Brussels, 15/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - With the integration of 4255 new and substantial Community sites, representing a total surface area of around 90,000 km2, the Natura European network of natural habitats protected under the “Habitats” directive (92/43/ECC) has broadened out.
On Tuesday 13 November, the European Commission decided to extend the geographical cover of the network by adding a first ever list of sites in the Pannonian region (Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia) to the bio-geographical regions already covered (Atlantic, Continental, Alpine, Mediterranean, Boreal, Macaronesian). As well as updating the list of Atlantic, Boreal and Continental sites to include territories of member states which joined the EU in 2004, it also added a substantial number of large Community sites in several older member states (France, Germany, Spain and Italy). The addition of vast maritime environment zones on coastlines (Germany proposed more than 8000 km2) also constitutes a new development.
In a press release, Stavros Dimas, the commissioner for the environment was pleased to announce that “Protecting biodiversity is an important priority for the European Union. The Natura 2000 network is the cornerstone of EU biodiversity policy, and a key element in the fight to halt biodiversity loss by 2010”.
The Commission is due to update the Community lists for the Alpine and the Macaronesian bio-geographical regions later this year, and the list for the Mediterranean biogeographical region in January 2008. (A.N.)