the Macaronesian Region (24th-27th September 2018, Funchal, Portugal);
  • Second Natura 2000 seminar for the Continental, Pannonian, Steppic and the Black Sea regions (16 – 18 October 2018, Strasbourg, France). The Vosges du Nord Regional Park played an important role and hosted the site visits;
  • Second Natura 2000 seminar for the five marine biogeographical regions (13 – 15 November 2018, Palma de Mallorca, Spain).

Furhtermore, EUROPARC and its members actively contributed to some Natura 2000 biogeographical events. Their outcomes and presentations are available here:

Need further information?

Access the Natura 2000 Communication platform and the latest news and learn more about past and upcoming events in the European Commission website.