Environmental protection is an area to which companies should be paying particular attention. The Poprad River, which also flows through the Chemosvit premises, is home to several legally protected animal species. Its 20 km section stretching from the boundary of the Tatra National Park to the city of Poprad belongs to the Natura 2000 network.
Slovakia had 683 protected sites included in the Natura 2000 network in 2020. The site of the river Poprad is divided into two zones – zone B with the 4th degree of nature protection and zone D with the 2nd degree of nature protection. The reason for establishing it as a protected site is the protection of habitats and species of European importance: the Danube salmon, the Eurasian otter and the brook lamprey, which can be found only in the Poprad’s upper reaches.
Natura 2000 is a network of approximately 27,000 protected areas across Europe, making it the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world.
The EU started to lay the foundations for this network in 1979 when it adopted the Birds Directive to protect all wild birds in the European Union. Another important milestone was the 1992 Habitats Directive that aims to safeguard the habitats of endangered species of flora and fauna. The areas protected under these two Directives form the Natura 2000 network. Its aim is to ensure the survival of the most valuable and threatened species of plants, animals and habitats in Europe.
The basic philosophy is that humans are an integral part of nature and that nature and people work best in harmony. The system aims not to prevent economic activities but to connect them with the protection of rare species and habitats.
If a site receives the Natura 2000 designation, this does not mean that all economic and recreational activities must automatically end there. Many of these activities can continue as before, provided that they do not have a negative impact on the species and habitats. This approach promotes sustainable forestry, fisheries, agriculture and tourism.