EU nature conservation policy is based on two main pieces of legislation - the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. The Natura 2000 network is an ecological network of sites designated for conservation as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the Habitats Directive or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Directive.
The INTERREG-IIIA Programme Complement states that “Measures grant aided by Structural Funds (including INTERREG-IIIA) must abide by the principles and objectives of sustainable development as laid down in NATURA 2000 and must comply with Commission legislation on the environment, in particular the Habitat and Birds Directives”.
Heretofore it was not easy for potential INTERREG-IIIA partnerships to get information on NATURA sites and thus evaluate the positive or negative impact of their proposal on such sites. This project addresses this issue by compiling information on NATURA 2000 sites in the Ireland/Wales INTERREG-III area by making it available in a user-friendly and accessible format.
This web service was developed by the Coastal and Marine Resources Centre (CMRC) with additional input from the national bodies responsible for NATURA 2000, National Parks and Wildlife Service in Ireland and the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) in Wales.
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