Natura 2000 sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives

Assessment versions

Published (reviewed and quality assured)

• No published assessments

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

Main advantages of the indicator

• Policy relevance: the indicator provides direct evidence of the implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives, making it highly relevant for Member States and EU nature conservation policy.
• Measuring progress in implementing actions towards Target 1 of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020: more specifically, Action 1a largely completes the establishment of the Natura 2000 Network, including in the marine environment
• Assessment of progress compared with Aichi Target 11: this target aims to conserve at least 17 % of terrestrial and inland water areas by 2020.
• Established mechanism and methodology: within the EU Member States, there are already processes in place for the compilation of information on Natura 2000 sites at both national and regional levels. This indicator is clear and shows growth in the total area of the network.

Scientific references

• No rationale references available

Indicator definition

This indicator shows the current status of implementation of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) by EU Member States. It does this by showing trends in spatial coverage of special protection areas (SPAs) designated under the Birds Directive, sites and proposed sites of Community importance (SCIs) and special areas of conservation (SACs) designated under the Habitats Directive, as well as the net area of the Natura 2000 network.  

The net percentage of Natura 2000 areas helps to evaluate progress in reaching Aichi Target 11.

Units

The units used in the indicator are the square kilometre (km2) for area.

Policy context and targets

Context description

Context description

The establishment of designated sites under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives is a direct response to concerns over biodiversity loss. An indicator of the change in coverage of these sites is a valuable indication of commitment to conserving biodiversity and reducing its loss.

The Habitats and Birds Directives aim to conserve natural habitats and wild fauna and flora within the European Union. Member States are required to propose sites for protecting the habitats and species listed in the Annexes to the Directives.

Under the Birds Directive, Member States designate special protection action areas (SPAs). The sites designated under the Habitats Directive include proposed sites of Community importance (pSCIs), sites of Community importance (SCIs) and special areas of conservation (SACs). The Natura 2000 network is composed of SPAs, pSCIs, SCIs and SACs. Once the lists of SCIs have been adopted, Member States must designate them as SACs as soon as possible and within six years at most.

Targets

Global Aichi biodiversity target 11:
By 2020, at least 17 % of terrestrial and inland water areas, and 10 % of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.

2020 EU biodiversity targets — Target 1: Fully implement the Birds and the Habitats Directives
Action 1: Complete the establishment of the Natura 2000 network and ensure good management.

Related policy documents

• EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy
  in the Communication: Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 (COM(2011) 244) the European Commission has adopted a new strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. There are six main targets, and 20 actions to help Europe reach its goal. The six targets cover: - Full implementation of EU nature legislation to protect biodiversity - Better protection for ecosystems, and more use of green infrastructure - More sustainable agriculture and forestry - Better management of fish stocks - Tighter controls on invasive alien species - A bigger EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss
• EU Action Plan for nature, people and the economy
  Following a thorough evaluation of the Birds and Habitats Directives, the European Commission has adopted the Action Plan for nature, people and the economy  to improve their implementation and boost their contribution towards reaching the EU's biodiversity targets for 2020. The Action Plan focuses on four priority areas and comprises 15 actions to be carried out by end 2019. The Plan is complemented by detailed factsheets providing more information on each of the 15 actions. Measures will be taken at EU level, but Member States and stakeholders concerned will also need to act, with increased support and assistance from the European Commission.
• EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
  The European Commission has adopted the new  EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and an associated Action Plan (annex)  - a comprehensive, ambitious, long-term plan for protecting nature and reversing the degradation of ecosystems. It aims to put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 with benefits for people, the climate and the planet. It aims to build our societies’ resilience to future threats such as climate change impacts, forest fires, food insecurity or disease outbreaks, including by protecting wildlife and fighting illegal wildlife trade. A core part of the  European Green Deal , the Biodiversity Strategy will also support a green recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, including Aichi Biodiversity Targets
  In decision X/2, the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, held from 18 to 29 October 2010, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, adopted a revised and updated Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, for the 2011-2020 period. This Plan provides an overarching framework on biodiversity, not only for the biodiversity-related conventions, but for the entire United Nations system and all other partners engaged in biodiversity management and policy development.

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Trends in proposals for sites designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives

The sum of the area (km²) of each site is registered in the annual versions of the Geographic Information System (GIS) Natura 2000 database and grouped per year of proposal/designation.

The figures relating to the total area of Natura 2000 sites have been obtained through GIS analysis. This avoids any risk of double counting sites that have been designated under both Directives. The calculation of the Natura 2000 area has only been available since 2011. Since 2005, the area calculation for SPAs and SCIs has also been based on GIS data, but before this date tabular data were used. 

Information is collected from national authorities by DG Environment and processed by the European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity (ETC/BD). Further improvements on data flows are under discussion.

Methodology for gap filling

No gap filling is used in this indicator.

Methodology references

No methodology references available.

Data specifications

EEA data references

• Biogeographical regions provided by European Environment Agency (EEA)

External data references

• Natura 2000 barometer

Data sources in latest figures

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified

Data sets uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified

Rationale uncertainty

The main disadvantage of this indicator is that it only covers EU Member States.