The biogeographical regions dataset contains the official delineations used in the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and for the EMERALD Network set up under the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention).

Changes in 2016 version: The Pannonian region of Serbia was missing in previous versions and this has been corrected in the 2016 version. Some Arctic islands which do not belong to the European part of Russia and which were erroneously included in previous versions have been removed.

Biogeographical boundaries were obtained from the EU Member States and from the Emerald Network countries. These were merged together to produce a European wide map of the biogeographical regions independent of political boundaries. A number of the regions were updated during the work under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and in 2010 the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention adopted a number of changes according to progress in the setting-up of the Emerald Network.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/biogeographical-regions-europe-3