The European Commission yesterday announced it has agreed to include 27 Maltese sites to its list of protected natural areas under the EU's nature protection network known as Natura 2000.
The sites include 23 square kilometres of coastal cliffs that are home to numerous endemic plants like the Maltese cliff orache, Cremnophyton lanfrancoi, the rare leopard snake Elaphe situla, and seabirds such as the Yelkouan shearwater, Puffinus yelkouan.
Other sites include Is-Simar and L-Għadira area, the islands of Filfla, Comino and Kemmunett, Buskett-Girgenti, the cliffs of Ta' Ċenċ, the areas of Ramla tat-Torri and L-Irdum tal-Madonna, Għar Dalam, Il-Ballut tal-Wardija in the limits of St Paul's Bay, Miżieb and Tal-Miġnuna area.
Government sources explained that the 27 areas include all the sites proposed by Malta to the European Commission under the Natura 2000 rules.
According to EU regulations, the areas will be protected and activities carried out there must be sustainable and in harmony with the natural environment. Development there will be very restricted to specific and limited purposes particularly for agriculture, fisheries and forestry needs. The Commission said that the designated Maltese sites will help in the EU's efforts to halt biodiversity loss in Europe by 2010.
Member states choose their Natura 2000 sites in partnership with the European Commission. Once selected, the areas are formally recognised by the Commission as Sites of Community Importance.
According to the Commission, this process confirms the formal status of the sites and cements the obligations to protect them.
For the new sites, Malta now has six years to put the necessary management measures in place. Natura 2000 is Europe's vast network of protected natural areas for plants, birds and habitats. The network covers nearly 20 per cent of Europe's landmass.
Apart from Malta, the Commission also approved the addition of another 462 new sites in another nine EU member states covering a total area of 18,784 square kilometres. This expansion involves mountainous regions, the Mediterranean area and the Canary Islands. The range of protected areas is vast, from flower-rich meadows to cave systems and lagoons.
The EU has pledged to halt biodiversity loss in Europe by 2010 and has an action plan to address the problem.