A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the

biogeographical region A biogeographic realm is the broadest biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions. A biogeograp ...

or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type or of a species and may also contribute significantly to the coherence of

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 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, respectiv ...

, and/or contributes significantly to the maintenance of biological diversity within the biogeographic region or regions concerned. They are proposed to the Commission by the State Members and once approved, they can be designated as SACs by the State Member.

Definition

In the environment field, the term is used to define an area: * which contributes significantly to maintaining or restoring one of the 233 European natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

types defined in Annex I of the Habitats Directive or to maintaining in a favourable state of conservation one of the approximately 900 species defined in Annex II; * which can contribute to the coherence of the

network of

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

s in the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

; * and/or which contributes significantly to maintaining the

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

of the region in which it is located.

Examples of the habitat types defined in Annex I

* Open sea and tidal areas * Sea dunes of the Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic coasts * Phrygana * Natural

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

s * Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests

Examples of the species defined in Annex II

Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is one of the four wikt:extant, extant species within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. It is widely distributed from Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe to Cent ...

(''Lynx lynx'') * Lilford's wall lizard (''Podarcis lilfordi'') * '' Apteromantis aptera'' * '' Centaurea alba'' * Lemon-scented jasmine (''Jasminum azoricum'')

References

Protected areas of Europe European Union and the environment Natura 2000 {{EU-stub

Definition

Examples of the habitat types defined in Annex I

Examples of the species defined in Annex II

See also

References