Generalna Dyrekcja
Ochrony Środowiska

Definition of Natura 2000 sites and the network characteristics

Natura 2000 sites are the most recent form of nature conservation, introduced in Poland in 2004 to meet one of the requirements for Poland’s accession to the European Union. These sites are established in all Member States, creating the EU ecological network of Natura 2000 protected areas.

The main aim of the operation of the European ecological network “Natura 2000” is to preserve certain types of natural habitats and species considered valuable and endangered throughout Europe. Protection of biodiversity is its second aim.

The program is regulated by two EU directives – Birds Directive and Habitats Directive:

• Birds Directive (Council Directive 2009/147/EC of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds – formerly Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds) defines the criteria for the designation of special protection areas for endangered bird species;

• Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) lays down the rules for the protection of other animal species, as well as plants and natural habitats, and the procedures for the protection of areas of particular environmental interest.

Pursuant to these legal acts, each Member State of the European Union is obliged to provide natural habitats and the species listed in the Annexes to the Habitats and Birds Directives with conditions conducive to their protection or to restore their good condition. This includes the designation and protection of areas where these habitats and species occur.

The Directives designate two types of areas:

• bird areas – officially “special protection areas” (SPAs);
• habitat areas – officially “Sites of Community Importance” (SCIs)/“Special Areas of Conservation” (SACs).

Special protection areas are designated to protect wild bird populations of one or more species. They are determined individually by each country, based on identified criteria. The European Commission verifies whether the national network of areas includes all important bird sanctuaries in a given country and whether the designated areas make up a coherent whole.

In the case of special areas of conservation, each Member State compiles and submits to the European Commission a list of its areas that are the most valuable in nature terms and meet the species and habitat requirements of the Habitats Directive. After the list has been submitted, the areas are assigned to biogeographical regions, selected and then evaluated. The Biogeographic Seminar, during which the completeness of the network is assessed with respect to each species and protected area, is the key element of this procedure. Then, the European Commission approves, by way of its decision, specific areas as Sites of Community Importance (SCIs). From then on, they have the Natura 2000 site status. Member States are obliged to designate these sanctuaries as special areas of conservation within six years of the Commission’s decision.

What is of key importance when designating Natura 2000 sites are the natural values of a given area. Social and economic conditions are analyzed and taken into account in the process of developing management plans for particular areas. Each Natura 2000 site has its documentation that consists of:

• Standard Data Form (SDF), containing the most important information about the location and area of the site, habitat types and species covered by Natura 2000 present on the site, their population or representativeness on a national scale, the quality and importance of the site and threats thereto;
• digital map in a vector form.

The Standard Data Form and maps are updated in line with the progress in the knowledge of the occurrence of natural resources in the Natura 2000 site (inventory, environmental monitoring), in accordance with the procedure specified by the European Commission.

A Natura 2000 site may cover some or all of areas and objects covered by other forms of nature conservation.

The creation of Natura 2000 – a global phenomenon in the field of international, area-based nature conservation – confirms that the protection of endangered biodiversity in Europe is one of the priorities of the EU activities.