The Natura 2000 network aims to ensure the conservation and favourable status of habitats and species endangered across Europe Natura 2000 is a pan-European network of nature reserves, the meaning and content of which are set out in the 1992 European Union Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). The same directive also included bird areas selected under the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC), which entered...

Conservation management plans and action plans for the protection of species provide for activities and works to improve and/or maintain the status of protected natural objects and protected species. In addition to inventories, surveys and monitoring, it may be necessary to carry out various practical activities, such as closing ditches and roads, removing bushes, milling to restore semi-natural...

The Environmental Investment Centre (EIC) has been operating for over 20 years and supported many projects The EIC supports Estonian nature conservation activities in several different ways. Various measures and programmes fund a number of activities for planning the development of nature conservation, restoring, maintaining, and organising the protection of protected natural objects, and...

From 2006, you can apply for compensation for agricultural land in Natura 2000 areas which is paid from the Estonian Rural Development Plan The purpose of the support is to partially compensate the land owner for the loss of income due to nature conservation restrictions. The subsidy rate is 27 euros per hectare per year [1]. The grant is an addition to other area-based agricultural payments. In...

The subsidy may be applied for by a private forest owner whose forest area is at least 0.3 ha and is entered in the Estonian nature information system as a forestland entitled for support Compensation is paid to private forest owners in Natura 2000 areas, as well as in conversation zones of protected areas located outside them, on the basis of the Estonian Rural Development Plan (ERDP) to...

Nature conservation subsides can be applied for to restore semi-natural communities The aim of restoring a semi-natural community is to preserve the biota and landscape characteristic of Estonia. Supported activities include the removal of reeds or shrubs, the reduction of the canopy cover of forests, the breaking up of sods, and setting up stockyard fences [1]. The support is organised by the...

Subsidy rates for the maintenance of semi-natural habitats depend on the type of habitat and the way it is managed The subsidy for the management of semi-natural communities aims to increase the surface area of managed areas, improve the status of semi-natural communities and associated species, and preserve and increase biodiversity and landscape diversity [1]. Subsidy can be applied for with the...

The state pays a number of grants and compensations for the protection and conservation of nature. Some of them are operating grants, some are compensations for not managing communities In order to protect nature, several subsidies and compensations are paid in Estonia from both the state budget and European Union (EU) funds. These include operating grants (e.g. support for the maintenance of semi...

Funding for Estonian nature conservation comes mainly from the European Union funds and the state budget Funding for Estonian nature conservation comes mainly from the state budget and various European Union funds. The main sources of funding are the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EARDF), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund, and the LIFE programme...

Environmental supervision is ensuring the procedure established in legislation is followed in the use of the natural environment and resources Environmental supervision is ensuring the procedure established in legislation is followed in the use of the natural environment and resources. This is often a preventive check to prevent infringements or to detect them at the earliest possible stage. The...