The NATURA 2000 proposal – Croatia proposes a network of over thousand sites which are the key ground for long term conservation of endangered species and habitats. A great number of sites and surface they cover shows Croatia's exceptionally rich biodiversity and will be important contribution to EU ecological network. Ensuring its favourable conservation status is one of the Croatia's main goals as future EU member state.
NATURA 2000 proposal in Croatia – was drafted based on scientific data and expert evaluation of sites importance according to EU Habitats and Birds Directives. It is a result of SINP's long work on collection and analysis of relevant data, which endeavoured to include all important scientific and expert institutions, societies and environmental NGO's. Croatia's biodiversity is still not completely explored and data used is not complete so new research is now financed that will continue in following years. It's results are being incorporated into proposal and will also be usad as a basis for future monitoring which has to be carried out according to EU Directives. Nevertheless, all available data indicated the most important areas that fulfil requirements of EU Directives.

This proposal and and all it brings has to be explained and colnsuted with all interested stakeholders. The aim is to ensure implementation of conservation measures with as less restrictions as possible and with adequate subsidies for users.

Consultation process in the framework of PHARE project "Institutional building and implementation of NATURA 2000 in Croatia" will result in revised proposal of NATURA 2000 sites in Croatia. It will be, we hope, harmonised with all stakeholders. Future government decree on internationally important ecological network sites that Croatia has to adopt by the day of accession, will be based on this proposal an then accepted by the EC. Following acceptance, measures and management plans have to be prepared and implemented together with the establishment of monitoring system, system of subsidies etc.