The European inventory of Nationally designated areas holds information about designated areas and their designation types, which directly or indirectly create protected areas. The Nationally designated areas is the official source of protected area information from the 38 European member countries to the World Database of Protected Areas (WDPA). The Nationally designated areas data can be queried online in the European Nature Information System (EUNIS). Two versions of the public dataset are provided. The full dataset includes the entire geographical coverage including nationally designated areas in overseas entities. The European dataset excludes the overseas entities. The datasets are accompanied by tabular data which 1) includes information on the nationally designated sites and designated boundaries for public dissemination; and 2) contains information about designation types and the national and international legislative instruments, which directly or indirectly create protected designated areas in Europe.
Natura 2000 (N2K) is a network of core breeding and resting sites for rare and threatened species, as well as for some rare natural habitat types which are protected in their own right. It stretches across all EU member states, both on land and at sea. The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats that are listed under the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. Previously, in 2015 a selection of N2K grassland-rich sites (chosen from within five grassland habitats types, namely, 6210, 6240, 6250, 6510 and 6520) and covering approx. 160.000 km2 was mapped, including a 2 km buffer to allow for an analysis of pressures and threats. The mapping product offered a detailed LC/LU product applying a hierarchical nomenclature with 62 classes. The selected sites were mapped for both the 2006 and 2012 reference years. In 2017, to allow for a harmonisation of the nomenclatures applied to the different hot-spot products (Riparian Zones, N2K and the future Coastal Zone product), a revision of the nomenclature was undertaken which resulted in a reduction of classes. The N2K status layer now differentiates 55 thematic LC/LU classes. Due to the revision of the nomenclature the original dataset had to be re-coded (the old dataset is discontinued) and the new dataset, with an increased area, offers currently a LC/LU product covering approximately 630.000 km2. The production of N2K updates was coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in the frame of the EU Copernicus programme.
Natura 2000 (N2K) is a network of core breeding and resting sites for rare and threatened species, as well as for some rare natural habitat types which are protected in their own right. It stretches across all EU member states, both on land and at sea. The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats that are listed under the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. Previously, in 2015 a selection of N2K grassland-rich sites (chosen from within five grassland habitats types, namely, 6210, 6240, 6250, 6510 and 6520) and covering approx. 160.000 km2 was mapped, including a 2 km buffer to allow for an analysis of pressures and threats. The mapping product offered a detailed LC/LU product applying a hierarchical nomenclature with 62 classes. The selected sites were mapped for both the 2006 and 2012 reference years. In 2017, to allow for a harmonisation of the nomenclatures applied to the different hot-spot products (Riparian Zones, N2K and the future Coastal Zone product), a revision of the nomenclature was undertaken which resulted in a reduction of classes. The N2K status layer now differentiates 55 thematic LC/LU classes. Due to the revision of the nomenclature the original dataset had to be re-coded (the old dataset is discontinued) and the new dataset, with an increased area, offers currently a LC/LU product covering approximately 630.000 km2. The production of N2K updates was coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in the frame of the EU Copernicus programme.
Natura 2000 (an EU-wide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive) is the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy. The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. A selection of Natura 2000 grassland-rich sites (5 grassland habitats types 6210, 6240, 6250, 6510 and 6520, including a 2km buffer and covering approx. 160.000 km2) sites was mapped in order to assess their actual area, their condition and their development over time. Land Cover/Land Use (LC/LU) classification was tailored to the needs of biodiversity monitoring in a buffer zone of selected Natura 2000 sites. LC/LU information is extracted from VHR satellite data and other available data in a buffer zone of selected N2K sites for supporting biodiversity monitoring and mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. The classes follow the pre-defined nomenclature on the basis of MAES typology of ecosystems (Level 1 to Level 4) and Corine Land Cover (CLC). The Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) is 0.5 ha; the Minimum Mapping Width (MMW) is 10 m. The production of the Natura 2000 updates was coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in the frame of the EU Copernicus programme.
Natura 2000 (an EU-wide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive) is the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy. The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. A selection of Natura 2000 grassland-rich sites (5 grassland habitats types 6210, 6240, 6250, 6510 and 6520, including a 2km buffer and covering approx. 160.000 km2) sites was mapped in order to assess their actual area, their condition and their development over time. Land Cover/Land Use (LC/LU) classification was tailored to the needs of biodiversity monitoring in a buffer zone of selected Natura 2000 sites. LC/LU information is extracted from VHR satellite data and other available data in a buffer zone of selected N2K sites for supporting biodiversity monitoring and mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. The classes follow the pre-defined nomenclature on the basis of MAES typology of ecosystems (Level 1 to Level 4) and Corine Land Cover (CLC). The Minimum Mapping Unit (MMU) is 0.5 ha; the Minimum Mapping Width (MMW) is 10 m. The production of the Natura 2000 updates was coordinated by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in the frame of the EU Copernicus programme.