Foi lançado o Natura 2000 viewer and database

Dear colleagues 

This is to inform you about the release of the GIS-based public Natura 2000 Viewer that gives easy access to Natura 2000 information in the EU and has published the respective Natura 2000 database, making Natura 2000 data for the first time available to the general public at the EU-level. Both are now online and available through the EEA website at the following addresses: Natura 2000 viewer Natura 2000 database Both can also be also accessed through DG Environment's Nature & Biodiversity website. As you know, the Natura 2000 network of protected sites is a corner-stone of the EU's biodiversity policy, comprising now nearly 26000 sites and covering close to 18% of the EU's territory. The need for public information on this network has risen continuously over the last years within and outside the Commission. The tools are a results of a fruitful collaboration between the European Commission, the European Environment Agency and its European Topic Centre on Biodiversity, as well as EU Member States, who are sharing a common vision on the need for transparency and open data exchange. It will now be much easier for everyone to locate specific Natura 2000 sites and find relevant information linked to the sites. The tools are building upon applications initially developed for internal use and accessible on the Intranet to all Commission staff. We hope that this will respond to the general public's interest in Natura 2000 and serve as a useful instrument within the Commission but also for research, education and outreach and also facilitate the work on integrating conservation concerns into relevant EU-policies, such as agriculture, transport, fisheries, cohesion, and others. We will continue to improve the tool over time so do not hesitate to give us your suggestions for improvement. Please feel free to circulate this information to all those who might be interested.

Stefan Leiner Acting Head of Unit Natura 2000 Unit - ENV B.3 European Commission Environment Directorate-General tel. +32 2 299 50 68; fax +32 2 299 08 95 stefan.leiner@ec.europa.eu