The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, highlighted the value of the Activa Red Natura 2000 initiative during her speech at the project completion ceremony held today at the ministry’s headquarters. The initiative, which has had the participation of different NGOs, public administrations, companies and the co-financing of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment with 500,000 euros, has served to make millions of Spaniards aware of the importance of the Natura 2000 Network, a European ecological network for the conservation of biodiversity.

Activa Red Natura 2000 has shown the need to conserve the natural capital of Spain, the richest country in biodiversity in the European Union, through the documentary series “Red Natura 2000” on TVE 2, the news on the website of the Efe Agency or the campaign of the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network.

Isabel García Tejerina stressed the importance of continuing with this awareness-raising work in order for citizens to know the Natura 2000 Network. In the 25 years it has been in existence, the Network has managed to protect 27% of the land surface in Spain and 8% of the marine environment, which represents 19% of the total protected area in the EU. In addition, three out of four of the areas protected by the Network already have a management plan.

“This firm commitment of our country to the protection of its biodiversity through the Network has allowed the creation of 1,467 Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and 643 Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs), two figures that are a reason for special satisfaction for this Government,” added the minister.

Together with the Habitats Directive, the Natura 2000 Network has served to unify conservation policies within the EU without forgetting economic development, thus creating a binomial that improves the environmental quality and the economy of the region.