# C_2006281EN.01001601.xml

| 18.11.2006 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 281/16 |
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18.11.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 281/16

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Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 14 September 2006 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof — Germany) — Bund Naturschutz in Bayern eV, Johann Märkl, Ludwig Neumair, Matthias Maier, Josef Hörmann, Christine Hörmann, Albert Hörmann, Maria Rimpfl, Georg Rimpfl, Eva Rimpfl, Karl Kressierer, Magdelena Kressierer, Anton Wastl, Amalie Wastl, Richard Westenthanner, Barbara Westenthanner, Angelika Graubner-Riedelsheimer, Michael Graubner, Wolfram Graubner, Sylvia Stracke, Eva Maria Thiel, Friederike Nischwitz, Georg Daller v Freistaat Bayern

(Case C-244/05) (1)

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(Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - Directive 92/43/EEC - Protection regime before the inclusion of a habitat in the list of sites of Community importance)

(2006/C 281/24)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof — Germany

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: Bund Naturschutz in Bayern eV, Johann Märkl, Ludwig Neumair, Matthias Maier, Josef Hörmann, Christine Hörmann, Albert Hörmann, Maria Rimpfl, Georg Rimpfl, Eva Rimpfl, Karl Kressierer, Magdelena Kressierer, Anton Wastl, Amalie Wastl, Richard Westenthanner, Barbara Westenthanner, Angelika Graubner-Riedelsheimer, Michael Graubner, Wolfram Graubner, Sylvia Stracke, Eva Maria Thiel, Friederike Nischwitz, Georg Daller

Applicants:

Defendant: Freistaat Bayern

Defendant:

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Bayerischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof — Interpretation of Article 3(1) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ 1992 L 206, p. 7) and of Article 10(2) of the EC Treaty — Protection measures required for sites which could be designated sites of Community importance, which appear on the national list sent to the Commission but have not yet been included on the list of sites adopted by the Commission — Possibility allowed by national legislation of temporarily prohibiting alteration of the state of such sites — Route of a motorway

Operative part of the judgment

The Court rules that:

| 1. | The appropriate protection regime applicable to sites which appear on a national list transmitted to the Commission, under Article 4(2) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, requires Member States not to authorise interventions which incur the risk of seriously compromising the ecological characteristics of those sites. |
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1.

The appropriate protection regime applicable to sites which appear on a national list transmitted to the Commission, under Article 4(2) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, requires Member States not to authorise interventions which incur the risk of seriously compromising the ecological characteristics of those sites.

| 2. | Member States must, in accordance with the provisions of national law, take all the measures necessary to avoid interventions which incur the risk of seriously compromising the ecological characteristics of the sites which appear on the national list transmitted to the Commission. It is for the national court to assess whether that is the case. |
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2.

Member States must, in accordance with the provisions of national law, take all the measures necessary to avoid interventions which incur the risk of seriously compromising the ecological characteristics of the sites which appear on the national list transmitted to the Commission. It is for the national court to assess whether that is the case.

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(1)  OJ C 205, 20.08.2005.

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