Moldovan government approves creation of Emerald network - instrument needed to preserve natural areas

Chisinau, 13 July /MOLDPRES/ - The cabinet of ministers, at the today’s meeting, approved the creation of the Emerald Network – equivalent of the Natura 2000 Network, in the non-EN European countries. The Emerald Network represents an instrument for the conservation of natural areas of great ecological value and creates the basis of cooperation within a homogeneous network which covers the entire Europe, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.   

The document was worked out, in order to adjust the national legislation with the European one as regards the conservation of natural habitats, of the species of flora and wild fauna.   

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the present pace of disappearance of species is tens times higher than the one which allows the appearance of new species. About 15 per cent mammals, 13 per cent of the birds, 37 per cent of the freshwater fish and 23 per cent of the amphibians from Europe are near extinction. Or the biodiversity represents a natural patrimony and must be preserved and transmitted to the next generations.    

The draft also sees the creation of a national register of the Emerald Network, establishing the system of monitoring and the process of reporting of the state of conservation of species and habitats included in the network, elaboration of plans on the latter’s management, which will provide clear-cut action for the conservation and monitoring of each species of flora, fauna and natural habitats.          

The Natura 2000 network started in 1979, when EU adopted the first legislative act in the nature protection sector. In 1989, a special instrument was created for the protection of the natural environment of Europe – the Emerald Network, which presently has approved 61 Emerald sites. They are to ensure the conservation of 154 species of plants and animals and 38 protected habitats at the European level, which are on the territory of Moldova.    

Photo: Government