A new interactive spatial information viewer and database on the Natura 2000 network (Natura 2000 viewer and Natura 2000 database) are already available to the public.
These tools allow an easy access to information on the Natura 2000 Network in the European Union and are the result of a successful collaboration between the European Commission, the European Environment Agency and its European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity and the Member States that share a common vision about the need for transparency and the exchange of data. Any citizen may access the new tools via the following internet address:
- Natura 2000 Viewer: http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/
- Natura 2000 database: http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/natura-2000/
Hence, one expects to meet the public’s interested the Natura 2000 Network and that these new tools may become a useful tool for research, education, awareness and decision, as from now onwards it will be much easier to find all relevant information on the sites.
The Natura 2000 Network is a European ecological network that comprises areas classified as Special Areas of Conservation (an evolution of the Sites of Community Interest) and Special Protection Areas. It was created with the purpose of ensuring the survival, in the long term, of the most valuable endangered species and habitats in Europe. This network includes nearly 26 thousand sites, covering about 18% of the EU territory.
In the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the areas classified under the Natura 2000 Network integrate 15 Special Protection Areas, 25 Special Areas of Conservation and 2 Sites of Community Importance (the recently classified deep-sea Hydrothermal vents).
These 40 areas were classified by proposal of the Government of the Azores under the Birds and Habitats Directives and they cover 16% of the total land territory, corresponding to the biodiversity hotspots in the Azores, which are important for the preservation of species and communities. With the Natura 2000 data made available on the Internet, these areas are now closer to all citizens.