Editing Natura 2000 (section)

==History==
In May 1992, the governments of the [[History of the European Communities (1973–1993)|European Communities]] adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened [[habitat]]s and [[species]] across Europe. The [[Habitats Directive]] complements the [[Birds Directive]] adopted in 1979, and together they make up the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

The Birds Directive requires the establishment of [[Special Protection Area]]s for birds. The Habitats Directive similarly requires [[Sites of Community Importance]] which upon the agreement of the European Commission become [[Special Areas of Conservation]] to be designated for species other than birds, and for habitat types (e.g. particular types of forest, grasslands, wetlands, etc.). Together, Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation form the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

The Natura 2000 network is the EU contribution to the "[[Emerald network]]" of Areas of Special Conservation Interest set up under the [[Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats|Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats]]. Natura 2000 is also a key contribution to the Program of Work of Protected Areas of the [[Convention on Biological Diversity]].

As a prerequisite for joining the EU, accession states have to submit proposals for Natura 2000 sites meeting the same criteria as EU member states. Some new member states have large areas which qualify to be protected under the directives, and implementation has not always been simple.<ref name="RP">{{cite journal|first=Peter |last=Abran |title=Gospodărirea pădurilor în siturile Nature 2000 din România - probleme prezente și perspective |trans-title=Forest management in the Natura 2000 ecological network in Romania – present problems and perspectives |language=ro |journal=[[Revista pădurilor]]|issn=1583-7890 |volume=127 |issue=1 |pages=21–27 |date=January 2012|url=http://revistapadurilor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Revista-Padurilor-nr-1-2012-anul-127.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715143329/http://revistapadurilor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Revista-Padurilor-nr-1-2012-anul-127.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-15 |url-status=live |id=16782 |access-date=9 August 2023}} (abstract in English on p.&nbsp;27.)</ref>

The Natura 2000 sites are selected by member states and the European Commission following strictly scientific criteria according to the two directives mentioned above. The Special Protection Areas are designated directly by each [[Member state of the European Union|EU member state]], while the Special Areas of Conservation follow a more elaborate process: each EU member state must compile a list of the best wildlife areas containing the habitats and species listed in the Habitats Directive; this list must then be submitted to the [[European Commission]], after which an evaluation and selection process on European level will take place in order to become a Natura 2000 site.

The Habitats Directive divides the EU territory into [[Biogeographic regions of Europe|nine biogeographic regions]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/biogeog_regions/ |title=The Natura 2000 Biogeographical Regions |publisher=European Commission Directorate-General for Environment |access-date=9 August 2023 |date=29 May 2015}}</ref> each with its own ecological coherence. Natura 2000 sites are selected according to the conditions in each biogeographical region; thus selected sites represent species and habitat types under similar natural conditions across a suite of countries.

Each Natura 2000 site has a unique identification form called a standard data form. This form is used as a legal reference when assessing the management of the species and habitats through the concept of favourable conservation status. The Natura 2000 Viewer<ref>[http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/ Natura 2000 network viewer] last retrieved 31-10-14</ref> is a tool to explore the network and gives access to every standard data form.