The CORINE biotopes project: a database for conservation of nature and wildlife in the European community

Abstract

The CORINE Programme was established by the European Commission to create a harmonized geographical information system on the state of the environment in the European Community. The ‘biotopes’ inventory of sites of major importance for nature conservation was a priority topic. At the time of writing, 6144 sites have been described, covering 12.2 per cent of the EC land surface area. The database records the presence of over 30000 habitat units and contains species data for 83 per cent of the sites. It has been used to guide environmental policy in the EC including the planning of the Habitats Directive, the most comprehensive piece of environmental legislation yet adopted by the Community, and is serving as an important tool in its implementation. Future development will follow the transformation of CORINE into an operational system within the European Environment Agency. The scope of the Biotopes database is currently being extended to include countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and members of EFTA.