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61-405: It was established in order to protect slightly disturbed natural areas, promote nature tourism and ensure sustainable development in the area. The national park is characterized by a high biological diversity, rock outcrops and varied terrain shapes, springs, picturesque landscapes and many historical and cultural monuments from different centuries. The major part of the national park and the dominant

122-571: A candidate to have a democratic government and free-market economy together with the corresponding freedoms and institutions, and respect for the rule of law . Enlargement of the Union is also contingent upon the consent of all existing members and the candidate's adoption of the existing body of EU law, known as the acquis communautaire . The United Kingdom , which had acceded to the EU's predecessor in 1973, ceased to be an EU member state on 31 January 2020, in

183-449: A formalisation of the situation. EU integration is not always symmetrical, with some states proceeding with integration ahead of hold-outs. There are several different forms of closer integration both within and outside the EU's normal framework. One mechanism is enhanced cooperation where nine or more states can use EU structures to progress in a field that not all states are willing to partake in. Some states have gained an opt-out in

244-587: A greater or lesser extent. If an aspect is not listed in the table below, then it remains the exclusive competence of the member state. Perhaps the best known example is taxation, which remains a matter of state sovereignty. As a result of the European sovereign debt crisis , some eurozone states were given a bailout from their fellow members via the European Financial Stability Facility and European Financial Stability Mechanism (replaced by

305-579: A list of the best wildlife areas containing the habitats and species listed in the Habitats Directive; this list must then be submitted to the European Commission , after which an evaluation and selection process on European level will take place in order to become a Natura 2000 site. The Habitats Directive divides the EU territory into nine biogeographic regions , each with its own ecological coherence. Natura 2000 sites are selected according to

366-522: A member state to leave the bloc. The procedure for a state to leave is outlined in TEU Article 50 which also makes clear that "Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements". Although it calls for a negotiated withdrawal between the seceding state and the rest of the EU, if no agreement is reached two years after the seceding state notifying of its intention to leave, it would cease to be subject to

427-401: A monarch although political powers are exercised by elected politicians. Most republics and all the monarchies operate a parliamentary system whereby the head of state (president or monarch) has a largely ceremonial role with reserve powers . That means most power is in the hands of what is called in most of those countries the prime minister, who is accountable to the national parliament . Of

488-453: A new country applying from scratch. However, other studies claim internal enlargement is legally viable if, in case of a member state dissolution or secession, the resulting states are all considered successor states . There is also a European Citizens' Initiative that aims at guaranteeing the continuity of rights and obligations of the European citizens belonging to a new state arising from

549-542: A political process known as Brexit . No other member state has withdrawn from the EU and none has been suspended, although some dependent territories or semi-autonomous areas have left . There are a number of overseas member state territories which are legally part of the EU, but have certain exemptions based on their remoteness; see Overseas Countries and Territories Association . These "outermost regions" have partial application of EU law and in some cases are outside of Schengen or

610-522: A rethinking of the habitats assessment might be necessary in the light of a new climate law as part of e.g. the European Green Deal . In European law literature Borgstrom and Kistenkas have discussed some possible future incompatibilities of the Natura 2000 habitats-test with novel EU green infrastructure policies. In the late 2010s the habitats assessment was at the basis of the nitrogen crisis in

671-462: A template for the pro-EU regions of the UK remaining within the EU or its single market. Beyond the formal withdrawal of a member state, there are a number of independence movements such as Catalonia or Flanders which could result in a similar situation to Greenland. Were a territory of a member state to secede but wish to remain in the EU, some scholars claim it would need to reapply to join as if it were

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732-687: Is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union . It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive , respectively. The network includes both terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas . The Natura 2000 network covered more than 18% of the European Union's land area and more than 7% of its marine area in 2022. In May 1992,

793-437: Is a tool to explore the network and gives access to every standard data form. As of 2017 , Natura 2000 protected 27,312 sites with a terrestrial area of 787,606 km (304,096 sq mi) (around 18 percent of land of the EU countries) and marine area of 360,350 km (139,130 sq mi), and was considered almost complete in the EU terrestrial environment. The process of designation has not always been smooth as

854-415: Is delegated by each member to the institutions in return for representation within those institutions. This practice is often referred to as 'pooling of sovereignty'. Those institutions are then empowered to make laws and execute them at a European level. If a state fails to comply with the law of the European Union , it may be fined or have funds withdrawn. In contrast to some international organisations,

915-419: Is open to any European country that is a stable, free-market liberal democracy that respects the rule of law and human rights. Furthermore, it has to be willing to accept all the obligations of membership, such as adopting all previously agreed law (the 170,000 pages of acquis communautaire ) and switching to the euro . For a state to join the European Union, the prior approval of all current member states

976-503: Is required. In addition to enlargement by adding new countries, the EU can also expand by having territories of member states, which are outside the EU, integrate more closely (for example in respect to the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles ) or by a territory of a member state which had previously seceded and then rejoined (see withdrawal below). There is no provision to expel a member state, but TEU Article 7 provides for

1037-627: Is superior to State law is subject to some debate. The treaties do not give a judgement on the matter but court judgements have established EU's law superiority over national law and it is affirmed in a declaration attached to the Treaty of Lisbon (the proposed European Constitution would have fully enshrined this). The legal systems of some states also explicitly accept the Court of Justice's interpretation, such as France and Italy, however in Poland it does not override

1098-521: Is taken against it as outlined above. However, the treaties do not provide any mechanism to expel a member state outright. Prior to the Lisbon Treaty , there was no provision or procedure within any of the Treaties of the European Union for a member state to withdraw from the European Union or its predecessor organisations. The Lisbon Treaty changed this and included the first provision and procedure of

1159-530: Is the old valley of the Gauja River. The valley is protected and at the same time it can be used for nature and cultural history tourism, as well as healthy recreation. The park administration is based in Sigulda. The area of the park is 918 square kilometers (354 sq mi) and it is divided into five functional zones. Nature reserves take up a small part of the park and visits are prohibited to these areas. In

1220-596: The Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats . Natura 2000 is also a key contribution to the Program of Work of Protected Areas of the Convention on Biological Diversity . As a prerequisite for joining the EU, accession states have to submit proposals for Natura 2000 sites meeting the same criteria as EU member states. Some new member states have large areas which qualify to be protected under

1281-517: The European Stability Mechanism from 2013), but this came with conditions. As a result of the Greek government-debt crisis , Greece accepted a large austerity plan including privatisations and a sell off of state assets in exchange for their bailout. To ensure that Greece complied with the conditions set by the European troika (ECB, IMF, Commission), a 'large-scale technical assistance' from

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1342-472: The National Council of Slovenia . All elections in member states use some form of proportional representation . The most common type of proportional representation is the party-list system . There are also differences in the level of self-governance for the sub-regions of a member state. Most states, especially the smaller ones, are unitary states ; meaning all major political power is concentrated at

1403-486: The state's constitution , which it does in Germany. The exact areas where the member states have given legislative competence to the Union are as follows. Every area not mentioned remains with member states. In EU terminology, the term 'competence' means 'authority or responsibility to act'. The table below shows which aspects of governance are exclusively for collective action (through the commission) and which are shared to

1464-503: The EU VAT area—however they are legally within the EU. They all use the euro as their currency. Abbreviations have been used as a shorthand way of grouping countries by their date of accession. Additionally, other abbreviations have been used to refer to countries which had limited access to the EU labour market . According to the Copenhagen criteria , membership of the European Union

1525-486: The EU's style of integration as a union of states does not "emphasise sovereignty or the separation of domestic and foreign affairs [and it] has become a highly developed system for mutual interference in each other's domestic affairs, right down to beer and sausages.". However, on defence and foreign policy issues (and, pre- Lisbon Treaty , police and judicial matters) less sovereignty is transferred, with issues being dealt with by unanimity and co-operation. Very early on in

1586-665: The European Commission and other member states was deployed to Greek government ministries. Some, including the President of the Euro Group Jean-Claude Juncker , stated that "the sovereignty of Greece will be massively limited." The situation of the bailed out countries (Greece, Portugal and Ireland) has been described as being a ward or protectorate of the EU with some such as the Netherlands calling for

1647-464: The European Commission committed to raise awareness about the network and biodiversity in general with the public. In order to raise awareness about the Natura 2000 network, 21 May has been designated “Natura 2000 Day”. This precedes “International Day for Biological Diversity” on 22 May. The initiative came from SEO/BirdLife who sought and received funding from the EU LIFE+ programme in order to improve

1708-595: The European Parliament; prospective justices must be confirmed by the existing members. Historically, larger member states were granted an extra Commissioner. However, as the body grew, this right has been removed and each state is represented equally. The six largest states are also granted an Advocates General in the Court of Justice. Finally, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank includes

1769-475: The European Union in certain aspects of government. State governments must agree unanimously in the Council for the union to adopt some policies; for others, collective decisions are made by qualified majority voting . These obligations and sharing of sovereignty within the EU (sometimes referred to as supranational ) make it unique among international organisations, as it has established its own legal order which by

1830-498: The Habitats Directive), dates back to the days climate change was not an issue and the concept of ecosystem services had not been well developed. Hence, in international law literature Kistenkas raised the question the habitats assessment was originally not designed for striking a balance of all relevant ecosystem services or to involve climate change into the assessment. Although well protecting nature conservation objectives,

1891-678: The Netherlands as the EU Court (C-293/17 and C-294/17, ECLI:EU:C:2018:882) ruled on agriculture nearby Natura 2000 sites. In some other member states, such as Bulgaria , there was criticism a project had not been well communicated in advance. This led to construction in the Kaliakra zone of Bulgaria, including wind turbines and a golf course. Land owners have then been told they may not use their land in certain ways, otherwise non-compliance procedures would be used against Bulgaria. This led to protests by

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1952-569: The Sigulda area with walking-sticks goes back as far as the 19th century. Every year thousands of visitors are attracted by the unique landscape, the largest Devonian rock outcrops – sandstone precipices, rocks and caves, as well as monuments of culture and history, which are twined with many legends and stories. In the national park, there are over 500 monuments of history and culture – hill forts, stone castles, churches, manors, water and windmills , as well as other archaeological, architectural and art monuments. Natura 2000 Natura 2000

2013-569: The States to Community, the Member States have limited their sovereign rights and have thus created a body of law which binds both their nationals and themselves...The transfer by the States from their domestic legal system to the Community legal system of the rights and obligations arising under the Treaty carries with it a permanent limitation of their sovereign rights. The question of whether Union law

2074-483: The Treaty on European Union While the member states are sovereign, the union partially follows a supranational system for those functions agreed by treaty to be shared. ("Competences not conferred upon the Union in the Treaties remain with the member states"). Previously limited to European Community matters, the practice, known as the ' community method ', is currently used in many areas of policy. Combined sovereignty

2135-404: The UK eventually withdrew from the EU on 31 January 2020. Prior to 2016, no member state had voted to withdraw. However, French Algeria , Greenland and Saint-Barthélemy did cease being part of the EU (or its predecessor) in 1962, 1985, and 2012, respectively, due to status changes. The situation of Greenland being outside the EU while still subject to an EU member state had been discussed as

2196-460: The agreement of the European Commission become Special Areas of Conservation to be designated for species other than birds, and for habitat types (e.g. particular types of forest, grasslands, wetlands, etc.). Together, Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation form the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. The Natura 2000 network is the EU contribution to the " Emerald network " of Areas of Special Conservation Interest set up under

2257-425: The conditions in each biogeographical region; thus selected sites represent species and habitat types under similar natural conditions across a suite of countries. Each Natura 2000 site has a unique identification form called a standard data form. This form is used as a legal reference when assessing the management of the species and habitats through the concept of favourable conservation status. The Natura 2000 Viewer

2318-403: The democratic secession of a European Union member state. Each state has representation in the institutions of the European Union . Full membership gives the government of a member state a seat in the Council of the European Union and European Council . When decisions are not being taken by consensus , qualified majority voting (which requires majorities both of the number of states and of

2379-476: The directives, and implementation has not always been simple. The Natura 2000 sites are selected by member states and the European Commission following strictly scientific criteria according to the two directives mentioned above. The Special Protection Areas are designated directly by each EU member state , while the Special Areas of Conservation follow a more elaborate process: each EU member state must compile

2440-516: The directly elected lower house and require its support to stay in office—the exception being Cyprus with its presidential system. Upper houses are composed differently in different member states: it can be directly elected like the Polish senate ; indirectly elected, for example, by regional legislatures like the Federal Council of Austria ; or unelected, but representing certain interest groups like

2501-555: The founding treaties from participating in certain policy areas. The admission of a new state the Union is limited to liberal democracies and Freedom House ranks all EU states as being totally free electoral democracies. All but 4 are ranked at the top 1.0 rating. However, the exact political system of a state is not limited, with each state having its own system based on its historical evolution. More than half of member states—16 out of 27—are parliamentary republics , while six states are constitutional monarchies , meaning they have

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2562-538: The governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. The Habitats Directive complements the Birds Directive adopted in 1979, and together they make up the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. The Birds Directive requires the establishment of Special Protection Areas for birds. The Habitats Directive similarly requires Sites of Community Importance which upon

2623-428: The governors of the national central banks (who may or may not be government appointed) of each euro area country. The larger states traditionally carry more weight in negotiations, however smaller states can be effective impartial mediators and citizens of smaller states are often appointed to sensitive top posts to avoid competition between the larger states. This, together with the disproportionate representation of

2684-415: The history of the EU, the unique state of its establishment and pooling of sovereignty was emphasised by the Court of Justice: By creating a Community of unlimited duration, having its own institutions, its own personality, its own legal capacity and capacity of representation on the international plane and, more particularly, real powers stemming from a limitation of sovereignty or a transfer of powers from

2745-464: The infringement procedures against member states show. While designation of sites may be near complete, the management and enforcement of protection on sites is less advanced and many sites lack management plans. Natura 2000 faced criticism from developers, farmers and politicians who fear that the conservation of habitats and species places a brake on development. In 2013, there were 251,564 km (97,129 sq mi) designated as Natura 2000 in

2806-409: The interests of all the member states within the EU. In the 1950s, six core states founded the EU's predecessor European Communities ( Belgium , France , Italy , Luxembourg , the Netherlands , and West Germany ). The remaining states have acceded in subsequent enlargements . To accede, a state must fulfil the economic and political requirements known as the Copenhagen criteria , which require

2867-465: The knowledge of this network. In 2013, the first Natura 2000 day took place with the aim to raise awareness of citizens about the importance of Natura 2000 network in their lives. Since then, every May 21 and the weeks before, awareness actions take place all over Europe. For example, in 2014, school children and politicians across the EU were encouraged to make a butterfly gesture and post photos on social media to raise awareness. The Natura 2000 Award

2928-495: The land-owners. Germany Latvia Natura 2000 in the global context Member state of the European Union The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties , and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed by the treaties to share their own sovereignty through the institutions of

2989-640: The larger ones). The members of the European Parliament have been elected by universal suffrage since 1979 (before that, they were seconded from national parliaments ). The national governments appoint one member each to the European Commission , the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Auditors . Prospective Commissioners must be confirmed both by the President of the Commission and by

3050-473: The marine environment. The network in marine areas is not considered complete and acknowledged by the Commission as a "key challenge for EU biodiversity policy in the coming years". Natura 2000 sites can vary considerably in character. They are not strictly protected in terms of how they are allowed to be used by people. Many sites are farmed, forested and some are even in urban areas. Other areas are much wilder. The European Commission developed guidelines on

3111-409: The national level. 9 states allocate power to more local levels of government. Austria, Belgium and Germany are full federations, meaning their regions have constitutional autonomies. Denmark, Finland, France and the Netherlands are federacies , meaning some regions have autonomy but most do not. Spain and Italy have systems of devolution where regions have autonomy, but the national government retains

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3172-508: The population they represent, but a sufficient blocking minority can veto the proposal). The Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates among each of the member states, allowing each state six months to help direct the agenda of the EU. Similarly, each state is assigned seats in Parliament according to their population (smaller countries receiving more seats per inhabitant than

3233-534: The provisions of the founding treaties is both legally binding and supreme on all the member states (after a landmark ruling of the ECJ in 1964 ). A founding principle of the union is subsidiarity , meaning that decisions are taken collectively if and only if they cannot realistically be taken individually. Each member country appoints to the European Commission a European commissioner . The commissioners do not represent their member state, but instead work collectively in

3294-478: The relation between Natura 2000 and wild areas which are thought to make up around 13% of the network. This was in response to a report by Members of the European Parliament in 2009 which called for further protection of Europe's wilderness. The Natura 2000 network is not well known among European Union citizens; only 11% of citizens knew what it was in 2013. As part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy ,

3355-450: The remaining republics, four operate a semi-presidential system , where competences are shared between the president and prime minister, while one republic operates a presidential system , where the president is head of both state and government. Parliamentary structure in member states varies: there are 15 unicameral national parliaments and 12 bicameral parliaments. The prime minister and government are usually directly accountable to

3416-480: The rest of the park, only economic activities that leave the landscape intact are permitted. Forests cover about 47%, almost half of the territory. There are almost 900 plant species, 149 bird, and 48 mammal species. Since 2004 Gauja National Park has been part of the Natura 2000 network as a territory designated for conservation of protected species and biotopes. Gauja National Park has a long history of tourism. Hiking in

3477-445: The smaller states in terms of votes and seats in parliament, gives the smaller EU states a greater power of influence than is normally attributed to a state of their size. However most negotiations are still dominated by the larger states. This has traditionally been largely through the " Franco-German motor" but Franco-German influence has diminished slightly following the influx of new members in 2004 (see G6 ). – Article 4 of

3538-405: The state concerned), but sanctions require only a qualified majority. The state in question would still be bound by the obligations treaties and the Council acting by majority may alter or lift such sanctions. The Treaty of Nice included a preventive mechanism whereby the council, acting by majority, may identify a potential breach and make recommendations to the state to rectify it before action

3599-506: The suspension of certain rights. Introduced in the Treaty of Amsterdam , Article 7 outlines that if a member persistently breaches the EU's founding principles (liberty, democracy, human rights and so forth, outlined in TEU Article 2 ) then the European Council can vote to suspend any rights of membership, such as voting and representation. Identifying the breach requires unanimity (excluding

3660-530: The treaties anyway (thus ensuring a right to unilateral withdrawal). There is no formal limit to how much time a member state can take between adopting a policy of withdrawal, and actually triggering Article 50. In a referendum in June 2016 , the United Kingdom voted to withdraw from the EU. The UK government triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. After an extended period of negotiation and internal political debate

3721-726: Was launched by the European Commission in 2013, with the first prizes awarded on Natura 2000 Day in 2014. The annual Award aims to raise awareness about the Natura 2000 network, showcase excellence and encourage networking between people working on Natura 2000 sites. It awards prizes to those working on the management of or to raise awareness about Natura 2000 in five award categories: Conservation; Socio-Economic Benefits; Communication; Reconciling Interests and Perceptions; Cross-Border Cooperation and Networking. In its first year, winners were selected from Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Belgium and Spain. The Natura 2000 legislation, notably with its habitats-test (or: habitats assessment, Article 6 of

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