International Conventions and Agreements on the Environment

European Union

Habitats Directive (1992)

The aim of the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (92/43/EEC) is to contribute towards ensuring biodiversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora in the European territory of the Member States of the European Union. Measures taken pursuant to this Directive are designed to maintain or restore, at favourable conservation status, natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora of Community interest. These measures shall take account of economic, social and cultural requirements and regional and local characteristics.

The Directive consists of 24 Articles and five annexes. It is split into two sections: Articles 3-9 inclusive cover the conservation of habitats; and Articles 10-14 inclusive, the protection of species.

The fundamental purpose of this Directive is to establish, by the year 2004 at the latest, a network of protected areas throughout the European Community. This network commonly referred to as Natura 2000 is designed to maintain both the distribution and abundance of threatened species and habitats, both terrestrial and marine.

Natura 2000 comprises a network of Special Areas for Conservation (SACs), including Special Protection Areas as designated under the "Birds" Directive (see Birds Directive). A SAC is a site of Community importance designated by the Member State through a statutory, administrative and/or contractual act where the necessary conservation measures are applied for the maintenance or restoration of the natural habitats and/or the populations of the species for which the site was designated.

Member States are under an obligation to contribute to Natura 2000 in proportion to the representation of the natural habitat types and species listed in two separate annexes within their territories (Annex I and II to the Directive, respectively).

Definition

A site of Community importance means a site which, in the bio-geographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration of the natural habitat types listed in Annex I or of a species in Annex II. It may also contribute significantly to the coherence of Natura 2000 and/or contributes significantly to the maintenance of biological diversity within the biogeographic region or regions concerned.

Criteria

On the basis of the criteria detailed below (and included in Annex III to the Directive), a national list of sites of Community importance hosting natural habitat types and species of concern has to be drawn up and sent to the Commission within three years from notification of the Directive on 5 June 1992. No sites have officially been established yet but some countries have provided candidate lists to the European Commission DG XI (see Natura Barometer in EC DG-XI D.2, 1997).

The process to establish Special Areas for Conservation under this Directive includes the following stages:

Stage 1: Assessment at national level of the relative importance of sites for each natural habitat type in Annex I and each species in Annex II (including priority natural habitat types and priority species).

A. Site assessment criteria for a given natural habitat type in Annex I:

B. Site assessment criteria for a given species in Annex II:

C. On the basis of these criteria, Member States will classify the sites which they propose on the national list as sites eligible for identification as sites of Community importance according to their relative value for the conservation of each natural habitat type in Annex I or each species in Annex II.

That list will show the sites containing the priority natural habitat types and priority species selected by the Member States on the basis of the criteria A and B above.

Stage 2: Assessment of the Community importance of the sites included on the national lists

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