International Conventions and Agreements on the Environment

European Union

Birds Directive (1979)

This Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds of the European Community (79/409/EEC) imposes strict legal obligations to Member States of the European Union. It sets out to maintain populations of naturally occurring wild birds, to regulate trade in birds, to limit hunting to species able to sustain exploitation, and to prohibit certain methods of capture and killing. The Birds Directive consists of 19 articles and has been amended in 1991 and in 1994 under Directives 91/244/EEC and 94/24/CE. Member States shall classify the most suitable territories in number and size as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the conservation of the species listed in Annex I to the Directive, taking into account their protection requirements in the geographical sea and land area where this Directive applies. A total of 1,470 SPAs has been established under this Directive (as of April 1997) (Annex 2a). The Birds Directive sites are not presented on the map accompanying this report.

It relates to the conservation of all species of naturally occurring birds in the wild in the European territory of the Member States to which the treaty applies. It covers the protection, management and control of these species (and also of their eggs, nests and habitats) and lays down rules for their exploitation (Article 1).

Criteria

There are no specific criteria regarding the establishment of SPAs. However, Article 3 states that Member States shall take the requisite measures to preserve, maintain or re-establish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats for all species of birds referred to in Article 1.

The preservation, maintenance and re-establishment of biotopes and habitats shall include primarily the following measures:

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