A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.
Together with special areas of conservation (SACs), the SPAs form a network of protected sites across the EU, called Natura 2000.
In Great Britain, SPAs (and SACs) designated on land or in the intertidal area are normally also notified as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and in Northern Ireland as Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs).
[clarification needed] Special Protection Areas for Birds in Poland are called OSOPs (Polish: Obszar Specjalnej Ochrony Ptaków).
[2] The Czech Republic uses the term Ptačí oblast (PO, bird area) for SPAs.