TIRANA, Aug 4 /ATA/ – As Albania aspires to join the European Union, the country has an obligation to identify and protect natural heritage areas of high conservation interest for the EU, by determining, declaring and protecting a number of specially protected sites included in the Nature 2000 Network.
Agriculture and environmental experts, who are working to align the country’s legislation with the EU acquis in the field of nature protection, said that the objective of the Nature 2000 Network sites is to ensure the long-term survival of species and habitats according to the definitions of two European directives, namely the EU birds and habitats directives.
According to the experts, the directives form the cornerstones of Europe’s legislation on nature conservation. These directives are a means by which the European Union delivers on its obligations under the Bern Convention.
The overall objective of the two directives is to ensure that the species and habitat types they protect are maintained, or restored, to a favourable conservation status throughout their natural range within the EU. The directives aim not only halting their further decline or disappearance, but ensuring that the species and habitats recover sufficiently to enable them to flourish over the long-term.
Experts say that a network of Nature 2000 sites has been announced throughout Europe (including Albania) to protect those habitats and species of European importance. This network consists of Special Conservation Areas (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs), established under the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC2) and the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC)3.
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