William Earnshaw

habitats directives. It is the fi rst such report to include EU-wide data on bird populations and the second one on habitat quality. While just over half of European bird species are listed as “secure”, the report fi nds that one in three European bird species is now threatened, including formerly common species such as the skylark and the turtle dove, whose populations shrank by 50 and 80%, respectively, according to PECBMS fi gures. By contrast, many species of wintering birds, including water birds, appear to have benefi ted from the conservation measures resulting from the birds and habitats directives. Further highlighting the plight of Europe’s birds, Birdlife International offi cially launched a European Red List for birds based on IUCN methodology on June 3rd. This document is the result of a three-year project supported by the European Commission and closes a gap, as Europe-wide lists already existed for all other groups of terrestrial vertebrates. The State of Nature report mainly paints a bleak picture of the state of Europe’s habitats and biodiversity, with more than half the habitats assessed found in an “unfavourable state”. Unlike the bird census, which took all species into account, the habitats analysis focused on areas and species believed to be in need of attention, so this result does not necessarily refl ect a more negative actual situation than the results on bird populations. Favourable assessments were more frequent in the Alps and in the Black Sea area, while northern areas and the Atlantic coastal areas were assessed less favourably. One chapter of the report is dedicated to the impact of the Natura 2000 network, which is the world’s largest coordinated network of protected areas. Currently, it covers 18% of the EU’s land area and 4% of its ocean surface. It has grown considerably in recent years mainly through the implementation of the EU directives in new member states such as Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. The network is now considered “almost complete” on land, but the report identifi es the need for further marine protected areas in EU waters. A literature review has demonstrated the value of the network for conservation of bird species, but no equivalent information is available for other species or for habitats. Thus, as the lengthy process of testing and reviewing the EU directives gets rolling, both the Exeter study and the EEA report provide strong arguments in favour of the existing directives. As the man-made mass extinction continues, Europe’s birds and other species depend on strong protective legislation for their very survival.