Basic environmental concepts

The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, commonly known as the Bern Convention, was signed in Bern, Switzerland, by countries from Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Its objectives include:

-the conservation and protection of important species of wild fauna and flora;

-the conservation and protection of their natural habitats;

-the promotion of international cooperation in the field of nature conservation; and

-the strict protection of the most vulnerable and threatened species, including migratory species.

By March 2005, the Bern Convention had been ratified by 45 countries, including Greece.

Shortly after the adoption of the Bern Convention, the European Community adopted Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds, the cornerstone of the European Union’s policy for conserving its natural heritage.

To achieve this objective, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) were designated to safeguard wild bird populations throughout the European Union. This approach is based on two key considerations: the high mobility of birds makes their protection ineffective if limited to a single country or region; and
environmental degradation is causing the rapid loss of important habitats.

EU Member States have designated 1,740 Special Protection Areas (SPAs), covering approximately 115,970 km². These sites form the original backbone of what is now the Natura 2000 Network.

The concept of sustainability emerged as a central principle of environmental protection during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.

Faced with the growing threat of species extinction and the degradation of ecosystems, representatives of 172 countries agreed that urgent action was needed to promote a new model of economic and social development based on the conservation and protection of the environment—sustainable development.

As a result, sustainability—a concept originally derived from forestry—was adopted as a universal framework for balancing environmental protection with social and economic development.

Shortly after the Rio Earth Summit, and with the aim of promoting sustainable development and conserving biodiversity, natural habitats, and wild fauna and flora, the European Union adopted the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).

The Directive establishes a common framework for action within which Member States implement their national conservation strategies, making nature conservation a shared policy obligation at the European level. EU Member States are jointly responsible for implementing this framework.

Its overarching objective is to ensure the protection of a sufficiently large and representative network of habitats and species of European importance.

*Sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

LIFE Nature projects are closely linked to the Natura 2000 Network, as they are implemented primarily within sites of Community importance. Their purpose is to support scientific research, ecological monitoring, data collection, and the development and implementation of measures for the conservation and management of the natural environment.

These projects are limited in duration and scope and are designed as pilot initiatives. They are implemented by scientific institutions and environmental organisations in cooperation with the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture, as well as with the support of other competent authorities.

The objective of LIFE Nature projects is to test the effectiveness of conservation measures so that successful approaches can later be applied on a broader scale.

The Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) was transposed into Greek legislation in 1998 through a Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD 33318/3028/1998). Through this legal act, Greece formally assumed the obligation to protect and conserve priority habitat types and the country’s biodiversity.

Under this Joint Ministerial Decision, the designation of Natura 2000 sites is linked to the establishment of Protected Areas and the creation of National Parks, in accordance with the procedures set out in Law 1650/1986.

In April 1997, the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works (YPECHODE) prepared the National List of sites proposed for inclusion in the European Natura 2000 Network. The list included 264 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), covering approximately 26,500 km². This corresponds to around 20% of Greece’s total territory, including marine areas. Overall, the network comprised 150 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and 239 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), with some sites designated under both categories.

Greece belongs to the Mediterranean biogeographical region and supports an exceptional diversity of habitat types, ranging from the semi-arid landscapes of eastern Crete to the Scandinavian-type forests of the Rhodope Mountains, and the alpine ecosystems of Mount Olympus, Smolikas, Tymfi, and the other mountain ranges of the Pindos. Of the 255 habitat types identified across Europe, 110 occur in Greece, while 76 of the protected species listed under the Habitats Directive are also found in the country.

Greece’s first protected area, Olympus National Park, was established in 1938 under Law 856/1937. However, the first attempts to provide legal protection for the natural environment date back to 1929, when the then Ministry of Culture drafted legislation providing for the protection of forests and archaeological monuments, while prohibiting any human activity within a 500-metre radius. This approach reflected the prevailing conservation philosophy of the time, which was based on the principle of strict protection of nature.

This approach remained in place until 1986, when Greece adopted its Framework Law on the Protection of the Environment (Law 1650/1986). The law introduced a dedicated chapter on the “Protection of Nature and the Landscape”, establishing the legal basis for the designation of protected areas.

Among its most significant provisions were the classification of protected areas into five categories—Strict Nature Protection Areas, National Parks, Protected Natural Formations, Protected Landscapes and Landscape Features, and Eco-development Areas—as well as the establishment of a specific legal framework governing the designation and management of protected areas.

The establishment of Management Bodies reflected the Greek State’s policy for the conservation and protection of Sites of Community Importance within the Natura 2000 Network, while bringing national legislation into line with the relevant European legal framework.

In 1999, Law 2742/1999 (Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development and Other Provisions) was adopted. Article 15 of the law established the legal framework for the creation of Management Bodies for protected areas, defining their responsibilities and operational framework.

Management Bodies were entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities, including the preparation of management plans and operational regulations, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of conservation measures, overseeing activities and interventions within protected areas, providing opinions on spatial planning and environmental permitting, carrying out scientific studies, implementing conservation projects, conducting research, and promoting public awareness.

The governing boards of the Management Bodies included an environmental scientist with demonstrated expertise, representatives of the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, and Development, representatives of regional and local authorities (Regions, Prefectures, and Municipalities), and a representative of an environmental organisation active in the protected area.

Public information, environmental education, and awareness-raising activities related to the work of the Management Bodies were to be promoted through the establishment of Information Centres and the organisation of educational seminars. In carrying out their responsibilities, the Management Bodies were expected to cooperate with European Union institutions, international organisations, government agencies, as well as research centres, scientific institutions, and non-governmental organisations active in the field of nature conservation.

Nature and protected areas are public goods. Their effective management therefore requires the design and implementation of a participatory, collaborative, and socially inclusive model of governance. This means developing processes that reflect the interests and relationships of society, encourage constructive dialogue and debate, ensure multiple levels of oversight, and safeguard both the public character of protected areas and their protection from unsustainable government decisions or arbitrary private interventions.

Following decisions by the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works (YPECHODE), 27 Management Bodies were established to oversee the protection and management of sites within the Natura 2000 Network.

At the time, the following 27 Management Bodies had been established:

• Evros Delta Management Body
• Dadia Forest Management Body
• Lake Kerkini Management Body
• Messolonghi Lagoon Management Body
• Axios–Loudias–Aliakmonas Delta Management Body
• Koroneia–Volvi Lakes Management Body
• Alonnisos–Northern Sporades National Marine Park Management Body
• Nestos Delta–Vistonida–Ismarida Management Body
• Mount Parnon and Moustos Wetland Management Body
• Lake Pamvotida (Ioannina) Management Body
• Amvrakikos Wetlands Management Body
• Kotychi–Strofylia Wetlands Management Body
• Vikos–Aoos and Pindos National Parks Management Body
• Prespa National Park Management Body
• Mount Ainos National Park Management Body
• Mount Olympus National Park Management Body
• Samaria National Park Management Body
• Mount Parnassus National Park Management Body
• Mount Parnitha National Park Management Body
• Mount Oiti National Park Management Body
• Kalamas Straits and Estuary Management Body
• Chelmos–Vouraikos Management Body
• Rhodope Mountain Range Management Body
• Karpathos–Saria Management Body
• Karla–Mavrovouni–Kefalovryso Velestinou Management Body
• Zakynthos National Marine Park Management Body
• Schinias–Marathon National Park Management Body

It should be remembered that the protection of nature and biodiversity does not end with the legal designation of protected areas—in reality, this is where it begins. Designation is an essential first step, but it is not sufficient on its own.

Equally important is the establishment of an effective management regime: the definition and implementation of the measures, actions, and interventions required to ensure the long-term protection, organisation, and operation of protected areas. Only in this way can their conservation be achieved in practice, while also fulfilling Greece’s commitments to the European Union regarding the protection of habitats and species and accelerating the implementation of effective management measures within protected areas.

Protected areas therefore require locally based management bodies, supported by multidisciplinary teams and operating through transparent and merit-based procedures.