Source: European Parliament
The term ‘extensive’ (German: flächendeckend) is neither mentioned in the Habitats Directive[1] nor in the Commission document on the ‘guidelines on concepts and definitions of Article 17 for the Habitats Directive’ which is publicly available[2].
As stated in the reply to Written Question E -1611/2023, pursuant to Article 1(i) of the Habitats Directive, the conservation status is considered as ‘favourable’ when population dynamics data on the species concerned indicate that it is maintaining itself on a long-term basis as a viable component of its natural habitats, the natural range of the species is neither being reduced nor is likely to be reduced for the foreseeable future, and there is, and will probably continue to be, a sufficiently large habitat to maintain its populations on a long-term basis.
Germany provides one of the most transparent monitoring schemes where the progress towards achieving a good conservation status can be publicly followed[3].
The Commission document on the ‘guidelines on concepts and definitions of Article 17 for the Habitats Directive’ was established together with the Member States[4].
The current system leaves flexibility on how to assess the conservation status in certain situations, e.g. in case of transboundary populations.
- [1] Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7-50.
- [2] https://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/habitats_art17/Reporting2025/Final Guidelines Art. 17_2019-2024.pdf/
- [3] https://www.dbb-wolf.de/wolf-occurrence/evidence-in-germany/map-of-occupied-raster-cells
- [4] Expert Group on Reporting under the Nature Directives and the Expert Group on the Birds and the Habitats Directives (NADEG) and the Habitats Committee.