Glossary

Term	Description
Acceptability assessment (pursuant to the Habitats Directive)	Pursuant to Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive, every plan or intervention, alone or in combination with other plans or interventions, that can have a significant impact on an area of the ecological network or on its conservation goals, is subject to an acceptability assessment. The assessment examines the acceptability of the project or plan results for a certain area of the ecological network or for its target species and habitats. Guidelines available at: http://www.europa.eu
Acceptability assessment for the ecological network (pursuant to the Nature Protection Act)	The Acceptability assessment for the ecological network is the procedure which assesses the likelihood that implementation of a plan, programme or intervention in the area of the ecological network, alone or in combination with other plans or interventions, that can have a significant impact on the conservation goals or integrity of the area of the ecological network in terms of its structure or functionality.
Acceptability assessment for the impacts of an intervention on nature (nature impact assessment)	The nature impact assessment is the assessment of the possible significant impacts an intervention may have on the environment, as stipulated by this Act and the Regulation on the assessment of impacts of interventions on nature. The nature impact assessment recognizes, describes and assesses, in an appropriate way, the impacts of the intervention from paragraph 1 of this Article on the environment, in such as way as to determine the possible direct and indirect impacts of the intervention on: soil, water, sea, air, forest, climate, humans, flora and fauna, landscapes, material assets, cultural heritage, and taking account of their mutual relations. The nature impact assessment must allow for a precautionary principle in the early planning phase so as to reduce the impacts of the intervention to the smallest possible level and achieve the greatest possible preservation of the quality of the environment, which can be attained by aligning and adapting the intended intervention with the receptive capacities of the environment in a given area (Nature Protection Act, OG 110/07).
Alien species	An alien species is a non-native species that does not naturally inhabit a certain ecosystem of a site, but arrived there through intentional or unintentional introduction.
Annexes to the Habitats Directive	In 1992, the EU adopted the Habitats Directive, which is aimed at conserving natural habitats and wild fauna and flora in Europe. It introduces similar measures for the protection of European flora and fauna as the Birds Directive. The Directive includes six annexes that pertain to different articles of the Directive. Annex I includes a list of some 230 habitat types of importance for the European Union that require protection by designation as an area of the ecological network. Annex II includes a list of some 1000 plant and animal species of importance for the European Union, which also require protection through the designation of areas. Annex III contains a list of criteria for the selection of NATURA 2000 areas, Annex IV gives a list of species requiring strict protection, Annex V gives a list of species whose taking from the wild and exploitation is subject to management measures, and Annex VI gives a list of prohibited methods of capture and transport.
Assessment of GMO risk	Assessment of GMO risk is the determination and evaluation of a threat to biological diversity or human health that could arise due to the limited use of GMO, intentional introduction to the environment, or placement on the market, and is required for each individual case.
Biogeographic region	The EU is covered by nine biogeographical regions that are each characteristic in terms of its vegetation, climate, topography and geology. The region borders are not fixed, but allow for the monitoring of trends in species and habitats conservation in similar conditions throughout Europe, without heed to state borders. Those nine regions are: alpine, continental, Mediterranean, Pannonian, boreal, Atlantic, Black Sea, steppic and macaronesian. The first four regions are represented in Croatia.
Biogeographic seminars	Seminars held individually for each biogeographical region where scientific discussions are held on the NATURA 2000 proposals submitted by new Member States prior to accession to the EU. The DG Environment of the European Commission chairs the discussion at the seminars, while the European topic centre gives the scientific assessment of the proposal (for more information, please visit http://biodiversity.eionet.europa.eu/): • referential lists (distribution of species from Annex II and habitat types from Annex I in each biogeographical region by state) are examined and adopted together with the list of proposed areas, which following adoption become sites of Community importance (SCI); • assessment of the representation of habitat types from Annex I and/or species from Annex II with the proposed NATURA 2000 areas; • conclusions giving details on which species and habitat types require the designation of additional areas amendment of existing (proposed) areas. The DG Environment of the European Commission together with the Member States has determined the content and order of holding biogeographic seminars (HAB 97/3 Rev. 3 10/11/97). Participants in the seminars are: • European Commission • Member States • experts invited by the ETC • representative of the European Habitats Forum (NGO in the area of environment and nature) • representative of the NATURA 2000 Forum (associations of farmers and users) • representative of candidate countries or other Member States (only as observers)
Biological diversity	Biological diversity is the overall diversity of all living organisms that are integral parts of ecosystems (terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems), and includes diversity within species, between species, communities and diversity between ecosystems.
Birds Directive	The Birds Directive (Council Directive 2009/147/EC) was adopted in 1979 with the goal of protecting all wild birds and their most important habitats throughout the EU. This Directive prohibits certain activities, such as the keeping or sale of wild birds, and introduces legal mechanisms for the regulation of other activities, such as hunting, in order to ensure their sustainability. This Directive also requires all EU Member States to establish the most important areas for more than 190 endangered species and for all migratory birds as areas of the NATURA 2000 ecological network, taking special care of wetland areas of international importance.
Compensation conditions	Compensation conditions are measures established for the purpose of ensuring the connection (coherence) of an ecological network in the case an intervention that is not acceptable for the ecological network is approved, and the public interest of another sector overrides the interest of conservation. Pursuant to the Nature Protection Act, forms of compensation conditions are: – establishment of a compensation area which has the same or similar characteristics as the damaged area of the ecological network; – establishment of another area of the ecological network; – payment of a fine in the value of damages caused to the area of the ecological network in the case compensation conditions cannot be implemented.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)	An international agreement adopted at the United Nations Convention on the Environment and Development (UNCED) - Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The three main goals of the Convention are: 1. conservation of biological diversity, 2. the sustainable use of its components and 3. the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
Cumulative effect	Very often, proposed plans or interventions do not have harmful impacts on areas of the ecological network in and of themselves. However, it can occur that in combination with other existing or future plans or intervention, be those of a similar or different nature, that these effects can become harmful. For that reason, the Acceptability assessment should focus on the impacts that arise from a combination of components of the relevant plan or intervention, existing trends and other plans and interventions, and not only those from the plan or intervention submitted for approval.
Directive	A legal act of the European Union which demands certain results from the Member States but does not give precise guidelines as to how to achieve the given result. These may differ from the EU Regulations that are self-executing and do not require additional implementation measures. The Directives provide Member States with a certain amount of freedom in the manner of implementing certain rules. The difference between directives and regulations is that the provisions, or goals of the directives, must be built into the national legislation, while this is not the case with regulations, i.e. they come into effect as of the date of entry of the state into the EU.
Ecological network	The ecological network is a system of mutually connected or spatially close ecologically significant areas that, with their balanced biogeographical distribution, significantly contribute to the conservation of the natural balance and biological diversity and comprise the ecologically significant areas for the Republic of Croatia, and include ecologically important areas of the European Union NATURA 2000.
Ecosystem	This expression combines two different words — ecological and system — and pertains to all the biotic and abiotic elements and their mutual interactions in a given area, regardless of its size.
Endemic	Species that appear in a very restricted geographical area, for example on an island or a mountain top. In the Habitats Directive, this generally refers to species that are restricted to the area of one Member State and are not found anywhere outside the EU.
European Commission	The executive body of the European Union, seated in Brussels. The Commission acts independently of the national governments. Its task is to support the interests of the Union as a whole. It compiles proposals for new European laws which are then presented to the European Parliament and the European Council. It is made of delegates assigned to cabinets and the chair of the delegates. The Commission is organized in departments (Directorate General, DG) and services (such as legal services). Each Directorate General is responsible for a certain political area (e.g. agriculture (AGRI), environment (ENG), research (RTD), fisheries (FISH), etc.) and is headed by a Director-General who is responsible to one of the Commissioners. The overall coordination of the Commission is carried out by the Secretariat- General.
European Court of Justice	The seat of the European Court of Justice is in Luxembourg. Its main task is to establish the legal grounds for the legal procedures of the Commission against Member States, of one Member State against another, or procedures to annul against the Council or the Commission, and procedures for non-action.
European Union	The European Union was established pursuant to the Agreement on the European Union. Today, there are 27 EU Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cypress, Bulgaria and Romania). The EU encompasses the fundamental values that are shared by its Member States over a range of different cultures, languages and traditions. It is based on the European Communities and cooperation of Member States in the area of Common foreign policies and security and judicial and home affairs. The EU has five main institutions: European Parliament, Council of Ministers, European Commission, Court of Justice and Court of Auditors. The European Union plays a leading role in international cooperation and aids in development. The EU is also one of the world\'s largest donors of humanitarian aid. Today, the European Communities have political and financial responsibility for about 11% of the world\'s development aid (ODA) as compared to 5% in 1985. For more information, please visit: http://europa.eu
Extinction	The cessation of the existence of a species. Extinction of a species occurs when the final individual of that species dies. Though the species may be “extinct in nature”, the species is not extinct until every individual of that species, regardless of its location, keeping in captivity, ability to reproduce, etc. has died.
Favourable conservation status	The Directive determines the coherent network of NATURA 2000 areas, in order to ensure the maintenance and restoration of species and habitats in their natural distribution range. The conservation status represents the sum of the influences acting on the species concerned that may affect the long-term distribution and abundance of the population in the natural distribution range of the species. The conservation status can be considered favourable when: • population dynamics data on the species concerned indicate that it is maintaining itself on a long-term basis as a viable component of its natural habitats, • the natural range of the species is neither being reduced nor is likely to be reduced for the foreseeable future, • there is, and will probably continue to be, a sufficiently large habitat to maintain its populations on a long-term basis.
Genetic diversity	Genetic diversity is the overall genes of all living organisms and the diversity between individuals, populations, species and higher taxonomic categories.
Genetic modification	Genetic modification means the intentional alteration of the hereditary genetic material of an organism in a manner that differs from natural recombination and induced mutation, i.e. the introduction of foreign genetic material into the genetic material of an organism or removal of a part of the genetic material of an organism.
Genetically modified organism (GMO)	A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism, with the exception of human beings, in which the genetic material has been altered in a manner which does not appear naturally through mating and/or natural recombination.
Habitat	A terrestrial or aquatic area distinguished by geographic, abiotic and biotic features, whether entirely natural or semi-natural.
Habitat types	An environment defined by specific abiotic and biotic factors, in which the species lives at any stage of its biological cycle, e.g. wintering grounds, breeding areas, feeding areas, resting areas.
Habitat types of Community interest	Those natural habitats within the territory of the Member State which: a) are in danger of disappearance in their natural range (see also: priority habitat type); b) have a small natural range following their regression or by reason of their intrinsically restricted area; or c) present outstanding examples of typical characteristics of one or more of the nine following biogeographical regions: Alpine, Atlantic, Black Sea, Boreal, Continental, Macaronesian, Mediterranean, Pannonian and Steppic.
Habitats Committee	The Committee was established in order to facilitate the application of the Habitats Directive (Articles 20 and 21) and to provide support to the European Commission in the implementation of the Habitats Directive. The Committee also issues its opinion on proposed projects financed from the LIFE+ fund every year.
Habitats Directive	In 1992, the EU adopted the Habitats Directive, which is aimed at conserving natural habitats and wild fauna and flora in Europe. It introduces similar measures for the protection of European flora and fauna as the Birds Directive, but includes an additional 1000 species in addition to birds (plants, mammals, invertebrates, etc.) and more than 230 habitat types typical for Europe, and all threatened habitat types. The Habitats Directive is more precise in terms of the attitude towards plans and projects, and their impacts on species and habitats types must be assessed.
Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) (pursuant to the Habitats Directive)	If the conclusion of the Acceptability assessment is that the intervention is unacceptable and that there are no suitable alternative, it can be proven that the plan or intervention should be carried out for the reason of public interest. The public interests for which the intervention will be permitted must override the interest of conservation and there must be imperative reasons which do not allow for the postponement of implementation of the plan or intervention for social, economic or political reasons. When various types of public interest are assessed, the Directive differentiates areas with priority species and habitat types that are explicitly listed in the Directive Annexes. For priority areas, the only acceptable reasons for approving deviations from Article 6(3) are those pertaining to human health or public safety. Other imperative reasons or overruling public interests are permitted only if such an opinion is obtained from the European Commission.
Important Bird Area (IBA)	Important Bird Areas are areas proclaimed to be globally important habitats for the preservation of bird populations. This programme was developed by BirdLife International. IBAs are designated according to internationally accepted, standardised, quantitative, scientific criteria and are an important basis for the proclamation of Special Protection Areas (SPA) within NATURA 2000.
Integrity of a site	The second objective of the Acceptability assessment is to ensure that the integrity of the site in the ecological network is not degraded. This does not mean that no plans or interventions may take place within these areas. The Directive has ecological, and not topographic, integrity in mind, meaning that all the ecological functions of the area relating to the maintenance of protected habitats and species must be maintained. If that precondition is respected, there is no reason to prevent any activity at that site.
Intervention in nature	An intervention in nature is every temporary or permanent human activity in nature that could upset the natural balance, if that activity is not for the purpose of protecting and conserving nature.
Introduction	see: Introduction into nature
Introduction into nature	The intentional or unintentional settlement or introduction of species or subspecies into an ecosystem of an area in which it did not previously inhabit naturally.
Invasive taxa	Invasive taxa are those that are introduced into an area in which they do not occur naturally and in which they are capable of sustaining a population without human or other intervention, i.e. an alien species whose inhabitation or spread represents a threat to biological diversity.
IROPI	see: Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest
Main assessment with assessment of other suitable possibilities (Main assessment)	The main assessment is the second part of the procedure of the Acceptability assessment for a plan, programme or intervention in the ecological network after the initial phase of the procedure – the Preliminary assessment – fails to prove that the plan, programme or intervention will not have a significant negative impact on the area of the ecological network (on target species and habitats). The objective of the Main assessment is to prove or contest the impacts of the plan, programme or intervention on specific areas of the ecological network, in the sense of its significant influence on target species and the integrity of the area. The combined impacts must be considered and assessed for all target species and habitats.
Management plan	A detailed plan for a NATURA 2000 area which, in accordance with Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, determines the necessary protection measures for that area. The plan must consider the ecological requirements of the species and habitats. Pursuant to Article 6, development of a management plan is not mandatory, though protective measures are.
Mitigation measures	If it is established during the Main assessment procedure that significant negative impacts exist for target species and habitats and the integrity of the area, appropriate mitigation measures must be proposed. If in the Main assessment it is concluded that, despite the mitigation measures or the lack of such measures, the plan or intervention has a significant negative impact, it may not be approved.
Monitoring	Regular monitoring of the status of plant or animal species. For NATURA 2000, that means the obligation of monitoring the status of conservation of habitats from Annex I and species from Annex II, IV and V, with special emphasis on priority habitats and species in accordance with Article 11 of the Habitats Directive.
National Ecological Network	The national ecological network is prescribed by the Nature Protection Act and includes areas that are important for the conservation of threatened species and habitats of national and international importance. In line with the mechanisms of the EU Habitats Directive, parts of the ecological network may be protected through the adoption of special management plans or the inclusion of measures in management plans of other sectors and through the mechanism of conducting Acceptability assessments for nature for each intervention. Negatively assessed interventions can only be approved in the case of overriding public interest and with compensation conditions established by the Act. All threatened habitat types form part of the ecological network.
NATURA 2000	A network of marine and terrestrial areas of European importance, separated for the conservation of rare and threatened natural habitats and plant and animal species, protected by the Directives of the European Union. The NATURA 2000 network is comprised of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), areas set aside pursuant to the Habitats Directive and Special Protection Areas (SPA), pursuant to the Birds Directive.
NGO	Non-governmental organisation.
Overriding Public Interest (pursuant to the Nature Protection Act)	An overriding public interest is an interest in issues of nature conservation expressed by the state, regional or local government pursuant to its statute.
Preliminary assessment	The Preliminary assessment is the first step of the Acceptability assessment procedure for a plan, programme or intervention for the ecological network in which it is established whether there is a need for a Main assessment. On the basis of the information provided, the competent body must be able to exclude the possibility of a significantly negative impact of the plan or intervention on any part of the ecological network. If a significant negative impact cannot be excluded, the plan or intervention must be forwarded to the second step of the process – the Main assessment, with an assessment of alternate suitable possibilities.
Priority habitat type	Natural habitat types in danger of disappearence, which are present on the territory referred to in Article 2 and for the conservation of which the Community has particular responsibility in view of the proportion of their natural range which falls within the territory referred to in Article 2. Priority habitats in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) are marked with an asterisk (*).
Priority species	A species for whose conservation the Community has particular responsibility in view of the proportion of its natural range which falls within the territories referred to in Article 2. Priority species in Annex II of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) are marked with an asterisk (*).
Prohibition of the deterioration of natural habitats (pursuant to the Habitats Directive)	Pursuant to Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive, Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid, in the special areas of conservation, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of this Directive.
Proposed Sites of Community Importance (pSCI)	A proposed site of Community importance on the national evaluation list of NATURA 2000 areas.
Ramsar areas	Wetland areas of international importance, protected under the Ramsar Convention, an international agreement on the protection of wetland habitats (1971).
Rare species	An organism that is very unusual or rare and appears only in a very limited geographic area or has a wide distribution range but never appears in large numbers.
Reporting obligation	Pursuant to Article 17(1) of the Habitats Directive, Member States are obliged to compile comprehensive reports every six years on the implementation of measures defined by the Directive, and to assess the effectiveness of measures for the conservation of habitat types from Annex I and species from Annex II. Pursuant to Article 12 of the Birds Directive, Member States are required to report every three years on the implementation of the national legislation adopted by the country for the purpose of alignment with the Directive.
Significant impact	All human activities have a certain impact on nature, and this is also true in areas of the ecological network. The majority of those impacts are short-lived, without significant harmful impacts on the target habitat or species in a given area. Therefore, the Acceptability assessment procedure is justified only for those interventions whose impact surpasses the threshold of reversibility. The main idea of the acceptability assessment for interventions in nature is to establish which impacts are negligible, and which become significant and when, which requires corroboration from scientific and expert research. Considering that the significant impact can vary for different habitats and species, each case must be considered individually.
Site	A geographically defined area whose extent is clearly delineated.
Sites of Community Importance (SCI)	A site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type in Annex I or of a species in Annex II and may also contribute significantly to the coherence of Natura 2000 referred to in Article 3, and/or contributes significantly to the maintenance of biological diversity within the biogeographic region or regions concerned. For animal species ranging over wide areas, sites of Community importance shall correspond to the places within the natural range of such species which present the physical or biological factors essential to their life and reproduction.
Special areas of conservation (SAC)	Special areas of conservation (SAC) are areas of importance to the Community, so proclaimed by the Member State by a legal, administrative and/or contractual act, where protection measures for the maintenance or establishment of a “favourable state” of the conservation of natural living areas (habitats), and/or a population of a species for which the area has been proposed. Member States need to identify these areas and establish protection measures required for conservation. These areas, together with Special protection areas (SPA) make up the NATURA 2000 network.
Special Protection Areas (SPA)	Areas important for birds pursuant to the Birds Directive (147/2009/EEC). Together with Special areas of conservation (SAC), these make up the NATURA 2000 ecological network.
Species of Community interest	Species in the EU territory that are: - endangered, except those species whose natural range is marginal in that territory and which are not endangered or vulnerable in the area of the western Paleoarctic region; or - vulnerable, believed likely to move into the endangered category in the near future if the causal factors continue operating; - rare, i.e. with small populations that are not at present endangered or vulnerable, but are at risk. The species are located within restricted geographical areas or are thinly scattered over a more extensive range; or - endemic and requiring particular attention by reason of the specific nature of their habitat and/or the potential impact of their exploitation on their habitat and/or the potential impact of their exploitation on their conservation status.
Standard form	The NATURA 2000 form, a standard form for declaring an area pursuant to the Birds Directive and Habitats Directive that has been approved by the Habitats Committee.
Target species and habitats	Each area of the ecological network has target species and habitats (types of habitats or species or both) for which the area was designated. Article 6(2) of the Habitats Directive sets the general goal of conservation for them all: the long-term conservation of their status within the given area. Member States may freely set more ambitious goals, but in every case, the acceptability assessment should indicate whether or not the plan or intervention being assessed degrades those goals.
Variations or alternative solutions	If in the Acceptability assessment it is established that a plan or intervention has a significant negative impact and may not be approved, this does not necessarily mean that there are not other suitable possibilities (alternative solutions or variations) for the plan or intervention. This may mean another location, different scope or project of the intervention, or alternative procedures. If an alternative solution is proposed (one or multiple solutions), they must also be assessed in the same manner as the original plan or intervention.