ABSTRACT
The somewhat provocative question that is the title of this chapter is an important one. The famous European Natura 2000 network, designed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, found its way into the EU’s Habitats Directive in 1992. The word ‘network’ indicates that protected areas are linked to each other and, thus, establish connectivity. It was only in the decade after the adoption of the Habitats Directive that the term ‘connectivity’ was coined, mainly in connection to climate change. It is generally thought that connecting natural areas allows species and habitats to adapt to the changing climate. One would, therefore, think that the EU (a) was well ahead of its time when instituting the Natura 2000 network, and (b) already has the legal tools available to facilitate or even require connectivity measures to be taken.
