HRL Copernicus
land cover/land use
The Natura 2000 network of protected sites covers about 18% of the EU’s land area and is the main policy strategy to address biodiversity conservation in Europe.In 2016, GeoVille was, as part of a consortium, contracted by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to map a selection of Natura 2000 sites in order to assess their development over time for the 2006-2012 period - especially in view of quantitative/qualitative changes of certain natural/semi-natural grassland types, and an analysis of pressures and threats which impact the Natura 2000 sites and habitats. It is to complement and continue the previous mapping and analysis work undertaken by the GIO/Copernicus Initial Operations.The results enable an assessment of the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network on a European scale, specifically for investigating its effectiveness in halting the decline of important grassland habitat types across Europe.