EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

the European Commission in December
2007. According to this report, only one
fourth of these protected habitat types and
species show a favourable conser vation status
in Germany. As far as the beech forests
are concerned, the ratings of the individual
forest habitat types in the three German
biogeographic regions show noticeable disparities.
Th e German Natura 2000 network comprises
substantial portions of the Atlantic
and continental region as well as a narrow
strip of the alpine region. With in excess of
5,000 German Natura 2000 areas, about
15% of the country’s territory have by now
been recorded – beside maritime regions –,
making for more than 10% of the Nature
2000 areas reported throughout the EU.
More than 50% of the area of protected
habitat types throughout the special areas of
conservation are forest habitat types. With
almost 800,000 ha, about two percent
of the German territory is protected under
the Natura 2000 regime as forest habitat
types. Th e Natura 2000 network comprises
the fi ve most important beech forest types
in Germany (LRT 9110, 9120, 9130, 9140,
9150).
Special protected areas are also to be selected
for the roughly 190 species detailed in annex
I of the Birds Directive for their suitability
as regards both numbers and sur face areas.
For migratory bird species appear ing on a
periodical basis, there is the obligation take
adequate action to protect their reproduction,
moulting, and hibernation areas as
well as their resting places located on their
migration paths.
While the nominated beech forest areas
form part of the Natura 2000 network, the
concrete measures taken to implement the
Natura 2000 goals are part of the management
plans. Th e Länder have already esta-
5. PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PROPERTY
blished the Natura 2000 European system
of protected areas taking account of the
stipulations of the Federal Nature Conservation
Act. Implementation in the Länder
ensures the Natura 2000 network to be
under legal protection.
Other legal provisions of the
European Union
Other relevant legal provisions of the European
Union include the environmental
compatibility directive for projects (environmental
impact assessment, EIA Directive:
Council Directive of 27 June 1985 on
the assessment of the eff ects of certain public
and private projects on the environment
(85 / 337EEC) (OJ EC No. L 175 / 40), as
amended by the Directive 97 / 11 / EC
of 3 March 1997, OJ EC No. L 73 / 5, and
the Directive 2003 / 35 / EC of 26 May
2003, OJ EC No. L 156 / 17.), the Directive
on Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment
(Parliament and Council Directive
2001 / 42 / EC of 27 June 2001 on the
assessment of the eff ects of certain plans and
programmes on the environment) that
are of prime importance for the evaluation
of the environmental consequences of
political actions, plans, and concrete projects,
as well as the Directive on the Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control (Parliament
and Council Directive 2008 / 1 / EC
of 15 January 2008 concerning integrated
pollution prevention and control). According
to German law, the directives are
implemented by an act or an ordinance.
National Biodiversity Strategy 1
On a national level, the National Biodiversity
Strategy adopted by the federal cabinet
on 7 November 2007, is of signifi cance.
It is a future vision of the Federal Government
and outlines about 330 objectives and
430 concrete protagonist-related measures
Nationale
Naturlandschaften
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