Natura 2000 is the network of nature conservation sites in the European Union (EU). In August 2022, the network comprised 27,031 sites throughout the territories of the 27 member states. On-going development of the network is the centrepiece of EU policy with regard to the conservation of nature and biodiversity. All of the sites can be accessed on the European Environment Agency’s Natura 2000 Network Viewer at http://natura2000.eea.europa.eu/.

Heritage is that which is inherited from past generations, maintained by present generations, and bestowed to future generations. Natural heritage comprises two main kinds: the living and the non-living.

The living heritage includes the biodiversity of the coastal strip, its life forms, the communities and ecosystems that these life forms create, the habitats that support them and/or that they comprise or make, and the protected areas that evidence their value to society and the common good.

The non-living resources include the rocky foundation of the coastline, its geological structures and geomorphological features, the legacy of past ice ages, water, air, soil, landscape, etc.

Further reading

• Natura 2000 leaflet