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Nature Protection Bill
In every country, National ecological network (NEN) is established by national nature protection legislation. In Croatia,
NEN is assigned by the new Nature protection bill (Official Gazette No.162/03), and includes ecologically significant areas of national and international importance. According to EU Habitat Directive mechanism, parts of ecological network can be designated as some protected area category or otherwise protected with specific management plans and assessment of activities likely to result in devastation or any other considerable or permanent damage to an ecological area. Negatively assessed activity can be permitted only in the case of prevailing public interest and must be compensated according to the law.
Ecological network includes also all threatened habitat types and ecological corridors that ensure connection between areas.
Ecological Network defined by Nature Protection Bill
Article 7
7. ecological network means a system of interconnected or spatially near ecologically important areas whose well balanced biogeographic distribution contributes substantially to conservation of the natural balance and biodiversity;
8. ecological corridor means an ecological component or a series of such components that enable migration of biological taxa from one site to another and forms a part of the ecological network;
9. ecologically significant area means an area that contributes substantially to biodiversity conservation in the Republic of Croatia;
3. Preservation of ecological networkArticle 56
(1) Preservation of the ecological network shall provide for conservation of habitat types in a favourable state or regeneration of habitats whose favourable state has been impaired.
(2) A habitat type shall be in a favourable state insofar as:
its natural range and the area it covers is stable or increasing,
there is, and in the foreseeable future will probably be maintained, a specific structure and functions necessary for its long-term survival,
the favourable state of its important biological species is granted.
Article 57
(1) Habitat types shall be documented on a habitat map and their state and the threats thereto shall be monitored.
(2) Habitat types shall be deemed endangered insofar as their state is not favourable and/or they are under threat of extinction.
(3) The areas of endangered and rare habitat types shall be ecologically important areas within the meaning of this Act.
(4) The sorts of habitat types, a habitat map, endangered and rare habitat types and the safeguard measures for conservation of habitat types shall be specified in the ordinance passed by the minister.
(5) The Institute shall monitor the state of and the threats to the habitat.
Article 58
(1) Ecologically important areas are the following:
areas of exceptional biological diversity or well conserved areas of international importance by the standards of international agreements to which the Republic of Croatia is a party,
areas that significantly contribute to the conservation of biological and landscape diversity in the Republic of Croatia,
areas of habitat types that are endangered at a global, European or national level,
habitats of species that are endangered at a global, European or national level;
habitats of species endemic to the Republic of Croatia,
areas that significantly contribute to genetic interrelatedness between the populations of biological species (ecological corridors),
migratory routes of animals,
conserved forest entities.
(2) The system of mutually interrelated or contiguous ecologically important areas, which by their balanced biogeographic distribution substantially contribute to conservation of natural balance and biological diversity constitute the ecological network. Within the ecological network, its parts communicate via natural or artificial ecological corridors.
(3) The Government shall at the proposal of the Ministry designate the ecological network with the system of ecologically important areas and ecological corridors.
Article 59
(1) The protection of ecologically important areas shall be safeguarded through implementation of statutory measures and nature protection requirements with the aim of conserving biological and landscape diversity and protecting natural assets pursuant to provisions of this Act.
(2) Actions that may result in destruction or any other substantial or permanent damage to an ecologically important area shall not be authorised.
(3) Provided that the Ministry may authorise actions referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article insofar as the damage to an ecologically important area may be compensated by appropriate measures or insofar as the interventions and actions are necessary owing to overriding public interest.
(4) In granting the permit pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Article the Ministry shall define the compensation terms.
Article 60
(1) An international ecologically important area shall be an area established as such in accordance with international standards, by a regulation adopted by the Government that will also provide the protection thereof through a particular regime of protection, pursuant to the provisions of this Act.
(2) The management of an internationally and ecologically important area referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall provide for conservation and improvement of its characteristics that are of the highest importance for the conservation of a favourable state of the habitat type or wild species.
(3) The features that are of the highest significance for the conservation of a favourable state of species protected pursuant to international treaties in force to which the Republic of Croatia is a signatory shall be preserved and developed for the sake of protection of internationally important ecological areas and improvement of the coherence of the ecological network.
(4) Actions that may result in the destruction or some other substantial or permanent damage to an international ecologically important area shall not be permitted.
4. Incentives for conservation and protection of biological and landscape diversity. |
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