Birds and Habitats Directives of the European Union
The Birds Directive (Directive on the conservation of wild birds) and the Habitats Directive (Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) are the most important EU directives for Protected Areas. Together they give the framework for the establishment of the Natura 2000 network in the EU.
According to the Birds Directive, EU Member States need to protect, maintain and re-establish bird habitats. This needs to be done for all wild bird species. For threatened bird species (listed in Annex I of the Directive), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) need to be established.
According to the Habitats Directive, EU Member States need to designate, protect and manage areas for habitat types listed in Annex I and species listed in Annex II of the Directive. After mutual agreement by the Member State and the European Commission, these sites become Sites of Community Importance (SCIs). Finally, Member States need to designate them as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and manage them for protection of species and habitats.
The SPAs are Protected Areas that form a part of the Natura 2000 network which also include the SACs. Collectively these sites are often referred to as Natura 2000 sites which is the largest coordinated network of Protected Areas in the world.
In some EU countries, Natura 2000 sites and nationally designated Protected Areas overlap either wholly or partly. In some EU countries, they are completely separate.
EUROPARC supports
- the completion of the Natura 2000 network
- effective management of the Natura 2000 sites
- capacity building of Natura 2000 managers and staff
- networking and exchange of best practices between Natura 2000 management authorities.