On 21 May 1992, the Habitats Directive was approved, the major European regulation that, together with the Birds Directive, has allowed the protection of the areas that make up the Natura 2000 Network. Despite its more than 25 years of history and its ecological, social and economic importance, the Natura 2000 Network is hardly known to the public.

For this reason, in 2013, the Biodiversity Foundation supported the Life+ Activa Natura 2000 Network project and promoted, together with SEO/BirdLife and the EFE Agency, the celebration of the European Day of the Natura 2000 Network, achieving the official declaration of the day by the European Commission. In its seventh edition, the initiative focuses on young people and the opportunities that this large network of protected areas offers for the development of people and the territory. For several days we celebrate dozens of events in the middle of nature and for the whole family.

This year the protagonists are the young people who dedicate their free time to collaborate in the conservation of the natural values of these protected areas, they are the #Followers.

In addition, since 2005 we have allocated, through our calls for grants and subsidies, more than 6 million euros to 173 projects that are developed in Natura 2000 Network areas, of which 41 are currently being executed.

We have also coordinated 5 LIFE projects developed in 350 Natura 2000 Network spaces, allocating more than 26 million euros. And in the next 6 years our work in these spaces will continue with the integrated project LIFE IP INTEMARES, investing 50 million euros more.

The challenge of INTEMARES is to manage the 8 million hectares that make up the marine Natura 2000 Network and to complete the work and progress carried out within the framework of the LIFE+ INDEMARES project, which managed to take a big step forward in terms of the declaration of new areas and laid the foundations for their management.

For the implementation of LIFE IP INTEMARES, leading institutions in the field of management, research and conservation of the marine environment have come together. It is a project that also has a detailed strategic plan that guides its actions.

This is the Priority Action Framework for the Natura 2000 Network, an institutional document prepared in accordance with European Union regulations and approved at the Sectoral Conference on the Environment. This framework establishes the objectives, the measures to be carried out and the funds available for the financing of the Natura Network both on land and at sea in the period 2014-2020.

Do you want to know more about the LIFE IP INTEMARES project?

You can follow our twitter profile @LifeIntemares, the hashtag #INTEMARES and enter the intemares.es website, where we inform you of the latest news on the actions of the project and marine news.