However, Natural2000 sites are, in legal terms, not a protected area category unlike the ones listed above. Rather, Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union. In 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the Habitats Directive and complements the Birds Directive which was adopted in 1979. These two directives form the basis of the creation of the Natural 2000 network of protected areas in Europe (European Commission 2014).