ABSTRACT
Denmark is one of the most northerly countries within the European Community. It has an area of 42, 000 km2, and a population of around five million. Within Denmark, the concept of Regional and County government is identical. The main function of the local government is to manage land-use issues, physical planning and associated issues. The Ministry of the Environment, which is headed by an elected Minister, is ultimately responsible for environmental issues within Denmark. In the Conservation of Nature Act, the Danish Conservation Authorities have very precise mechanisms for dealing with threats to habitat types, and the power to protect both specific habitats and more general 'natural environments'. The legislative background to nature conservation is relatively longstanding in Denmark, with the original Conservation of Nature Act being passed in 1917, a time when many other European countries were not concerned with nature conservation, at least at the legislative level.
