Bern Convention
The aim of the Bern Convention is to ensure the conservation of wild European plants and animals and of their natural habitats.
The Bern Convention, officially named the “Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats”, is a Council of Europe agreement under international law regulating the protection of European animals and plants living in the wild. Austria has been a member to the Bern Convention since 1983.
The provisions of the two EU Directives on nature conservation, Directive No 92/43/EEC of the Council on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (FFH or Habitats Directive) and Directive No 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (Birds Directive), cover the subjects of the Bern Convention. Implementing the FFH Directive and the Birds Directive Europe-wide thus means also implementing the objectives of the Bern Convention.