European protected area (Austria)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Signs of the European protected area (Natura 2000) and protected part of the landscape

With European nature reserve are in Austria several categories of protected areas designated, which aim to safeguard the natural habitats of Europe permanently. Essentially, these are areas in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas of the European Union for the protection of biotopes and species. The main EU directives for this are the Birds Directive and the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH Directive) as well as European wildlife protection areas .

European protected areas also include biogenetic reserves , European diploma areas and the protected area of ​​the Alpine Convention .

At the end of 2017, a total of 204 Natura 2000 areas were designated in Austria as well as around 90 European protected areas from other categories.

Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 area Bürmooser Moor , Salzburg

When Austria joined the EU , it undertook to implement the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive and to designate a network of protected areas. According to Austrian law, the individual federal states alone selected suitable areas and anchored them in the respective state law , namely in nature conservation, hunting, fishing, and spatial planning or spatial planning laws (the national parks, which are a joint federal-state agreement, are an exception according to Art. 15a B-VG ).

As a rule, the nominated areas were secured with protected area ordinances . In most nature conservation laws, the explicit protection category European protected area is now intended for this purpose; it serves to directly adopt common law in state law. In some federal states, the European protected area then specifically designates those Natura 2000 areas that are designated according to both the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. However, some Natura 2000 areas are also anchored in state law by another protection category, or conversely, an already existing protected area is submitted as a Natura 2000 area as a whole.

In 2013 the European Commission initiated infringement proceedings (no. 2013/4077) against the Republic of Austria because it had not yet fully complied with the establishment of the Natura 2000 network. At the end of 2017, the federal states of Austria enacted a total of 204 Natura 2000 areas under nature conservation law, which take up 14.6% of the federal area - for comparison: In the European Union, the Natura 2000 network comprised more than 18% of the land area and more than 7 in 2013 % of the sea ​​area .

Wild European Protected Areas (WSG)

Capercaillie , the largest of the grouse

In addition to areas under the Habitats and Birds Directive, the Natura 2000 network also provides the framework for other protection categories. The federal state of Salzburg has established several European wildlife protection areas in accordance with Section 108 a Hunting Act. In the other federal states, there are no European wildlife reserves.

The purpose of the WSG is to implement the above-mentioned EU directives with regard to hunting issues; Bird sanctuaries are primarily considered for this (e.g. to protect grouse or birds of prey ). In particular, they also serve scientific research measures in the field of wildlife ecology . In Salzburg there are seven European Wildlife Protected Areas with a total area of ​​960 hectares. All protected areas are located in the Zell am See (Pinzgau) district.

Biogenetic Reserves

In Austria there are clear national efforts to designate biogenetic reserves, which are coordinated by the Federal Environment Agency . There are a total of 56 biogenetic reserves, which cover a total area of ​​173,051.37 hectares (1,730.5 km² or 2.4% of the federal territory). These are also areas designated under state law, partly also Natura 2000 areas, two areas have only partial protection. There are no reserves in Vienna and Vorarlberg.

and display information about the image
European protected area and biogenetic reserve Gerzkopf seen from the Schäferhütte. The Gerzkopf is on the right

European diploma for protected areas

Thayatal National Park, awarded the European diploma since 2003

The European Diploma of Protected Areas is one of the euro Europe award award , which was introduced in 1965 as the "European Conservation Diploma for protected landscapes, nature reserves and monuments". In 1999 it was renamed "European Diploma for Protected Areas". As an international organization, the Council of Europe has since dealt with nature and environmental protection across borders . The diploma is awarded to natural or semi-natural areas of European importance in order to secure their biological, geological and scenic diversity . The diploma is valid for five years from the date of award and can be continuously extended for a further five years.

In Austria, diplomas are awarded for three areas and are still valid today:

Alpine Convention

The logo of the Alpine Convention

The Alpine Convention, formally "Convention for the Protection of the Alps", is a treaty under international law for the comprehensive protection and sustainable development of the Alps . The contracting parties, including Austria from the start, meet regularly in the Alpine Conference and take decisions. In accordance with the framework convention, the contracting parties draw up so-called implementation protocols to specify the goals of the Alpine Convention. Austria - like Liechtenstein, Germany and Slovenia - has ratified all 9 technical protocols.

The chairmanship of the Alpine Convention changes every two years, from 2004 to 2006 and from 2016 to 2018 Austria chaired it.

and display information about the image
Part of the Eastern Alps: Glockner Group and Goldberg Group from the east

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Search for a protected area in Salzburg; (District: Zell am See; nature reserve: Wildlife European Protected Area).
  2. ^ Protected areas in Carinthia. Retrieved October 9, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Natura 2000 barometer. In: European Commission. Retrieved March 19, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Natura 2000. In: European Commission. Retrieved March 9, 2016 .
  5. ↑ a b cit. N. Natura 2000 - Wild European protected areas according to § 108 a Hunting Act. (No longer available online.) In: salzburg.gv.at. State of Salzburg, State Press Office / Nature Conservation Department, archived from the original on March 15, 2014 ; Retrieved June 3, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.salzburg.gv.at
  6. ↑ Law on Hunting in the State of Salzburg ( Hunting Law 1993 - JG) LGBl. No. 100/1993 (salzburg.gv.at, doc)
  7. ↑ Biogenetic Reserves. In: Umweltbundesamt.at. Federal Environment Agency, accessed on October 9, 2018 .
  8. ^ Report R-161: Biogenetic Reserves and Biosphere Reserves in Austria. (PDF; 57 kB) In: Umweltbundesamt.at. Federal Environment Agency, 1999, accessed on October 9, 2018 .