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Bern Convention
Bern Convention was initiated by the Council of Europe and it was adopted in 1979. The principal aims of the Convention are to ensure conservation and protection of all European wild plant and animal species and their natural habitats, whereas special protection should be afforded to the most vulnerable species, including migratory species. The three appendixes of the Convention enlist animal and plant species subject to application of protection measures.
Appendix I contains strictly protected flora species.
Appendix II contains strictly protected fauna species.
Appendix III contains fauna species subject to restricted catch and hunting.
Convention also prohibits many means and methods of killing, capture and other forms of exploitation (Appendix IV).
Signatory states are obliged to establish the so-called Emerald protection areas that would constitute ecological network of areas with special protection value. Such network of protected areas, which was fundamental in establishment of Natura 2000 network based on the EU directives, can be considered as an extension of Natura 2000 network outside the European Union, including the states who have signed Bern Convention and the species not regulatory in the EU directives.
Estonia signed Bern Convention in 1992.
According to Bern Convention there are many strictly protected species among animals that are still rather common in Estonia, such as brown bear (Ursus arctos), lynx (Felis lynx), wolf (Canis lupus), white stork (Ciconia ciconia) and corncrake (Crex crex).
"Text of the Bern Convention"
Webpage of the Bern Convention
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