In order to safeguard Europe’s biodiversity, an EU-wide ecological network of special areas of conservation is being established under the 1992 Habitats Directive — the Natura 2000 network. Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora. The Natura 2000 network, also encompasses Council directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds. The Birds Directive provides for the creation of "Special Protection Areas" and the Habitat Directive for the creation of "Special Areas of Conservation".

Biodiversity is increasingly reduced by human activity. Worldwide, the current global species extinction rate by far exceeds the natural extinction rate. This rate of loss is projected to accelerate ten-fold by 2050. The principle causes of this loss are changes in habitats because of human development (such as intensive production systems, construction, extractive industries), invasions of alien species, over-exploitation (fishing, hunting, collection), pollution and global climate change.

The Natura 2000 network comprises over 18 000 sites, covers around 17.5% of the territory of the 15 "old" EU Member States (an area almost as large as France) and is now being extended to the new Member States.

The EU has been split into seven bio-geographical regions (Pannonian, Boreal, Continental, Atlantic, Alpine, Macaronesian and Mediterranean). For each bio-geographical region, Member States propose to the Commission a list of sites selected on the basis of criteria contained in the Habitats Directive. The Commission evaluates these proposals in order to create a coherent ecological network of sites. It does this with the assistance of the European Environmental Agency and experts from Member States and NGOs.

The list for the Macaronesian region (Madeira, Azores and Canary islands) was adopted by the Commission on 28 December 2001. The list for the Alpine region was adopted on 22 December 2003. The lists for the Atlantic and Continental regions, on 7 December 2004 and the list for the Boreal region (Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and part of Luthania) on 13 January 2005. The Commission still has to adopt the remaining EU-15 list of sites of Community importance for the Mediterranean region.

Next steps. The Commission will extend the Natura 2000 network to the ten Member States who joined the EU on 1 May 2004. On the basis of the site proposals from new Member States and after a scientific evaluation of the provided data, it will update the Alpine, Boreal, Continental and Mediterranean lists and adopt the EU list for the Pannonian region, which covers the territory of Hungary and part of Slovakia and of the Czech Republic.

All the new Member States have sent their lists of proposals. These are now being discussed in the framework of bio-geographical seminars extended to the new Member States. The first such seminar took place on 30-31 May, concerning the Alpine region. Bilateral contacts have taken place with Malta and Cyprus as far as the Mediterranean region is concerned. Another seminar will take place on 26-27 September in Hungary for the Pannonian region. The aim is to complete this round of seminars by Spring 2006.

Financing. Limited but effective co-financing of Natura 2000 has been provided through the LIFE fund. For 2005-06, LIFE has a budget of around € 300 million a year and almost half of this is earmarked for nature protection. For 2007, a new LIFE+ programme has been proposed. In future, financing for the management of Natura sites should come from EU rural and structural development funds.