Natura 2000 is the EU-wide network of nature conservation areas set up to ensure the survival of Europe’s most valuable species and habitats. It is not restricted to nature reserves, but based on a much broader principle of conservation and sustainable use, where people and wildlife can live together in harmony.
Natura 2000 is the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy and is founded on two pioneering pieces of EU legislation: the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive.
To date, Natura 2000 is a unique international network comprising 22 419 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) under the Habitats Directive and 5 242 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Directive (EC, 2009), together representing more than 17 % of EU (EC, 2009).
The marine part of the network is still in development. Currently, only about 6 % of SCIs and 10 % of SPAs are marine sites.
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