Visitors’ Site Guide
Natura 2000 Sites in the Maltese Islands Julie Tabone In attempting to slow down a global species extinction rate which is 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the natural background rate, and with about one species lost every 20 minutes, the European Community devised a network of protected areas in EU countries called Natura 2000 Network aimed at stabilising, and at most reversing, this trend in the EU The EU Nature Directives play a crucial role in this respect. The Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora) sets out the requirement for the protection of European habitats and species (other than birds) of European importance, and requires Member States to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to form part of the Natura 2000 network. The Birds Directive (Council Directive 2009/147/EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds) sets out the requirement for the protection of threatened European bird species, including migratory birds and their habitats by designating and managing Special Protection Areas (SPAs), sites which also form part of the Natura 2000 network. In total, the Natura 2000 network contains over 25,000 sites (SACs and SPAs combined), covering 17% of EU territory. Natura 2000 status in Malta The Malta Environment & Planning Authority (MEPA) is the lead national agency responsible for nature protection and conservation, including the formulation and implementation of a national strategy aimed at the protection of biodiversity within the targets set by the European Union, as well as the designation, regulation and management of protected areas nationwide, including Natura 2000 sites, forming part of the Natura 2000 network.
The legal requirement for the designation and management of Natura 2000 sites is mainly provided by the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (Legal Notice 311 of 2006 as amended), and the Conservation of Wild Birds Regulations (Legal Notice 79 of 2006 as amended) published under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 2001 (Chapter 435) and under the Development Planning Act, 1992 (Chapter 356). These regulations largely transpose the obligations of the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. On the basis of the criteria established in the relevant legislation, Malta proposed its eligible sites as Natura 2000 sites comprising of SACs under the Habitats Directive and SPAs under the Birds Directive. To date, Malta has designated a total of 32 SACs of International Importance – 27 terrestrial sites covering over 13% of the land area of the Maltese Islands and five marine sites which have been included in the Natura 2000 network. Malta has also designated 13 terrestrial SPAs covering about 5% of the land area, all of which have also been included in the Natura 2000 network. In six cases, the area of an SPA overlaps entirely with that of an SAC. Summing up the above, Malta has designated a total of 39 terrestrial Natura 2000 sites: 32 terrestrial SACs (including six SPAs) and seven SPAs.
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