14 Nov 2007 - Brussels,
Belgium – The European Commission has approved
the extension of protected sites throughout
Europe, a move that environmental groups
believe will improve conservation efforts
to protect the continent's most seriously
threatened habitats and species.
The 4,225 newly designated Natura 2000
sites of specially protected areas cover
about 90,000km2 — an area roughly the size
of Portugal — within four bio-geographical
regions.
Sites were added in: the boreal region,
which includes Finland, Sweden and the Baltic
countries; the continental region, covering
much of central Europe, including the Czech
Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany
and Poland; and the Atlantic seaboard region.
The pannonian region, which includes parts
of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary,
is a completely new addition to the network.
Further updates to the Alpine region, including
the Carpathian areas of Slovakia and Poland,
plus an update of the Mediterranean region,
are due later this year.
“We are extremely pleased by the European
Commission’s decision to extend the Natura
2000 network,” said Andreas Beckmann, Deputy
Director for WWF’s Danube-Carpathian Programme.
“This marks a major milestone for nature
protection in Europe and is an achievement
for WWF, which has been working for several
years to support preparations for introducing
Natura 2000 to new EU member states.”
WWF and its partners also played an important
role in identifying and designating future
Natura 2000 sites, as well as building capacity
for their effective protection and management.
EU-wide protection and beyond
Natura 2000 is an EU-wide network of specially
protected areas intended to ensure the long-term
survival of Europe’s most valuable habitats
and species, while supporting a healthy
environment for EU citizens. It currently
covers about 20% of the land territory of
the EU’s older member states, and is in
the process of being extended to its newest
members in Central and Eastern Europe and
the Mediterranean.
Natura 2000 is also expanding the network
in marine areas, and even non-EU countries,
including those in the Dinaric Arc and Turkey,
are starting to follow similar conservation
approaches as part of their efforts towards
EU accession.
“The decision to extend Natura 2000 for
the first time to Central and Eastern Europe,
where much of the EU's greatest natural
wealth lies, comes none too soon,” Beckmann
added.
“The additional protection will help save
many of these areas against mounting pressure
from unsustainable development.”
The establishment of the Natura 2000 network
also fulfills part of the obligations of
the EU and its member states under the UN
Convention on Biological Diversity.
Alberto Arroyo Schnell, Natura 2000 Coordinator
WWF International
Andreas Beckmann, Deputy Director
WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme
