Natura 2000 network

A system of natural and seminatural areas protected by the European Union

The Region deals with the overall management of the territorial system of protected areas and Natura 2000 network sites (PDF - 25.5 KB) (n. 158), by adopting recommendations and laws for their establishment, their planning and management, in behalf of the Italian Ministry for Environment and of the European Commission, by coordinating the work of the management bodies.

Natura 200 is the organized system (network) of those areas (sites and areas) destined to the conservation of biodiversity overall the European Union territory, and in particular to the protection of habitats (forests, grasslands, rocky environments, wetlands) and of wild fauna and flora species that are threatened or endangered.

The Natura 2000 ecological network was born from the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC and bases on the designation of areas of particular environmental value defined as Sites of Community Importance (SCI), that go together with the Special Protection Areas (SPAs) foreseen by the Birds Directive 2009/147/EC, that replaced the original 79/409/EEC.