EU Nature Protection Legislation – Focus on Site Protection

The Habitats Directive is based on two pillars:

• the Natura 2000 network of protected sites;
• the strict system of species protection.

The directive protects approximately 1,000 animal and plant species and over 200 types of habitat, such as special types of forests, meadows, wetlands, etc., which are of great importance for Europe. The Member States identify and propose an exhaustive list of the sites, which, at national level, have an ecological interest which is relevant from the point of view of the Habitats Directive's objectives. The Commission establishes a European list by selecting sites from Member State proposals to ensure a favourable conservation of habitats and species on a European scale.

Source: Joseph van der Stegen, DG Environment, European Commission