The Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) sets that the European Commission shall evaluate, together with Member States, the co-financing needs in order to ensure a proper management of the Natura 2000 Network. Based on this evaluation, the Commission shall adopt a Prioritised Action Framework of the measures that should be carried out and which require co-financing, having regard to the available funding sources under the relevant Community instruments (article 8).

The Community financial support for the Natura 2000 network represents currently less than 20% of the annual budget necessary for its conservation, which poses a problem for its proper management. In a recent Communication on financing Natura 2000, the Commission proposes to integrate the Natura 2000 financing needs into other policy areas, using the existing Community instruments.

The UE Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 requires that Member States make an effort to diversify and increase the different financing sources for biodiversity conservation, stressing the need to finance the full establishment of the Natura 2000 Network.
The preparation of the Spanish Prioritised Action Framework (PAF) intends to contribute to the implementation of article 8 of the Habitats Directive, which requires the elaboration of an EU Action Framework based on the contributions from Member States, which shall include the necessary measures for habitats and species from the Habitats and Birds Directives in the Natura 2000 Network.