20.05.2020. European Natura 2000 Day refers to 21 May 1992, when both the EU Habitats Directive and the LIFE programme were approved. This Directive together with the Birds Directive (adopted in 1979) became a basis for the EU’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Today, Natura 2000 consists of more than 27,800 sites on EU land and sea that successfully contribute to the preservation of Europe’s unique natural heritage.
The Iberian Centre for Research and Fight against Forest Fires (CILIFO) joins the celebration of this day directly related to the climate change, since the project bets on a cross-border cooperation area of the Euroregion Alentejo-Algarve-Andalusia with a bet of measures towards the prevention and extinction of forest fires in the cooperation area. CILIFO is being developed thanks to the collaboration of a public-private partnership made up of public research bodies, non-profit organisations of public interest and public administrations, all with the common objective of fighting forest fires.
According to the European Commission’s website, to celebrate the Natura 2000 network, one of the EU’s most outstanding achievements, and to honour the efforts of all those involved in making it a success, the European Commission together with the European Parliament, the Council Presidency and the Committee of the Regions declared 21 May as the European Natura 2000 Day.
In 2020, the European Natura 2000 Day will put the focus on “young people and nature” with the aim of inspiring them to commit themselves to the protection and restoration of nature. Given the current situation with COVID-19 in Europe, this special day is celebrated on social networks with the hashtags #Natura2000 or #Natura2000Day
About Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a European ecological network of biodiversity conservation areas. It consists of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) established under the Habitats Directive and Special Protection Areas for birds (SPAs) designated under the Birds Directive. Their purpose is to ensure the long-term survival of species and habitat types in Europe by helping to halt the loss of biodiversity. It is the main instrument for nature conservation in the European Union.
For more information on Natura 2000: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/index_en.htm
Contact: Beatriz Martinez (EU Project Officer at Fundación Finnova) beatriz.martinez@finnova.eu