Act No. 394 laying down the legal framework for protected areas.

This Act sets out general principles for the creation and management of protected nature areas, in order to ensure and promote the conservation and enhancement of the national natural resources. It is divided into 4 sections and 38 articles. Section 1 concerns general principles and deals with the following: a) classification of the areas in national parks, regional parks and natural reserves; b) establishment of the Committee on Protected Areas and the Technical Advisory Committee, whose functions are related to the classification of the areas, the adoption of the programme for protected areas of international and national relevance and the approval of the official list of protected areas; c) adoption of the three-year programme for the management and conservation of protected areas - this programme defines, at the national level, the system of protected areas and establishes criteria for the rational allocation of funds available -; d) implementation of the abovementioned programme and safeguard measures for specific threatened areas. Section 2 is devoted to the national nature areas. As far as the national parks are concerned article 9 establishes the so called "Park Authority", for which it defines the legal status, the composition and nomination of members, terms of reference of the different bodies, and their duration. The Park Authority is responsible for the adoption of the Plan, aimed at the general organization of the territory and implementation of interventions for wildlife conservation. The creation of national nature reserves is to be approved by Ministerial decree specifying the land area, the managing bodies and the principles for the management and conservation of the territory. Subsequent articles concern the creation and management of protected marine areas. At the regional level Section 3 establishes general principles for the creation of protected areas, and administration and implementation measures. Section 4 establishes penalties, criteria for the management of nature reserves created on public domain, management of areas adjacent to protected areas, establishment of specific parks and marine areas listed respectively in articles 34 and 36.