THE BERN CONVENTION AND THE PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE
The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979), - The Bern Convention (see Links), was ratified by Romania in 1994. It requires that legislative and administrative measures be taken to conserve endangered habitats and the habitats of endangered and vulnerable species of flora and fauna listed in its appendices (article 4 (1)).
| A major weakness of the Bern Convention is that, despite addressing endangered habitats, it fails to mention Protected Areas. |
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Natura 2000 in the EU
As a contracting party, the European Union implemented the Bern Convention through the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Fauna and Flora (92/43/ EEC The Habitats Directive), which actually extends and improves upon the obligations of the Bern Convention.
The Habitats Directive, along with the Wild Birds Directive (79/409/EEC), requires the establishment of a network of Protected Areas throughout the European Union under the banner of "Natura 2000" sites.
EMERALD in Central and Eastern Europe
Significant elements of the Bern Convention have been incorporated into the strategy to develop the EMERALD Network (see Links) of Protected Areas in Central and Eastern Europe.
The creation of such a network is an objective of Central and Eastern Europe's most important Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.
More on the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy
