ABSTRACT
Twenty years ago, something unique happened in our European history. After years of standing idly by, the European Community decided to do something about the rapid deterioration of its natural heritage. At the time, it was felt that, in order to save the remaining patches of natural habitats and threatened species populations, the adoption of a clear and robust legal instrument was needed. The European legislator did not need to start from scratch, since more than a decade earlier it had already enacted a directive that was specifically targeted at creating a comprehensive scheme of protection for all wild bird species naturally occurring in the European Community.
