What is the progress with the national designation of protected areas as a tool for biodiversity conservation?

Policy Question

Indicator codes: CSI 008 , SEBI 007

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Key messages

(05 Jul 2010)

The total area of nationally designated protected areas in Europe _⁽²⁾ has increased over time. The total area of nationally designated sites in 39 European countries was around 1 million square kilometres in 2007. In EECCA countries, the total area of nationally designated sites is at least 1.8 million square kilometres (for 30 % of sites no size information is available).

This quantitative information needs to be complemented by a qualitative assessment of the effectiveness as a tool for conserving biodiversity, including good management practices, and representativeness of the network of designated areas.

^₍₂₎^{_{A 'Nationally Designated Area' is an area designated by a national instrument based on national legislation. If a country has included in its legislation the sites designated under the EU Birds and Habitats Directive, the Natura 2000 sites of this country are included in the total area.}}

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