Croatia declares NATURA 2000 network

At today’s session Croatian Government has passed Regulation on Ecological Network!
With the adoption of this Regulation, the Republic of Croatia declared its ecological network which is basis for the future NATURA 2000 network. This was one of the the most important tasks regarding nature conservation in the EU accession process.
NATURA 2000 is an ecological network made up of areas important for the conservation of threatened taxa and habitat types in the European Union. Its objective is to conserve or re-establish a favourable state for more than a thousand threatened and rare taxa, and approximately 230 natural and semi-natural habitat types.
In order for ecological network to become the territory of the European Natura 2000 network it is necessary to hold so called biogeographical seminars. Seminars are coordinated by the EU, and the process will include civil society organizations dealing with the protection of nature in Croatia. Biogeographical seminars should be conducted over the next three years, and Sunce is preparing for them as part of the project Together for Conservation of Nature – NATURA 2000 in Croatia.
During biogeographical seminars, based on scientific data, suggested NATURA 2000 network in Croatia can be reduced or increased. The role of Sunce is to ensure that all areas of Croatia, which meet the criteria, become part of the EU Natura 2000 network.
Of course, when it is declared it is upon all of us to protect these areas, species and habitats in practice and fulfill all the commitments we have undertaken joining the EU.
Incidentally this obligation Croatia had to meet before joining the EU, but for unknown reasons this is happening just now. We certainly welcome this  decision as this delay threatened Croatia with financial sanctions in the form of withholding EU funds for nature conservation.