Introduction
Whereas the Directives are different in their focus of protection, their general objectives are similar and complementary. The overarching objective of the two Directives is to contribute towards ensuring bio-diversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. While the Birds Directive aims at conserving bird species, the Habitats Directive not only protects other species of fauna and flora but also extends the protection system to habitat types. The Birds Directive protects all bird species naturally occurring in the European territory of the Member States (i.e. circa 470 species) while the Habitats Directive protects over 1 200 listed species and 231 habitat types of EU conservation interest.
The Birds Directive aims to achieve populations of species at a level that corresponds in particular to ecological, scientific and cultural requirements. The Habitats Directive aims to achieve favourable conservation status for both species and habitat types. In achieving their general objectives the Directives require that economic, cultural and social or recreational requirements are taken into account, since these factors significantly represent the context in which the Directives are to be implemented. The Habitats Directive also requires account to be taken of regional and local characteristics.
The Site Protection is of high importance in the framework of the EU Nature protection regime given the deteriorating status quo of the natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna. Indicatively, habitat types of Community interest generally have a worse conservation status and trend than species. Across the EU, only 16% of the habitat assessments at biogeographical level are favourable, while more than two-thirds are unfavourable. Despite improvements in knowledge, 7% remain of unknown status, with significant gaps in particular for the marine environment (lefthand pie chart below). As regards trends, 33% of the habitat type assessments are unfavourable-stable, 30% are unfavourable-deteriorating whilst 4% are unfavourable-improving (righthand pie chart below). Grasslands, wetlands and dune habitats are of particular concern. On the other hand, heathland, scrub and sclerophyllous scrub (e.g. maquis) habitats are doing better than average. Forests and freshwater habitats are predominantly unfavourable but stable. The Alpine, Macaronesian and Steppic Regions have the highest share of favourable terrestrial habitat status assessments (from 25% to 50%), while favourable marine habitat assessments have been reported only for the Marine Macaronesian region (33.3%) and the Marine Black Sea region (14.3%). 
Conservation status of habitat types & Conservation status of
habitat types with trends for those assessed as unfavourable
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/docs/nature_fitness_check.pdf#page=30