The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the

European Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

in 1992 as a response to the

Berne Convention The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually known as the Berne Convention, was an international assembly held in 1886 in the Swiss city of Bern by ten European countries with the goal to agree on a set of leg ...

. The European Community was reformed as the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

the following year, but the directive is still recognised. The Habitats Directive required national governments to specify areas that are expected to be ensuring the conservation of flora and fauna species. This led to the setting up of a network of

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

s across the EU, along with '

Special Areas of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

', which together with the existing

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...

s, became the so-called

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

network established to protect species and habitats. This directive is one of the main pillars of the European Union's system of wildlife and nature conservation, another being the

Birds Directive The Birds Directive (formally known as Council Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds) is the oldest piece of EU legislation on the environment and one of its cornerstones which was unanimously adopted in April 1979 as the Dire ...

. The Habitats Directive, together with the Birds Directive, are also called the "nature directives". The Habitats Directive consists of 24 articles of legislation to which all member states must comply. Article 17 of the directive sets the terms and standards for reporting on both the habitats and species listed in the annexes by the individual EU member countries. It stipulates a report from each member country on the state of nature every six years. The first preliminary reports were due in 2001 (but only published in 2004), the first actual assessments were due in 2007 (published 2009), the second in 2013 (published 2015), and the third set of assessment reports were due in 2019 (published 2020). The assessments of conservation status differ markedly from those of the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

. The aim in the case of the EU conservation status is to assess the distance from a defined favourable situation, as opposed to the distance from extinction. There are three classes of conservation status: favourable (FV), unfavourable-inadequate (U1) and unfavourable-bad (U2). The annexes of the directive outline the protected habitats and species: *Annex I covers habitats, *Annex II species requiring designation of

, *Annex IV species in need of strict protection, and *Annex V species in which member countries may decide for themselves how to manage the population.

History

From 1988 to 1992, the policy was given importance at the national level by policy experts, scientists and ecologists; later on in the 1990s this spawned further political, social and administrative discussions among the relevant countries. Due to differences in nature conservation traditions, national problems have arisen in the implementation of the directive. Since member states in the

south South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and east of Europe participated less in nature policies, these states experienced problems with the EU provisions. In

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, the observation of conflicts between various government layers have caused prolonged delays in the management of nature policies. On the other hand, in member states such as the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, positive outcomes have developed due to stakeholder involvement, pro-active authorities, agencies responsible for implementation and public participation. According to one 2014 report there are increasing incompatibilities with the Natura 2000 policy on economic development.

Annex I

Annex I lists the specific

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s which have been designated as the a

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

, to which a common EU-wide legislation applies. Certain habitats among those are furthermore designated as "priority habitat types". Habitats in the EU are given codes. An area or habitat can combine two habitats, and be designated as for example code 35.2 × 64.1 - Open grassland with ''

Corynephorus ''Corynephorus'' is a genus of European, North African, and Middle Eastern plants in the grass family.Agrostis ''Agrostis'' (bent or bentgrass) is a large and very nearly cosmopolitan genus of plants in the grass family, found in nearly all the countries in the world. It has been bred as a GMO creeping bent grass. Species * '' Agrostis aequivalvi'' ...

'' (35.2), in combination with continental dunes (64.1). Example Annex I habitats are: Open sea and tidal areas *Sea cliffs and shingle or stony beaches *Atlantic and continental salt marshes and salt meadows *

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

and thermo-Atlantic salt marshes and salt meadows *Salt and gypsum continental steppes Dunes *Sea dunes of the Mediterranean coast *Continental dunes, old and decalcified Standing and running freshwater *Sections of water courses with natural or semi-natural dynamics (minor, average and major beds) where the water quality shows no significant deterioration Matorral *Mediterranean arborescent

matorral 300px, Springtime in Chilean matorral a few kilometers north of Santiago along the Pan-American Highway Matorral is a Spanish language, Spanish word, along with ''tomillares'', for shrubland, thicket or bushes. It is used in naming and describin ...

*Thermo-Mediterranean and pre-steppe brush * Phrygana Grasslands *Natural grasslands *Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies *Sclerophyllous grazed forests (

dehesa A ''dehesa'' () is a multifunctional, agrosylvopastoral system (a type of agroforestry) and cultural landscape of southern and central Spain and southern Portugal; in Portugal, it is known as a ''montado''. Its name comes from the Latin 'defens ...

s) *Semi-natural tall-herb humid meadows *Mesophile grasslands Bogs, mires and fens *Sphagnum acid bogs *Calcareous fens Rocky areas and caves *Scree, chasmophytic vegetation on rocky slopes *Other rocky habitats Forests - Only (sub-)natural *Forests of temperate Europe *Mediterranean deciduous forests *Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests *Alpine and subalpine coniferous forests *Mediterranean mountainous coniferous forests The full list of habitats is distributed over 9 main categories.

Annex II

Annex II lists species which determine if an area is a

. These include:

Animals

Mammals

Pyrenean desman The Pyrenean desman also called Iberian desman (''Galemys pyrenaicus'') is a small semiaquatic, globally threatened mammal related to moles and shrews, and, along with the Russian desman (''Desmana moschata''), is one of the two extant members ...

(''Galemys pyrenaicus'') *Bats: ''

Rhinolophus blasii Blasius's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus blasii'') is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Rhinolophidae found throughout large parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa. Taxonomy Blasius's horseshoe bat was described as a new s ...

'', ''R. euryale'', ''R. ferrumequinum'', ''R. hipposideros'', ''R. mehelyi'', ''

Barbastella barbastellus The western barbastelle (''Barbastella barbastellus''), also known as the barbastelle or barbastelle bat, is a European bat in the genus '' Barbastella''. This species is found from Portugal to Azerbaijan and from Sweden to Canary Islands, whe ...

'', ''

Miniopterus schreibersi The common bent-wing bat (''Miniopterus schreibersii''), also known as the Schreibers's long-fingered bat or Schreibers's bat, is a species of insectivorous bat. They appear to have dispersed from a subtropical origin and distributed throughout ...

'', '' Myotis bechsteini'', ''M. blythi'', ''M. capaccinii'', ''M. dasycneme'', ''M. emarginatus'', ''M. myotis'' *Rodents: ''

Spermophilus citellus The European ground squirrel (''Spermophilus citellus''), also known as the European souslik, is a species from the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It is among the few European species in the genus ''Spermophilus''. Like all squirrels, it is a membe ...

'', ''

Castor fiber The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') or European beaver is a beaver species that was once widespread in Eurasia, but was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur and castoreum. At the turn of the 20th century, only about 1,200 beavers survi ...

'', '' Microtus cabrerae'' *Carnivores: Lynx (''

Lynx lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized wild cat widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an eleva ...

''), otter (''

Lutra lutra The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of th ...

'') and ''

Mustela lutreola The European mink (''Mustela lutreola''), also known as the Russian mink and Eurasian mink, is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to Europe. It is similar in colour to the American mink, but is slightly smaller and has a less specialized ...

'' *

Grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or " ...

and

harbour seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

*natural populations of wild goats ('' Capra aegagrus'') *natural populations of wild sheep ('' Ovis ammon musimon'') on

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

and

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

. * ''Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica'' *the dolphin ''

Tursiops truncatus Bottlenose dolphins are Aquatic mammal, aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. molecular biology, Molecular studies ...

'' and the harbour porpoise ''

Phocoena phocoena The harbour porpoise (''Phocoena phocoena'') is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest species of cetacean. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familia ...

Reptiles and amphibians

*Land tortoises: ''

Testudo hermanni Hermann's tortoise (''Testudo hermanni'') is a species of tortoise. Two subspecies are known: the western Hermann's tortoise (''T. h. hermanni'' ) and the eastern Hermann's tortoise (''T. h. boettgeri'' ). Sometimes mentioned as a subspecies, ...

'', ''T. graeca'' and ''T. marginata'' *Freshwater turtles: ''

Emys orbicularis The European pond turtle (''Emys orbicularis''), also called commonly the European pond terrapin and the European pond tortoise, is a species of long-living freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the Western Palearc ...

'', '' Mauremys caspica'' and ''M. leprosa'' *Lizards: '' Lacerta monticola'', ''L. schreiberi'', ''Gallotia galloti insulanagae'', ''

Podarcis lilfordi Lilford's wall lizard (''Podarcis lilfordi'' ) is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Balearic Islands, Spain. Its natural habitats are temperate Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, rocky areas, and r ...

'', ''P. pityusensis'', '' Chalcides occidentalis'' (a skink) and ''

Phyllodactylus europaeus The European leaf-toed gecko (''Euleptes europaea'') is a species of lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae. It is found in coastal regions of France, Italy and Tunisia and on Mediterranean islands. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and rocky ...

'' (a gecko) *Snakes: ''

Elaphe quatuorlineata ''Elaphe quatuorlineata'' (common names: four-lined snake, Bulgarian ratsnake) is a member of the family Colubridae. The four-lined snake is a non-venomous species and one of the largest of the European snakes. Description The species' common ...

'', ''E. situla'' and ''

Vipera ursinii :''Common names: meadow viper, Ursini's viper, Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. . meadow adder,Brown, John Haynes (1973). ''To ...

'' *Salamanders: ''

Chioglossa lusitanica The gold-striped salamander or golden-striped salamander (''Chioglossa lusitanica'') is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. It is the only species of the genus ''Chioglossa''. It is found in the north-west of Iberia (in Portugal ...

'', '' Mertensiella luschani'', ''

Salamandrina terdigitata The spectacled salamander (''Salamandrina terdigitata'') is a species of salamander in the family Salamandridae. This species is found only in the southern Apennine Range in Italy in humid valleys and shady, overgrown hillsides at altitudes bet ...

'', ''

Triturus cristatus The northern crested newt, great crested newt or warty newt (''Triturus cristatus'') is a newt species native to Great Britain, northern and central continental Europe and parts of Western Siberia. It is a large newt, with females growing up to ...

'',

olm The olm or proteus (''Proteus anguinus'') is an aquatic salamander in the family Proteidae, the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic, eating, sleeping, and br ...

(''Proteus anguinus''), ''

Speleomantes ambrosii Ambrosi's cave salamander or the Spezia cave salamander (''Speleomantes ambrosii'') is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. Endemic to northwestern Italy, its natural habitats are temperate forests, rocky areas, caves, and subterra ...

'', ''S. flavus'', ''S. genei'', ''S. imperialis'' and ''S. supramontes'' *Toads: ''

Bombina bombina The European fire-bellied toad (''Bombina bombina'') is a species of fire-bellied toad native to eastern parts of mainland Europe, where it can be found near waterbodies such as ponds and marshes. It is known for its red colored belly used to war ...

'' and ''B. variegata'' *Frogs: ''

Rana latastei The Italian agile frog (''Rana latastei''), also known as Lataste's frog, is a species of frog in the family Ranidae (true frogs). The species is native to southern Europe, primarily found in the Po River Basin of Italy. It is one of the most ...

'', ''

Discoglossus jeanneae The Spanish painted frog (''Discoglossus jeanneae''), in Spanish ''sapillo pintojo meridional'', is a species of frog in the family Alytidae (formerly Discoglossidae). It is endemic to Spain. Description The Spanish painted frog is a medium-sized ...

'', ''D. montalentii'' and ''D. sardus''

Fish

*All ''

Eudontomyzon ''Eudontomyzon'' is a genus of lamprey in the family Petromyzontidae. Most species are found in Eastern Europe. Species There are currently seven recognized species in this genus: * '' Eudontomyzon danfordi'' Regan, 1911 (Carpathian lamprey) * ' ...

'' species, ''

Lampetra fluviatilis The European river lamprey (''Lampetra fluviatilis''), also known as the river lamprey or lampern, is a species of freshwater lamprey. Description Adult river lampreys measure from for the sea-going forms and up to for the lake forms. The very ...

'', ''L. planeri'', '' Lethenteron zanandrai'', ''

Petromyzon marinus The sea lamprey (''Petromyzon marinus'') is a parasitic lamprey native to the Northern Hemisphere. It is sometimes referred to as the "vampire fish". Description The sea lamprey has an eel-like body without paired fins. Its mouth is jawless, ...

'' *'' Aphanius iberus'' and ''A. fasciatus'' *only natural populations of ''

Hucho hucho The huchen (''Hucho hucho'') (, from German), also known as Danube salmon or redfish (german: Rotfisch), is a large species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Hucho''. Distribut ...

'' *only freshwater populations of salmon (''

Salmo salar The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...

''), the trout ''S. marmoradus'' and ''S. macrostigma'' *the

cyprid A barnacle is a type of arthropod constituting the subclass Cirripedia in the subphylum Crustacea, and is hence related to crabs and lobsters. Barnacles are exclusively marine, and tend to live in shallow and tidal waters, typically in erosive ...

fish ''

Alburnus vulturius ''Alburnus'' is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. They are known commonly as bleaks. A group of species in the genus is known as shemayas. The genus occurs in the western Palearctic realm, and the center of divers ...

'', ''A. albidus'', ''

Anaecypris hispanica ''Anaecypris hispanica'', the Spanish minnowcarp, is a small species of ray-finned fish species in the family Cyprinidae. It is the only living member of the genus ''Anaecypris''. It is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and is found in the basin of ...

'', '' Aspius aspius'', ''

Barbus plebejus The Italian barbel (''Barbus plebejus'') is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae, nearly related to the common barbel ''Barbus barbus''. The name barbel derived from the Latin barba, meaning beard, a reference to the two pairs ...

'', ''B. meridionalis'', ''B. capito'', ''B. comiza'', '' Chalcalburnus chalcoides'', '' Chondrostoma soetta'', ''Ch. polylepis'', ''Ch. genei'', ''Ch. lusitanicum'', ''Ch. toxostoma'', '' Gobio albipinnatus'', ''G. uranoscopus'', '' Iberocypris palaciosi'', '' Leuciscus lucomonis'', ''L. souffia'', all species of ''

Phoxinellus ''Phoxinellus'' is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in the Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region tak ...

'', ''

Rutilus pigus The pigoKottelat, M. and J. Freyhof, 2007. Handbook of European freshwater fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol, Switzerland. 646 p. (''Rutilus pigus'') is a species of freshwater fish in the roach genus ''Rutilus'' of the family Cyprinidae. The ...

'', ''R. rubilio'', ''R. arcasii'', ''R. macrolepidotus'', ''R. lemmingii'', ''R. friesii meidingeri'', ''R. alburnoides'', ''Rhodeus sericeus amarus'', ''

Scardinius graecus ''Scardinius graecus'', also called the Greek rudd or Yliki rudd, is a species of cyprinid fish, only known from a single lake, Lake Yliki, in Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast ...

'' *the

Cobitidae Cobitidae, also known as the True loaches, is a family of Old World freshwater fish. They occur throughout Eurasia and in Morocco, and inhabit riverine ecosystems. Today, most "loaches" are placed in other families (see below). The family includ ...

loaches '' Cobitis conspersa'', ''C. larvata'', ''C. trichonica'', ''C. taenia'', ''

Misgurnis fossilis The weatherfish (''Misgurnus fossilis'') is a species of true loach that has a wide range in Europe and some parts of Asia. It is an omnivorous scavenger bottom feeder, using its sensitive barbels to find edible items. The diet mostly consists o ...

'', ''

Sabanejewia aurata ''Sabanejewia aurata'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cobitidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekist ...

'' *of the perches: '' Gymnocephalus schraetzer'' and all ''

Zingel ''Zingel'' is a genus of fish in the family Percidae. They are long and slender, reaching 12 to 48 cm in length. They are found in rivers and streams in Europe. They feed mainly on aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans and insect larvae ...

'' species except ''Z. asper'' and ''Z. zingel'' *

Gobiidae Gobiidae or gobies is a family of bony fish in the order Gobiiformes, one of the largest fish families comprising more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most of gobiid fish are relatively small, typically less than in length, and the ...

: '' Pomatoschistus canestrini'', '' Padogobius panizzai'', ''P. nigricans'' *the freshwater sculpins '' Cottus ferruginosus'', ''C. gobio'', ''C. petiti'' *all ''

Alosa ''Alosa'' is a genus of fish, the river herrings, in the family (biology), family Clupeidae. Along with other genera in the subfamily Alosinae, they are generally known as shads. tp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/ac482e/ac482e27.pdf Subfamily A ...

'' species, the river herrings or scads. *Aristotle's catfish (''Silurus aristotelis'')

Crustaceans

*the freshwater crayfish ''Austropotamobius pallipes''

Insects

*the beetles ''Buprestis splendens'', ''Cerambyx cerdo'', ''Cucujus cinnaberinus'', ''Dytiscus latissimus'', ''Graphoderus bilineatus'', ''Limoniscus violaceus'', ''

Lucanus cervus ''Lucanus cervus'', known as the European stag beetle, or the greater stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle (family Lucanidae) in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. ''L. cervus'' is listed as Near ...

'' and '' Morimus funereus'' *the butterflies '' Coenonympha oedippus'', ''

Erebia calcaria ''Erebia calcaria'', or Lorkovic's brassy ringlet, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Alps. The species inhabits southern exposed slopes with alpine grassland interspersed with rocks. Screes without vegetation or only a ...

'', ''E. christi'', '' Eriogaster catax'', ''

Euphydryas aurinia The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval s ...

'', ''

Graellsia isabellae ''Graellsia isabellae'', the Spanish moon moth, is in the silkmoth family Saturniidae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Graellsia''. The species was first described by Mariano de la Paz Graells y de la Agüera in 1849 and the genu ...

'', '' Hypodryas maturna'', '' Lycaena dispar'', '' Maculinea nausithous'', ''M. teleius'', '' Melanagria arge'', ''

Papilio hospiton ''Papilio hospiton'', the Corsican swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It is found only in Corsica and Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. A medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of , ''Papilio hospiton'' is a shor ...

'', ''

Plebicula golgus ''Polyommatus golgus'', the Sierra Nevada blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to Spain with habitat in the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia ( Granada and Almería provinces), and is an endangered species. It is ...

'' *the praying mantis ''

Apteromantis aptera ''Apteromantis aptera'' is a species of praying mantis endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. It was first described by José María Hugo de la Fuente Morales in 1894. It was previously considered to be endangered by the IUCN, but has been downgrad ...

'' *the dragonflies ''

Coenagrion hylas ''Coenagrion'' is a genus of damselflies in the family Coenagrionidae, commonly called the Eurasian Bluets (although three species are found in North America: '' Coenagrion angulatum'', '' Coenagrion interrogatum'', and '' Coenagrion resolutum' ...

'', ''C. mercuriale'', '' Cordulegaster trinacriae'', '' Gomphus graslinii'', '' Leucorrhina pectoralis'', '' Lindenia tetraphylla'', '' Macromia splendens'', '' Ophiogomphus cecilia'', ''

Oxygastra curtisii The orange-spotted emerald (''Oxygastra curtisii'') is a dragonfly in the family Corduliidae. It is the only species in its genus. The orange-spotted emerald is about long. It has bright green eyes and a bronzy-green body with yellow spots al ...

'' *the grasshopper '' Baetica ustulata''

Molluscs

Gastropods The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. Ther ...

(snails): ''

Caseolus calculus ''Caseolus calculus'' (common name: Madeiran land snail) is a species of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Geomitridae, the hairy snails and their allies. Distribution and conservation stat ...

'', ''C. commixta'', ''C. sphaerula'', '' Discula leacockiana'', ''D. tabellata'', '' Discus defloratus'', ''D. guerinianus'', ''

Elona quimperiana ''Elona quimperiana'', common name the escargot de Quimper ("Quimper snail"), is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Elonidae. ''Elona'' is a monotypic genus, i.e. it contains only on ...

'', ''

Geomalacus maculosus The Kerry slug or Kerry spotted slug (''Geomalacus maculosus'') is a species of terrestrial, pulmonate, gastropod mollusc. It is a medium-to-large sized, air-breathing land slug in the family of roundback slugs, Arionidae. Adult Kerry slugs g ...

'', ''

Geomitra moniziana ''Geomitra moniziana'' is a species of air-breathing land snail, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Geomitridae. This species is endemic to Madeira, Portugal. It is mentioned in annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive ...

'', '' Idiomela subplicata'' (as ''Helix subplicata''), ''

Leiostyla abbreviata ''Leiostyla abbreviata'' is an extinct species of small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Lauriidae. It is one of several species sometimes referred as Madeiran land snail. It is mentioned in ann ...

'', ''L. cassida'', ''L. corneocostata'', ''L. gibba'', ''L. lamellosa'', ''

Vertigo angustior ''Vertigo angustior'', the narrow-mouthed whorl snail, is a species of minute land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Vertiginidae, the whorl snails. MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Verti ...

'', ''V. genesii'', ''V. geyeri'', ''V. moulinsiana'' *Bivalves: ''

Margaritifera margaritifera The freshwater pearl mussel (''Margaritifera margaritifera'') is an endangered species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusc in the family Margaritiferidae. Although the name "freshwater pearl mussel" is often used for this species, ...

'' and ''

Unio crassus ''Unio crassus'', the thick shelled river mussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788. Accessed through: ...

Plants

Mosses and liverworts: '' Bruchia vogesiaca'', ''

Buxbaumia viridis ''Buxbaumia viridis'', also known as the green shield-moss, is a rare bryophyte found sporadically throughout the northern hemisphere. The gametophyte of this moss is not macroscopically visible; the large, distinct sporophyte of ''B. viridis'' i ...

'', '' Dichelyma capillaceum'', ''

Dicranum viride ''Dicranum viride'' is a species of moss belonging to the family Dicranaceae. It is native to Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is ...

'', ''

Distichophyllum carinatum ''Distichophyllum carinatum'' is a species of moss in the family Daltoniaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia, where it has a disjunct distribution. It is known to occur in Germany, China, and Japan. It is also known from Austria and Switzerland ...

'', '' Drepanocladus vernicosus'', '' Jungermannia handelii'', '' Mannia triandra'', '' Meesia longiseta'', '' Nothothylas orbicularis'', '' Orthotrichum rogeri'', ''

Petalophyllum ralfsii ''Petalophyllum ralfsii'', the petalwort, is a liverwort of the order Fossombroniales.Crandall-Stotler, B.J., Stotler, R.E. and Long, D.G. 2009. Phylogeny and classification of the Marchantiophyta. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, vo. 66, no. 1, p. ...

'', '' Riccia breidleri'', '' Riella helicophylla'', '' Scapania massolongi'', '' Sphagnum pylaisii'', '' Tayloria rudolphiana'' Ferns and allies *the ferns '' Asplenium jahandiezii'', ''

Culcita macrocarpa ''Culcita macrocarpa'', the woolly tree fern, is a species of fern in the family Culcitaceae native to Macaronesia and parts of the Iberian Peninsula, where it might have been introduced. Description ''Culcita macrocarpa'' is a large plant tha ...

'', '' Trichomanes speciosum'' and ''

Woodwardia radicans ''Woodwardia radicans'', the chain fern, European chain fern or rooting chainfern, is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae, mainly found in Macaronesia and southwestern Europe, but is also found in southern Italy and Crete. Growing to tal ...

'' *the water ferns '' Marsilea batardae'', ''M. quadrifolia'' and ''M. strigosa'' *''

Botrychium simplex ''Botrychium simplex'', the little grapefern, is a species of fern in the family Ophioglossaceae that is native to North America and Greenland. It is a perennial. Conservation status in the United States It is listed as a special concern specie ...

'' and ''

Ophioglossum polyphyllum ''Ophioglossum'', the adder's-tongue ferns, is a genus of about 50 species of ferns in the family Ophioglossaceae. The name ''Ophioglossum'' comes from the Greek meaning "snake-tongue".

'' *the squillworts ''

Isoetes boryana ''Isoetes'', commonly known as the quillworts, is the only extant genus of plants in the family Isoetaceae, which is in the class of Lycopodiopsida, lycopods. There are currently 192 recognized species, with a cosmopolitan distribution but with t ...

'' and ''I. malinverniana'' Monocots *

Alismataceae The water-plantains (Alismataceae) are a family of flowering plants, comprising 19 genera (17 extant and 2 fossil) and 117 species. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the greatest number of species in temperate regions of the Northe ...

: '' Caldesia parnassifolia'' and ''

Luronium natans ''Luronium natans'' is a species of aquatic plant commonly known as the floating water-plantain. It is the only recognized species in the genus ''Luronium'', native to western and central Europe, from Spain to Britain to Norway east to Ukraine. ...

'' *'' Allium grosii'' *'' Eleocharis carniolica'' *''

Juncus valvatus ''Juncus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants, commonly known as rushes. It is the largest genus in the family Juncaceae, containing around 300 species. Description Rushes of the genus ''Juncus'' are herbaceous plants that superfici ...

'' *'' Hyacinthoides vicentina'' *'' Leucojum nicaeense'' *Daffodils: '' Narcissus asturiensis'', ''N. calcicola'', ''N. cyclamineus'', ''N. fernandesii'', ''N. humilis'', ''N. pseudonarcissus'' subsp. ''nobilis'', ''N. scaberulus'', ''N. triandrus'' subsp. ''capax'' and ''N. viridiflorus'' *Grasses: '' Avenula hackelii'', '' Bromus grossus'', '' Coleanthus subtilis'', ''

Festuca brigantina ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on ev ...

'', ''F. duriotagana'', ''F. elegans'', ''F. henriquesii'', ''F. sumilusitanica'', ''

Gaudinia hispanica ''Gaudinia'' is a genus of Mediterranean plants in the grass family. The genus name is a tribute to Swiss botanist Jean François Aimé Théophile Philippe Gaudin (1766-1833). ; Species * ''Gaudinia coarctata'' - Azores * ''Gaudinia fragilis'' ...

'', ''Holcus setiglumis'' subsp. ''duriensis'', '' Micropyropsis tuberosa''. '' Pseudarrhenatherum pallens'' and '' Puccinellia pungens'' *Orchids: ''

Cypripedium calceolus ''Cypripedium calceolus'' is a lady's-slipper orchid, and the type species of the genus ''Cypripedium''. It is native to Europe and Asia. Taxonomy ''Cypripedium'' comes from the Greek Κυπρισ πεδιον (''Kupris pedion''), meaning Venus' ...

'' and ''

Liparis loeselii ''Liparis loeselii'', the fen orchid, yellow widelip orchid, or bog twayblade, is a species of orchid. It is native to Europe, northern Asia, the eastern United States, and eastern Canada. It grows in fens, bogs and dune A dune is a la ...

'' *Cretan date palm (''

Phoenix theophrasti ''Phoenix theophrasti'', the Cretan date palm, is a palm native to the eastern Mediterranean, with a very restricted distribution, confined to southern Greece, a few sites on Crete and nearby islands, as well as some places on the Turkish coast. ...

'') Dicots *

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...

: '' Angelica palustris'', '' Apium repens'', '' Athamanta cortiana'', ''

Eryngium alpinum ''Eryngium alpinum'', the alpine sea holly, alpine eryngo or queen of the Alps, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Apiaceae. Description ''Eryngium alpinum'' is a hemicryptophyte, its overwintering buds are situated just below the so ...

'', '' Petagnia saniculifolia'', '' Rouya polygama'' and '' Thorella verticillatinundata'' *'' Aldrovanda vesiculosa'' *

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

: '' Centaurea corymbosa'', ''C. gadorensis'', ''C. kartschiana'', ''Centaurea micrantha'' subsp. ''herminii'', ''C. pulvinata'', ''C. rothmalerana'', ''C. vicentina'', '' Crepis granatensis'', '' Erigeron frigidus'', '' Hymenostemma pseudanthemis'', ''Leontodon microcephalus'', Leontodon boryi, ''L. boryi'', ''Leuzea longifolia'', ''Ligularia sibirica'', ''Santolina impressa'', Santolina semidentata, ''S. semidentata'' and ''Senecio nevadensis'' *Boraginaceae: ''Myosotis lusitanica'', Myosotis rehsteineri, ''M. rehsteineri'', Myosotis retusifolia, ''M. retusifolia'', ''Omphalodes kuzinskyana'' and ''Solenanthus albanicus'' *Brassicaceae: ''Alyssum pyrenaicum'', ''Arabis sadina'', ''Biscutella vincentina'', ''Boleum asperum'', ''Brassica glabrescens'', Brassica insularis, ''B. insularis'', ''Coincya cintrana'', ''Diplotaxis ibicensis'', Diplotaxis vicentina, ''D. vicentina'', ''Erucastrum palustre'', Iberis procumbens, ''Iberis procumbens'' subsp. ''microcarpa'', ''Ionopsidium savianum'', ''Sisymbrium cavanillesianum'' and Sisymbrium supinum, ''S. supinum'' *Campanulaceae: ''Asyneuma giganteum'', Jasione crispa, ''Jasione crispa'' subsp. ''serpentinica'' and Jasione lusitanica, ''J. lusitanica'' *Caryophyllaceae: ''Arenaria provincialis'', Dianthus cintranus, ''Dianthus cintranus'' subsp. ''cintranus'', Dianthus marizii, ''D. marizii'', Dianthus rupicola, ''D. rupicola'', ''Herniaria algarvica'', Herniaria berlengiana, ''H. berlengiana'', Herniaria maritima, ''H. maritima'', ''Moehringia tommasinii'', ''Petrocoptis grandiflora'', Petrocoptis montsicciana, ''P. montsicciana'', Petrocoptis pseudoviscosa, ''P. pseudoviscosa'', ''Silene cintrana'', Silene hifacensis, ''S. hifacensis'', Silene longicilia, ''S. longicilia'' and Silene mariana, ''S. mariana'' *''Centranthus trinervis'' *Cistaceae: ''Cistus palhinhae'', ''Halimium verticillatum'', ''Helianthemum alypoides'' and Helianthemum caput-felis, ''H. caput-felis'' *''Daphne petraea'' *''Erodium paularense'' *''Euphorbia transtagana'' *Fabaceae: ''Anthyllis hystrix'', ''Astragalus alopecurus'' (as ''Astragalus centralpinus''), Astragalus tremolsianus, ''A. tremolsianus'', ''Genista dorycnifolia'', Genista holopetala, ''G. holopetala'', Melilotus segetalis, ''Melilotus segetalis'' subsp. ''fallax'' and ''Trifolium saxatile'' *Gentianaceae: ''Gentiana ligustica'' and ''Gentianella angelica'' *Lamiaceae: ''Dracocephalum austriacum'', ''Nepeta dirphya'', ''Origanum dictamnus'', Sideritis incana, ''Sideritis incana'' subsp. ''glauca'', Sideritis javalambrensis, ''S. javalambrensis'', Sideritis serrata, ''S. serrata'', ''Teucrium lepicephalum'', Teucrium turredanum, ''T. turredanum'' and ''Thymus carnosus'' *Malvaceae: ''Kosteletzkya pentacarpos'' *''Najas flexilis'' *Paeoniaceae: ''Paeonia cambessedesii'', Paeonia parnassica, ''P. parnassica'' and Paeonia clusii, ''P. clusii'' subsp. ''rhodia'' *''Pinguicula nevadensis'' *''Plantago algarbiensis'' and Plantago almogravensis, ''P. almogravensis'' *Plumbaginaceae: ''Armeria berlengensis'', Armeria negleta, ''A. negleta'', Armeria pseudarmeria, ''A. pseudarmeria'', Armeria soleirolii, ''A. soleirolii'', Armeria velutina, ''A. velutina'', Limonium dodartii, ''Limonium dodartii'' subsp. ''lusitanicum'', Limonium lanceolatum, ''L. lanceolatum'' and Limonium multiflorum, ''L. multiflorum'' *Polygonaceae: ''Polygonum praelongum'' and ''Rumex rupestris '' *Primulaceae: ''Androsace mathildae'', Androsace pyrenaica, ''A. pyrenaica'', ''Primula palinuri'' and ''Soldanella villosa'' *Ranunculaceae: ''Adonis distorta'', ''Aquilegia bertolonii'', ''Aquilegia kitaibelii, A. kitaibelii'' and ''Pulsatilla patens'' *Rosaceae: ''Potentilla delphinensis'' *Saxifragaceae: ''Saxifraga berica'', Saxifraga florulenta, ''S. florulenta'', Saxifraga hirculus, ''S. hirculus'' and Saxifraga tombeanensis, ''S. tombeanensis'' *Scrophulariaceae: ''Antirrhinum charidemi'', Chaenorrhinum serpyllifolium, ''Chaenorrhinum serpyllifolium'' subsp. ''lusitanicum'', ''Euphrasia marchesettii'', ''Linaria algarviana'', Linaria coutinhoi, ''L. coutinhoi'', Linaria flava, ''L. flava'', Linaria tonzigii, ''L. tonzigii'', ''Odontites granatensis'', ''Verbascum litigiosum'' and ''Veronica micrantha'' *''Thesium ebracteatum'' *''Viola jaubertiana'' *Willow: Salix salviifolia, ''Salix salviifolia'' subsp. ''australis'' *''Zelkova abelicea''

Priority species

There are also a number of priority species:

Animals

*Microtus oeconomus, Dutch tundra vole (''Microtus oeconomus arenicola'') *Wolf (''Canis lupus''): Spanish populations: only those south of the Duero; Greek populations: only those south of the 39th parallel north, 39th parallel) *Brown bear *Iberian lynx *Monk seal (''Monachus monachus'') *Corsican red deer (''Cervus elaphus corsicanus'') *Pyrenean ibex (''Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica'') *Apennine chamois (''Rupicarpa ornata'') *Loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') *the lizard ''Gallotia simonyi'' *the viper ''Vipera schweizeri'' *Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra, ''Salamandra salamandra aurorae'') *Majorcan midwife toad (''Alytes muletensis'') *the frog Pelobates fuscus, ''Pelobates fuscus insubricus'' *the sturgeons ''Acipenser naccarii'' and ''Acipenser sturio'' *the fish ''Valencia hispanica'' *some of the anadromous populations in certain sectors of the North Sea of ''Coregonus oxyrhynchus'' *the

fish ''Ladigesocypris ghigii'' *the beetles ''Carabus olympiae'', ''Osmoderma eremita'' and ''Rosalia alpina'' *the butterfly ''Euplagia quadripunctaria'' (under the synonym ''Callimorpha quadripunctata'')

Plants

*the fern ''Dryopteris corleyi'' *the moss ''Bryoerythrophyllum machadoanum'' *the liverwort ''Marsupella profunda'' *the spruce ''Abies nebrodensis'' *''Androcymbium rechingeri'' *''Asphodelus bento-rainhae'' *''Muscari gussonei'' *the daffodil ''Narcissus nevadensis'' *''Carex panormitana'' *''Dioscorea chouardii'' (as ''Borderea chouardii'') *Grasses: ''Stipa austroitalica'', Stipa bavarica, ''S. bavarica'' and Stipa veneta, ''S. veneta'' *Orchids: ''Cephalanthera cucullata'' and ''Ophrys lunulata'' *

: ''Angelica heterocarpa'', ''Apium bermejoi'', ''Bupleurum capillare'', Bupleurum kakiskalae, ''B. kakiskalae'', ''Eryngium viviparum'', ''Laserpitium longiradium'', ''Naufraga balearica'', ''Oenanthe conioides'' and ''Seseli intricatum'' *

: ''Anthemis glaberrima'', ''Artemisia granatensis'', ''Aster pyrenaeus'', Aster sorrentinii, ''A. sorrentinii'', ''Carduus myriacanthus'', ''Centaurea alba'' subsp. ''heldreichii'' and subsp. ''princeps'', Centaurea attica, ''C. attica'' subsp. ''megarensis'', Centaurea balearica, ''C. balearica'', Centaurea borjae, ''C. borjae'', Centaurea citricolor, ''C. citricolor'', Centaurea horrida, ''C. horrida'', Centaurea kalambakensis, ''C. kalambakensis'', Centaurea lactiflora, ''C. lactiflora'', Centaurea niederi, ''C. niederi'', Centaurea peucedanifolia, ''C. peucedanifolia'', Centaurea pinnata, ''C. pinnata'', ''Crepis crocifolia'', ''Jurinea cyanoides'', Jurinea fontqueri, ''J. fontqueri'', ''Lamyropsis microcephala'', ''Leontodon siculus'' and ''Senecio elodes'' *''Atropa baetica'' *''Bassia saxicola'' *Boraginaceae: ''Anchusa crispa'', ''Lithodora nitida'', ''Omphalodes littoralis'' and ''Symphytum cycladense'' *Brassicaceae: ''Biscutella neustriaca'', ''Brassica macrocarpa'', ''Coincya rupestris'', ''Coronopus navasii'', ''Diplotaxis siettiana'', ''Iberis arbuscula'' and ''Ionopsidium acaule'' *''Campanula sabatia'' *Caryophyllaceae: ''Arenaria nevadensis'', ''Gypsophila papillosa'', Herniaria latifolia, ''Herniaria latifolia'' subsp. ''litardierei'', ''Silene hicesiae'', Silene holzmanii, ''S. holzmanii'', Silene orphanidis, ''S. orphanidis'', Silene rothmaleri, ''S. rothmaleri'' and Silene velutina, ''S. velutina'' *Convolvulaceae: ''Convolvulus argyrothamnus'' and Convolvulus fernandesii, ''C. fernandesii'' *Cistaceae: ''Tuberaria major'' *''Daphne rodriguezii'' *''Euphorbia margalidiana'' *Fabaceae: ''Astragalus algarbiensis'', Astragalus aquilanus, ''A. aquilanus'', Astragalus maritimus, ''A. maritimus'', Astragalus verrucosus, ''A. verrucosus'', ''Cytisus aeolicus'', ''Ononis hackelii'' and ''Vicia bifoliolata'' *Gentianaceae: ''Centaurium rigualii'' and Centaurium somedanum, ''C. somedanum'' *Geraniaceae: ''Erodium astragaloides'' and Erodium rupicola, ''E. rupicola'' *''Euphorbia margalidiana'' *''Hypericum aciferum'' *Lamiaceae: ''Micromeria taygetea'', ''Nepeta sphaciotica'', ''Thymus camphoratus'' and Thymus cephalotos, ''T. cephalotos'' *''Linum muelleri'' *''Lythrum flexuosum'' *Plumbaginaceae: ''Armeria helodes'', Armeria rouyana, ''A. rouyana'', ''Limonium insulare'', Limonium pseudolaetum, ''L. pseudolaetum'' and Limonium strictissimum, ''L. strictissimum'' *Primulaceae: ''Primula apennina'' *Ranunculaceae: ''Aconitum corsicum'', Aquilegia pyrenaica, ''Aquilegia pyrenaica'' subsp. ''cazorlensis'', ''Consolida samia'' and ''Ranunculus weyleri'' *''Reseda decursiva'' *''Ribes sardum'' a currant from Saridnia *Rubiaceae: ''Galium litorale'' and Galium viridiflorum, ''G. viridiflorum'' *''Salicornia veneta'' *Scrophulariaceae: ''Euphrasia genargentea'', ''Globularia stygia'', ''Linaria ficalhoana'', Linaria hellenica, ''L. hellenica'', Linaria ricardoi, ''L. ricardoi'', Linaria tursica, ''L. tursica'' and ''Veronica oetaea'' *''Viola hispida''

Macaronesia

There is a separate list for plants from Macaronesia. *''Isoestes azorica'' *''Marsilea azorica'' *''Carex malato-belizii'' *Grasses: ''Deschampsia maderensis'', ''Phalaris maderensis'' *''Scilla maderensis'' *''Semele maderensis'' *Orchids: ''Goodyera macrophylla'' *

: ''Ammi trifoliatum'', ''Bupleurum handiense'', ''Chaerophyllum azoricum'', ''Ferula latipinna'', ''Melanoselinum decipiens'', ''Monizia edulis'', ''Oenanthe divaricata'' and ''Sanicula azorica'' *''Arceuthobium azoricum'' *

: ''Andryala crithmifolia'', ''Argyranthemum thalassophylum''. Argyranthemum winterii, ''A. winterii'', ''Atractylis preauxiana'', ''Calendula maderensis'', ''Cheirolophus duranii'', Cheirolophus ghomerytus, ''Ch. ghomerytus'', Cheirolophus junonianus, ''Ch. junonianus'', Cheirolophus massonianus, ''Ch. massonianus'', ''Cirsium latifolium'', ''Helichrysum gossypinum'', Helichrysum oligocephala, ''H. oligocephala'', ''Phagnalon benettii'', ''Stemmacantha cynaroides'' and ''Sventenia bupleuroides'' *''Beta patula'' *''Caralluma burchardii'' *Boraginaceae: ''Echium candicans'', ''Myosotis azorica'' and Myosotis maritima, ''M. maritima'' *Brassicaceae: ''Crambe laevigata'' and ''Sinapidendron rupestre'' *Campanulaceae: ''Musschia aurea'' *Cistaceae: ''Cistus chinamadensis'' *Crassulaceae: ''Aeonium gomeraense'', Aeonium saundersii, ''A. saundersii'', ''Aichryson dumosum'', ''Monanthes wildpretii'' and ''Sedum brissemoretii'' *Caryophyllaceae: ''Spergularia azorica'' *''Erica azorica'' *''Euphorbia lambii'' and Euphorbia stygiana, ''E. stygiana'' *Fabaceae: ''Anthyllis lemanniana'', ''Lotus callis-viridis'' and ''Vicia dennesiana'' *''Frangula azorica'' *''Kunkeliella subsucculenta'' *Lamiaceae: ''Sideritis infernalis'', Sideritis marmorea, ''S. marmorea'', ''Teucrium abutiloides'' and Teucrium betonicum, ''T. betonicum'' *''Maytenus umbellata'' *Oleaceae: ''Jasminum azoricum'' and ''Picconia azorica'' *''Plantago malato-belizii'' *Plumbaginaceae: ''Limonium dendroides'' *''Rumex azoricus'' *Rosaceae: ''Bencomia sphaerocarpa'', ''Dendriopterium pulidoi'', ''Marcetella maderensis'', Prunus lusitanica, ''Prunus lusitanica'' subsp. ''azorica'' and ''Sorbus maderensis'' *''Scabiosa nitens'' *Scrophulariaceae: ''Euphrasia grandiflora'', ''Isoplexis isabelliana'', ''Odontites holliana'' and ''Sibthorpia peregrina'' *''Viola paradoxa''

Macaronesian priority species

*Mosses: ''Echinodium spinosum'' and ''Thamnobryum fernandesii'' ''Androcymbium psammophilum'' *

: ''Argyranthemum lidii'', ''Atractylis arbuscula'', ''Lactuca watsoniana'', ''Onopordum nogalesii'', Onopordum carduelinum, ''O. carduelinum'', ''Pericallis hadrosoma'' and ''Tanacetum ptarmiciflorum'' *Boraginaceae: ''Echium gentianoides'' *Brassicaceae: ''Crambe arborea'', Crambe sventenii, ''C. sventenii'' and ''Parolinia schizogynoides'' *Campanulaceae: ''Azorina vidalii'' and ''Musschia wollastonii'' *''Ceropegia chrysantha'' *Cistaceae: ''Helianthemum bystropogophyllum'' *Convolvulaceae: ''Convolvulus caput-medusae'', Convolvulus lopez-socasii, ''C. lopez-socasii'' and Convolvulus massonii, ''C. massonii'' *''Euphorbia handiensis'' *Fabaceae: ''Anagyris latifolia'', ''Dorycnium spectabile'', ''Lotus azoricus'', ''Lotus kunkelii'', ''Teline rosmarinifolia'' and Teline salsoloides, ''T. salsoloides'' *''Geranium maderense'' *Lamiaceae: ''Sideritis cystosiphon'' and Sideritis discolor, ''S. discolor'' *''Myrica rivas-martinezii'' *''Pittosporum coriaceum'' *Plumbaginaceae: ''Limonium arborescens'', Limonium spectabile, ''L. spectabile'' and Limonium sventenii, ''L. sventenii'' *Rosaceae: ''Bencomia brachystachya'' and ''Chamaemeles coriacea'' *''Sambucus palmensis'' *''Solanum lidii'' *Scrophulariaceae: ''Euphrasia azorica'', ''Globularia ascanii'', Globularia sarcophylla, ''G. sarcophylla'' and ''Isoplexis chalcantha''

Annex III

This annex explains the criteria which are used to select sites which are eligible to be recognised as important for Europe, or as

. The process consists of two stages. The first stage is to assess the importance at a national level, based on the habitats and species listed in Annex I and II. The second stage is to assess the importance for Europe as a whole, again based on the two earlier annexes.

Annex IV

Annex IV lists species of interest to Europe which are in need of strict protection.

Mammals

*Insectivores:

(''Galemys pyrenaicus''), ''Erinaceus algirus'' and ''Crocidura canariensis'' *All species of Microchiroptera *Rodents: Beaver (''

''), ''Cricetus cricetus'', porcupine (''Hystrix cristata''), ''Sicista betulina'', suslik (''Citellus citellus''), ''Sciurus anomalus'', '' Microtus cabrerae'', Tundra vole, Dutch tundra vole (''Microtus oeconomus arenicola''), and all species of Gliridae except ''Glis glis'' and ''Eliomys quercinus'' *Carnivores: Grey wolf (except Spanish populations north of the Duero and Greek populations north of the 39th parallel), brown bear (''Ursus arctos''), otter , ''

'', wild cat (''Felis silvestris''), lynx (''

''), Iberian lynx (''Lynx pardinus'') and monk seal (''Monachus monachus'') *Hoofed animals: Corsican red deer (''Cervus elaphus corsicanus''), natural populations of wild goats ('' Capra aegagrus''), natural populations of wild sheep ('' Ovis ammon musimon'') on

and

, Balcan ( ''Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica'') and Apennine chamois (Rupicapra ornata, ''R. ornata'') *Cetaceans: All species

Reptiles and amphibians

Turtles *Tortoises: ''

'', ''T. graeca'' and ''T. marginata'' *Sea turtles: ''Caretta caretta'', ''Chelonia mydas'', ''Lepidochelys kempii'', ''Eretmochelys imbricata'' and ''Dermochelys coriacea'' *Freshwater turtles: ''

'', '' Mauremys caspica'' and ''M. leprosa'' Lizards *''Algyroides fitzingeri'', Algyroides marchi, ''A. marchi'', Algyroides moreoticus, ''A. moreoticus'' and Algyroides nigropunctatus, ''A. nigropunctatus'' *''Chamaeleo chamaeleon'' *''Gallotia atlantica'', Gallotia galloti, ''G. galloti'' (including specifically the subspecies ''insulanagae''), Gallotia simonyi, ''G. simonyi'' and Gallotia stehlini, ''G. stehlini'' *Geckoes: ''Cyrtopodion kotschyi'', ''

'', ''Tarentola angustimentalis'', Tarentola boettgeri, ''T. boettgeri'', Tarentola delalandii, ''T. delalandii'' and Tarentola gomerensis, ''T. gomerensis''. *''Lacerta agilis'', Lacerta bedriagae, ''L. bedriagae'', Lacerta danfordi, ''L. danfordi'', Lacerta dugesi, ''L. dugesi'', Lacerta graeca, ''L. graeca'', Lacerta horvathi, ''L. horvathi'', Iberolacerta monticola, ''L. monticola'', ''L. schreiberi'', Lacerta trilineata, ''L. trilineata'' and Lacerta viridis, ''L. viridis'' *''Ophisaurus apodus'' *''Ophisops elegans'' *''Podarcis erhardii'', Podarcis filfolensis, ''P. filfolensis'', Podarcis hispanica, ''Podarcis hispanica atrata'', Podarcis lilfordi, ''P. lilfordi'', Podarcis melisellensis, ''P. melisellensis'', Podarcis milensis, ''P. milensis'', Podarcis muralis, ''P. muralis'', Podarcis peloponnesiaca, ''P. peloponnesiaca'', ''P. pityusensis'', Podarcis sicula, ''P. sicula'', Podarcis taurica, ''P. taurica'', Podarcis tiliguerta, ''P. tiliguerta'' and Podarcis wagleriana, ''P. wagleriana'' *Skinks: ''Ablepharus kitaibelli'', ''Chalcides bedriagai'', Chalcides occidentalis, ''Ch. occidentalis'', Chalcides ocellatus, ''Ch. ocellatus'', Chalcides sexlineatus, ''Ch. sexlineatus'', Chalcides viridianus, ''Ch. viridianus'' and ''Ophiomorus punctatissimus'' *''Stellio stellio'' Snakes *''Coluber caspius'', Coluber hippocrepis, ''C. hippocrepis'', Coluber jugularis, ''C. jugularis'', Coluber laurenti, ''C. laurenti'', Coluber najadum, ''C. najadum'', Coluber nummifer, ''C. nummifer'' and Coluber viridiflavus, ''C. viridiflavus'' *''Coronella austriaca'' *''Eirenis modesta'' *''Elaphe longissima'', Elaphe quatuorlineata, ''E. quatuorlineata'' and ''E. situla'' *''Eryx jaculus'' *Natrix natrix, ''Natrix natrix cetti'', Natrix natrix, ''N. natrix corsa'' and Natrix tessellata, ''N. tessellata'' *''Telescopus falax'' *''Vipera ammodytes'', Vipera schweizeri, ''V. schweizeri'', Vipera seoanni, ''V. seoanni'' (except Spanish populations), Vipera ursinii, ''V. ursinii'' and Vipera xanthina, ''V. xanthina'' Salamanders: *''

'' *''Euproctus asper'', Euproctus montanus, ''E. montanus'' and Euproctus platycephalus, ''E. platycephalus'' *Olm (''Proteus anguinus'') *''Salamandra atra'', Salamandra salamandra, ''S. salamandra aurorae'', Salamandra lanzai, ''S. lanzai'' and Salamandra luschani, ''S. luschani'' *''

'' *''

'', ''S. flavus'', ''S. genei'', ''S. imperialis'', Speleomantes italicus, ''S. italicus'' and ''S. supramontes'' *''Triturus carnifex'', Triturus cristatus, ''T. cristatus'', Triturus italicus, ''T. italicus'', Triturus karelinii, ''T. karelinii'' and Triturus marmoratus, ''T. marmoratus'' Toads and frogs: *''Alytes cisternasii'', Alytes muletensis, ''A. muletensis'' and Alytes obstetricans, ''A. obstetricans'' *''

'' and ''B. variegata'' *''Bufo calamita'' and Bufo viridis, ''B. viridis'' *''Discoglossus galganoi'', Discoglossus jeanneae, ''D. jeanneae'', ''D. montalentii'', Discoglossus pictus, ''D. pictus'' and ''D. sardus'' *Treefrogs: ''Hyla arborea'', Hyla meridionalis, ''H. meridionalis'' and Hyla sarda, ''H. sarda'' *''Pelobates cultripes'', Pelobates fuscus, ''P. fuscus'' and Pelobates syriacus, ''P. syriacus'' *''Rana arvalis'', Rana dalmatina, ''R. dalmatina'', Rana graeca, ''R. graeca'', Rana iberica, ''R. iberica'', Rana latastei, ''R. latastei'' and Rana lessonae, ''R. lessonae''

Fish

*Perches: ''Zingel asper'' *Sturgeons: ''Acipenser naccarii'' and Acipenser sturio, ''A. sturio'' *''Coregonus oxyrhynchus'' (anadromous populations in certain sectors of the North Sea) *''Valencia hispanica''

Insects

*Beetles: ''Buprestis splendens'', ''Carabus olympiae'', ''Cerambyx cerdo'', ''Cucujus cinnaberinus'', ''Dytiscus latissimus'', ''Graphoderus bilineatus'', ''Osmoderma eremita'' and ''Rosalia alpina'' *Dragonflies: ''Aeshna viridis'', '' Cordulegaster trinacriae'', '' Gomphus graslinii'', ''Leucorrhina albifrons'', Leucorrhina caudalis, ''L. caudalis'', Leucorrhina pectoralis, ''L. pectoralis'', '' Lindenia tetraphylla'', '' Macromia splendens'', '' Ophiogomphus cecilia'', ''

'', ''Stylurus flavipes'' and ''Sympecma braueri'' *Grasshoppers: '' Baetica ustulata'' and ''Saga pedo'' *Lepidoptera: ''Apatura metis'', ''Coenonympha hero'', Coenonympha oedippus, ''C. oedippus'', ''

'', ''E. christi'', Erebia sudetica, ''E. sudetica'', '' Eriogaster catax'', ''Fabriciana elisa'', '' Hypodryas maturna'', ''Hyles hippophaes'', ''Lopinga achine'', '' Lycaena dispar'', ''Maculinea arion'', Maculinea nausithous, ''M. nausithous'', ''M. teleius'', Melanagria arge, ''M. arge'', ''Papilio alexanor'', Papilio hospiton, ''P. hospiton'', ''Parnassius apollo'', Parnassius mnemosyne, ''P. mnemosyne'', ''

'', ''Proserpinus proserpina'' and ''Zerynthia polyxena'' *Mantids: ''

Spiders

*''Macrothele calpeiana''

Molluscs

*Gastropods (snails): ''Patella feruginea'', ''

'', ''C. commixta'', ''C. sphaerula'', '' Discula leacockiana'', ''D. tabellata'', Discula testudinalis, ''D. testudinalis'', Discula turricula, ''D. turricula'', '' Discus defloratus'', ''D. guerinianus'', ''

'', ''

'', ''Helix subplicata'', ''

'', ''L. cassida'', ''L. corneocostata'', ''L. gibba'' and ''L. lamellosa'' *Bivalves: ''Lithophaga lithophaga'', ''Pinna nobilis'', ''Margaritifera auricularia'' and ''

Echinoderms

*''Centrostephanus longispinus''

Plants

Annex IV contains all the plant species listed in Annex II (except the mosses and lichens), plus the plant taxa listed below: *Ferns: ''Asplenium hemionitis'' *''Dracaena draco'' *Iridaceae: ''Crocus etruscus'', ''Iris boissieri'' and Iris marisca, ''I. marisca'' *Liliaceae: ''Androcymbium europeum'', ''Bellevalia hackelli'', ''Colchicum corsicum'', Colchicum cousturieri, ''C. cousturieri'', ''Fritillaria conica'', Fritillaria drenovskii, ''F. drenovskii'', Fritillaria gussichiae, ''F. gussichiae'', Fritillaria obliqua, ''F. obliqua'', Fritillaria rhodocanakis, ''F. rhodocanakis'', ''Ornithogalum reverchonii'', ''Scilla beirana'' and Scilla odorata, ''S. odorata'' *''Narcissus longispathus'' and Narcissus triandrus, ''N. triandrus'' *Orchids: ''Ophrys argolica'', ''Orchis scopulorum'' and ''Spiranthes aestivalis'' *

: ''Bunium brevifolium'' *''Aquilegia alpina'' *

: Argyranthemum pinnatifidum, ''Argyranthemum pinnatifidum'' subsp. ''succulentum'', ''Helichrysum sibthorpii'', ''Picris willkommii'', ''Santolina elegans'', ''Senecio caespitosus'', Senecio lagascanus, ''S. lagascanus'' subsp. ''lusitanicus'' and ''Wagenitzia lancifolia'' *''Berberis maderensis'' *''Campanula morettiana'' and ''Physoplexis comosa'' *''Euphorbia nevadensis'' *Gesneriads: ''Ramonda heldreichii'' (as ''Jankaea heldreichii'') and ''Ramonda serbica'' *Lamiaceae: ''Rosmarinus tomentosus'', ''Teucrium charidemi'', ''Thymus capitellatus'' and Thymus villosus, ''T. villosus'' subsp. ''villosus'' *''Mandragora officinarum'' *''Moehringia fontqueri'' *''Murbeckiella sousae'' *Primulaceae: ''Androsace cylindrica'', ''Primula glaucescens'' and Primula spectabilis, ''P. spectabilis'' *''Saxifraga cintrana'', Saxifraga portosanctana, ''S. portosanctana'', Saxifraga presolanensis, ''S. presolanensis'', Saxifraga valdensis, ''S. valdensis'' and Saxifraga vayredana, ''S. vayredana'' *Scrophulariaceae: ''Antirrhinum lopesianum'' and ''Lindernia procumbens'' *''Sideroxylon marmulano'' *''Thymelaea broterana'' *''Viola athois'', Viola cazorlensis, ''V. cazorlensis'' and Viola delphinanth, ''V. delphinanth''

Annex V

Annex V details the species which are of 'interest' to the European Union, of which the taking or exploitation of wild may be subject to the management decisions of the individual countries concerned. This largely concerns plants or animals in which the hunting or gathering was/is an economic activity. Mammals *Carnivores: golden jackal (European jackal, ''Canis aureus moreoticus''), Spanish populations north of the Duera and Greek populations north of the 39th parallel of the grey wolf, ''Martes martes'', ''Mustela putorius'', all species of Phocidae (seals) not mentioned in Annex IV, ''Genetta genetta'' and ''Herpestes ichneumon'' *Mountain hare (''Lepus timidus'') *Hoofed mammals: ''Capra ibex'', Capra pyrenaica, ''C. pyrenaica'' (except ''C. pyrenaica pyrenaica'') and ''Rupicapra rupicapra'' (except R. rupicapra balcanica and R. ornata) Amphibians *''Rana esculenta'', Rana perezi, ''R. perezi'', Rana ridibunda, ''R. ridibunda'' and Rana temporaria, ''R. temporaria'' Fish *Lampreys: ''

'' and '' Lethenteron zanandrai'' *All sturgeon species not mentioned in Annex IV *Salmonidae: ''Thymallus thymallus'', ''

'', ''

'' (only when in fresh water) and all ''Coregonus'' spp. (except ''Coregonus oxyrhynchus'' - anadromous populations in certain sectors of the North Sea) *Cyprinids: all ''Barbus'' spp. *Perciformes: '' Gymnocephalus schraetzer'' and ''Zingel zingel'' *All ''

Alosa ''Alosa'' is a genus of fish, the river herrings, in the family (biology), family Clupeidae. Along with other genera in the subfamily Alosinae, they are generally known as shads.[ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/ac482e/ac482e27.pdf Subfamily A ...

'' spp. *Catfish: ''Silurus aristotelis'' Other *Corals: ''Corallium rubrum'' *Molluscs: ''Helix pomatia'', ''

'', ''Microcondylaea compressa'' and ''Unio elongatulus'' *''Hirudo medicinalis'' *Crabs: ''Astacus astacus'', ''Austropotamobius pallipes'' and Austropotamobius torrentium, ''A. torrentium'' *Lobster: ''Scyllarides latus'' *Moth: ''

'' Plants *Red algae: ''Lithothamnium coralloides'' and ''Phymatholithon calcareum'' *Lichens: ''Cladonia'' subgenus ''Cladina'' *Mosses: ''Leucobryum glaucum'', all ''Sphagnum'' species except ''Sphagnum pylasii'' *:Clubmosses: all ''Lycopodium'' spp. (see lycopodium powder) *''Galanthus nivalis'', ''Narcissus bulbocodium'' and Narcissus juncifolius, ''N. juncifolius'' *''Iris lusitanica'' *''Lilium rubrum'' *''Ruscus aculeatus'' *

: ''Arnica montana'', ''Artemisia eriantha'', Artemisia genipi, ''A. genipi'', Doronicum plantagineum, ''Doronicum plantagineum'' subsp. ''tournefortii'' and ''Leuzea rhaponticoides'' *Brassicaceae: ''Alyssum pintadasilvae'', Malcolmia lacera, ''Malcolmia lacera'' subsp. ''graccilima'' and Murbeckiella pinnatifida, ''Murbeckiella pinnatifida'' subsp. ''herminii'' *Gentianaceae: ''Gentiana lutea'' *Lamiaceae: Teucrium salviastrum, ''Teucrium salviastrum'' subsp. ''salviastrum'' *Fabaceae: ''Anthyllis lusitanica'', Dorycnium pentaphyllum, ''Dorycnium pentaphyllum'' subsp. ''transmontana'' and ''Ulex densus'' *Plumbaginaceae: ''Armeria sampaio'' *Rosaceae: Rubus genevieri, ''Rubus genevieri'' subsp. ''herminii'' *Scrophulariaceae: ''Anarrhinum longipedicelatum'', ''Euphrasia mendonçae'', Scrophularia grandiflora, ''Scrophularia grandiflora'' subsp. ''grandiflora'', Scrophularia berminii, ''S. berminii'' and Scrophularia sublyrata, ''S. sublyrata''

Annex VI

This annex compiles the types of capture and killing (i.e. hunting) which are prohibited in the European Community (and now the European Union), as well as prohibited modes of transport (while hunting). These can vary according to form of life. Birds are covered by the older

. *Mammals, for example, may not be hunted using explosives, gassing or smoking out burrows, poisons and poisoned or anaesthetic bait, tape recorders, artificial light sources, mirrors and other dazzling devices, blind or mutilated animals used as live decoys, non-selective nets or traps, crossbows and semi-automatic or automatic machine guns with a magazine capable of holding more than two rounds of ammunition. Other prohibited hunting devices are those to illuminate targets, electrical and/or electronic devices capable of killing or stunning and sighting scopes for night shooting with an electronic image magnifier or image converter. *Fish may not be caught using poisons or explosives. It is furthermore illegal to hunt wildlife in the European Union from an aircraft or moving motor vehicle.

References

External links

The Habitats Directive online at the EU's websiteConvention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Bern (1982)The Habitats Directive by Keulen, M. van (2002)
{{Authority control European Union directives European Union and the environment Environmental conservation Environmental law in the European Union 1992 in law 1992 in the environment 1992 in the European Economic Community

History

Annex I

Annex II

Animals

Mammals

Reptiles and amphibians

Fish

Crustaceans

Insects

Molluscs

Plants

Priority species

Animals

Plants

Macaronesia

Macaronesian priority species

Annex III

Annex IV

Mammals

Reptiles and amphibians

Fish

Insects

Spiders

Molluscs

Echinoderms

Plants

Annex V

Annex VI

See also

References

External links