Les engagements internationaux en matière de protection des espaces naturels

• The Ramsar Convention of 2 February 1971 on wetlands of international importance was ratified by France on 1 October 1986. Each contracting party designates the areas within its territory to be listed and commits to promoting their conservation. • In April 2018, according to the national reference database of protected areas, there are 34 Ramsar sites in mainland France covering 8,336 km² of which 890 km² are marine and 13 km² are on Lake Léman; however, three additional sites created in 2017 should be added, covering approximately 218 km² (the Salses-Leucate pond, the Sacy marsh, and the Somme and Avre valleys marsh and peatland site), but not yet recorded in the reference geographic database in April 2018. Overseas, three sites have been designated in French Guiana (2,460 km² of which 652 km² are marine), one in Guadeloupe (291 km² of which 228 km² are marine), one in Martinique (202 ha), one in Mayotte (125 ha), one in Saint-Martin (30 km²), as well as Europa Island (2,146 km² of which 2,124 km² are marine), the French Southern and Antarctic Lands national nature reserve (23,704 km² of which 16,251 km² are marine), the Moorea lagoon in Polynesia (approximately 5,000 ha), and the lakes of the Grand South of New Caledonia (covering an area of nearly 44,000 ha).

• Biosphere Reserves are part of UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, launched in 1971, in the form of an international scientific cooperation program concerning the interactions between humans and their environment. Biosphere reserves, placed under the sovereign jurisdiction of the States where they are located, are not part of an international convention but meet common criteria defined and approved by UNESCO. They form a national and international network where they share their ideas and experiences. • In April 2018, there are twelve biosphere reserves in mainland France as well as one in Guadeloupe and one in Polynesia (municipality of Fakarava). Three zones are distinguished for each biosphere reserve: the core zone, the buffer zone, and finally, the outermost envelope, the cooperation area. These three zones cover respectively 2,086, 10,427, and 27,966 km² in mainland France and 221, 304, and 1,946 km² in Guadeloupe. The core zones, which may be fragmented, most often rely on existing protected areas. In mainland France, 21% of the area of these core zones is marine, 15% in Guadeloupe. As for buffer zones, 9% of their area is marine in mainland France and 4% in Guadeloupe. • The Vosges du Nord biosphere reserve has been coupled since 1998 with the Pfälzerwald biosphere reserve in Germany, thus forming a transboundary biosphere reserve. The Mont Viso reserve, created in 2013, is also a transboundary reserve (with Italy). The latest reserve, that of the Gardon gorges, was created in June 2015.

France is also a signatory to other international conventions, which do not necessarily result in the establishment of specific natural area protection tools, these conventions relying partly on existing tools. This is notably the case with the Alpine and Barcelona conventions, which respectively recognize the Alps and the Mediterranean as unified areas to be preserved in a sustainable development approach.

The action of the European Union in favor of preserving biological diversity is based in particular on the creation of a network of spaces, ecologically and coherent, called the Natura 2000 network, in application of two community directives: the "Birds" and "Habitats, Wildlife, Flora" directives. The creation of this network constitutes the European Union's contribution to the "protected areas" component of the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted at the Earth Summit (Rio conference) in June 1992. Overseas territories are not covered by this network.

• The "Birds" Directive (2009/147/EC, codified version of Directive 79/409/EEC) emphasizes the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of sufficient diversity and area of natural habitats favorable for bird conservation. Member States must classify as Special Protection/Preservation Area (SPA) the most appropriate territories and provide the European Commission with complete information on the measures taken in these areas. • In December 2017, 399 SPAs are designated in France. They cover 79,542 km², of which 35,155 km² in the marine domain. Their terrestrial area represents 8.1% of the metropolitan national territory and their marine area 10.4% of French metropolitan waters.

• The "Habitat, Wildlife, Flora" Directive (92/43/EEC) concerns the conservation of natural habitats as well as wild fauna and flora. It thus provides for the designation of Special Area of Conservation (SAC). First, Member States must propose to the European Commission sites of Community interest (SCI), then, in a second step, transform them into SAC after validation of the proposals by Europe. • In December 2017, there are 1,374 sites. They cover 140,769 km², of which 92,054 km² in the marine domain. Their terrestrial area represents 8.9% of the metropolitan national territory and their marine area 27.2% of French metropolitan waters.

• The Natura 2000 network is composed of SCI/SAC and SPA. As some SPA and SCI/SAC may overlap, the entire Natura 2000 network without double counting covers in France an area of 176,810 km², of which 105,830 km² in the marine domain (December 2017). The terrestrial area of the network represents 12.9% of the metropolitan territory and its marine area 31.2% of French metropolitan waters. • For each Natura 2000 site, conservation objectives and good management must be defined in a management document (DOCOB). As of 1 January 2015, 1,397 Natura 2000 sites have a completed DOCOB (80% of sites), with DOCOB for 275 sites being under development (16%) and those for 82 sites not yet started (4%). • The implementation of actions provided for in the DOCOB is contracted in the form of either agro-environmental measures between the ministry responsible for agriculture and farmers, or Natura 2000 contracts between the ministry responsible for ecology and local authorities, natural area conservancies and other associations, private owners (individuals), public institutions (notably the ONF) or companies.