By decision of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEEN), Mr P. Varelidis, following the relevant recommendation of the Director General for Environmental Protection, Mr K. Dimopoulos, the Special Environmental Studies (SES) for the Region of Thessaly were approved. [[ii]] This constitutes a significant development, establishing a new framework for the protection and management of areas designated as Biodiversity Protection Areas (BPAs) within the Natura 2000 network.
The approval of the above SES also endorsed the principal recommendations of the studies, which are summarised as follows.
Protection Objectives
The objective of protecting the Biodiversity Protection Areas (BPAs) is to ensure that the protected features remain in a Favourable Conservation Status.
Within the Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), this objective aims to maintain, without reduction, the extent, structure and functions of the natural habitat types listed in Annex I of Directive 92/43/EEC, as well as the flora and fauna species listed in Annexes II and IV of that Directive.
Within the Special Protection Areas (SPAs), this objective likewise seeks to maintain, without reduction, the extent, structure and functions of natural habitat types and, in addition, the bird species listed in Annex I of Directive 2009/147/EC, together with regularly occurring migratory species.
Furthermore, protection aims to preserve, maintain and promote the distinctive characteristics of these areas in terms of their cultural heritage, landscape and identity, in accordance with the constitutional principle of sustainable development, through the simultaneous safeguarding of economic development, social cohesion and environmental protection.
Assessment of the Protected Features
The assessment and substantiation of the significance of the protected features were based on the application of the specifications set out in the contractual documents governing the Study, as well as on the Methodology Report submitted by the Contractor during the expression of interest procedure. The assessment also took into account the guidance provided by the Supervising Authority.
A fundamental assumption of the methodology was the definition, as the basic spatial unit of reference, of the areas under protection status within both the SACs and the SPAs, including natural habitat types protected under Directive 92/43/EEC as well as habitat types of national importance.
The assessment of the significance of natural habitat types for biodiversity conservation was based on data expressly provided for under national legislation, case law, European Union legislation incorporated into national law, and international conventions ratified by Greece.
For the purpose of determining whether habitat types located within designated SACs and SPAs possess a wholly natural or semi-natural character, the degree of human influence on those areas was assessed.
This assessment was carried out through the calculation of the Biological Territorial Capacity (BTC) Index, expressed in megacalories per square metre per year (BTC = Mcal/m²/year).
Habitat types presenting BTC values below 2.5 Mcal/m²/year were considered incapable of being classified as Natural or Semi-natural areas and, consequently, were deemed not to satisfy the suitability criterion required by the applicable legislation.
Subsequently, wholly natural and semi-natural areas were identified, with particular emphasis on the extent occupied by natural habitat types and the temporal evolution of their spatial coverage. For this purpose, their area, together with the richness and abundance of the plant and animal species they support, was examined on the basis of successive regulatory instruments, including Joint Ministerial Decision 50743/2017 (Government Gazette B' 4432) and the subsequent Standard Data Forms (SDFs).
The suitability of habitat type areas for biodiversity conservation was evaluated on the basis of the magnitude of temporal changes in the above parameters. Minor changes were interpreted as evidence that existing or legally permitted land uses within or adjacent to those areas (such as settlements, industrial activities, agricultural land uses, etc.)
The suitability of habitat type areas for biodiversity conservation was evaluated on the basis of the magnitude of temporal changes in the above parameters. Minor changes were interpreted as evidence of the absence of significant impacts arising from existing or legally permitted land uses within or around those areas (e.g. settlements, industrial activities, agricultural land uses, etc.).
The absence of habitat type designation within the SPAs was addressed through their identification and mapping using remote sensing techniques, supported by field verification.
The subsequent evaluation of the above elements was based first on an assessment of the reliability of the relevant records and subsequently on the statistical adequacy of the sampling determinations.
With regard specifically to birds, the abundance of species designated as "qualifying species" within each Special Protection Area (SPA) was examined as a percentage of the national population. Thereafter, the possibility of statistically validating their abundance was assessed. This was followed by an evaluation, based on population ecology criteria, of the existence of a Minimum Viable Population (MVP). In parallel, the suitability and adequacy of the extent of habitat types supporting these species were assessed in order to ensure the conditions required for their long-term conservation.
Proposal for the Delineation and Classification of Protected Areas
In accordance with the applicable legislative framework, the protection of natural habitat types is pursued through measures aimed at ensuring the long-term preservation of their extent in an undiminished and undisturbed condition, while maintaining their structure and ecological functions.
Furthermore, the protection of associated plant and animal species is pursued through the implementation of general measures, including controls on hunting, plant removal, species trade and similar activities, as well as through the protection of habitats whose characteristics satisfy the ecological and behavioural requirements of those species.
It is noteworthy that the protection of natural habitat types as a means of species conservation is expressly provided for under Council Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC.
The proposed land-use restrictions for the SACs, combined SAC/SPAs and SPAs under consideration are as follows:
- Habitat and Species Protection Zones: Areas within SACs and SPAs consisting of natural habitat types are proposed to be designated as Habitat and Species Protection Zones, thereby ensuring their full protection.
- Sustainable Natural Resource Management Zones: Areas within SACs and SPAs that do not consist of natural habitat types, such as cultivated land, technical infrastructure and similar land uses, are proposed to be designated as
- Sustainable Natural Resource Management Zones: so that the permitted land uses contribute to the protection and conservation of natural habitat types and their associated species.
The proposed terms and restrictions are subject to the provisions of the applicable spatial planning legislation and any future amendments thereto.
It is further proposed that certain measures and restrictions provided for in the Special Environmental Studies (SES) may be established through the Management Plans, thereby ensuring greater flexibility in their adoption and subsequent amendment.
Periodic Verification and Adjustment of Biodiversity Protection Areas
For the effective conservation of the protected features, periodic verification is required regarding the continued existence of the recorded natural habitat types, as well as the population sizes of protected flora and fauna species listed under Directive 92/43/EEC, within Biodiversity Protection Areas (BPAs) that are not classified as forests or forest lands pursuant to Law 998/1979.
Based on the results of such verification, appropriate adjustments to the boundaries of the Biodiversity Protection Areas should be undertaken, where feasible and where such adjustments contribute to achieving or maintaining a Favourable Conservation Status.
It is proposed that these adjustments be carried out every six years within the framework of the reporting obligations established under Article 17 of Directive 92/43/EEC.
The proposed reviews should examine, in particular:
- Changes in geomorphology (erosion, landslides, soil creep, etc.), soil characteristics and climatic conditions that alter the diversity and extent of natural habitat types supporting the plant and animal species listed, or capable of being listed, in Annexes II, IV and V of Directive 92/43/EEC, and which continue to constitute essential components of those habitat types over the long term.
- Changes affecting the conditions under which areas are classified as wholly natural or semi-natural, including verification that their conservation status continues to be maintained exclusively through natural ecological processes.
- Changes in land cover and land use resulting from judicial decisions or becoming necessary as a consequence of the environmental changes referred to above.
- Changes resulting from the identification of errors in the existing determination of the boundaries and extent of Biodiversity Protection Areas, including cases where settlements, military installations, technical infrastructure, agricultural land or other areas not satisfying the criteria for biodiversity protection have inadvertently been included, or where natural factors prevent the achievement of a Favourable Conservation Status for natural habitat types and their associated species.
Final Clarification
It is expressly noted that, pursuant to Law 4685/2020, Biodiversity Protection Areas (BPAs) consist of the natural habitat types identified under Directive 92/43/EEC and habitat types of Greek national interest, as identified either by Hellenic Cadastre S.A. (EKXA S.A.) or through the present study within the SACs, combined SAC/SPAs and SPAs of the study area.
For the remaining areas within the SACs, combined SAC/SPAs and SPAs, the land uses provided for under the applicable legislation shall continue to apply without selective implementation and in accordance with the prevailing hierarchy of legal rules.
[i]
Proposal for the approval of Study 4a: “Preparation of Special Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Management Plans (MP) for the Natura 2000 sites of the Region of Thessaly (group of sites within the Regional Units of Larissa, Magnesia and Sporades)”
Ref. No. ΥΠΕΝ/ΓΔΠΠ/20020/370/20-02-2025.
[[ii]]
Proposal for the approval of Study 4b: “Preparation of Special Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Management Plans (MP) for the Natura 2000 sites of the Region of Thessaly (group of sites within the Regional Units of Trikala and Karditsa)”
Ref. No. ΥΠΕΝ/ΓΔΠΠ/20053/372/20-02-2
