Introducing Natura 2000

Little Tern with chick at a nest on the Ria de Alvor

This and the following three pages provide in web format the leaflet 'Introducing Natura 2000'. (Alternatively the original leaflet can be downloaded by clicking below.) The first page summarises what Natura 2000 is, and how it hopes to achieve conservation of threatened habitats and species across Europe. Descriptions of the A Rocha sites in Portugal (page two) and France (page three) are then given, as both are designated as Natura 2000 sites. The final page looks at the wider A Rocha picture with respect to the Natura 2000 network.

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PDF version of "A Rocha and Natura 2000" (405 KB)

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Natura 2000 is the name given to the network of sites that have been designated by the European Union (EU) to ensure the continued conservation of important habitats and species. Currently, Europe's wildlife faces considerable threats and pressures, such as loss or degradation of habitats and disturbance from human activities. The populations of numerous plants and animals are still in rapid decline, with many now threatened and some even facing extinction. Hopefully, the Natura 2000 network will help to halt, and even reverse, this worrying process.

The aim of the Natura 2000 network is to maintain the habitats and species in a favourable condition to ensure their future survival. However, this does not mean an end to all economic and recreational activities. Instead, it means that care must be taken to ensure that human activities in these areas do not damage the wildlife and habitats, and that only appropriate land management activities are allowed.

To this end, initial designation as a Natura 2000 site is only the beginning of a long-term commitment. Detailed management plans will be completed for sites where

Algarvian Toadflax, Portugal

necessary, to ensure the aims for each area are realised. A Rocha is working alongside other organisations to conserve and enhance threatened habitats and species, including work at Natura 2000 sites in Portugal, France and elsewhere. A Rocha's research and monitoring programmes have resulted in the provision of valuable data on the current condition of these sites. This has been used during site designation and management planning.

The Natura 2000 network represents about a fifth of the total land area of the EU and consists of the following two types of site:

Special Protection Areas (SPAs) were created under the Birds Directive (adopted in 1979) to ensure the long-term protection and management of all wild bird species and their habitats, giving particular priority to the conservation of wetlands.
Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) were designated to conserve the important habitats, plants and animals listed in the Habitats Directive (adopted in 1992). These include habitats with a small range or those that are suffering from rapid loss, such as peat bogs, dunes and heathlands, as well as examples of habitats that are characteristic of Europe. They are also designated to protect species that are endangered, in decline or endemic.