# C_2007315EN.01000301.xml

| 22.12.2007 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 315/3 |
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Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 25 October 2007 — Commission of the European Communities v Hellenic Republic

(Case C-334/04)( 1 )

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Directive 79/409/EEC - Annex I - Conservation of wild birds - Special protection areas - IBA 2000 - Value - Quality of the data - Criteria - Margin of discretion - Manifestly insufficient classification - Wetlands)

(2007/C 315/04)

Language of the case: Greek

Parties

Applicant: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: M. Patakia and M. van Beek, Agents)

Defendant: Hellenic Republic (represented by: E. Skandalou, Agent)

Interveners in support of the defendant: Kingdom of Spain (represented by: N. Díaz Abad, Agent), French Republic (represented by: G. de Bergues and C. Jurgensen-Mercier, Agents), Portuguese Republic (represented by: L. Fernandes and M. Lois, Agents), Republic of Finland (represented by: T. Pynnä, Agent)

Re:

Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Failure to implement, within the prescribed period, Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds (OJ 1979 L 103, p. 1) — Failure to comply with Article 4 of the directive concerning the designation of special areas of conservation — Areas established in Greece insufficient in number

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

| 1. | Declares that:
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by classifying as special protection areas territories the number and overall size of which fall clearly short of the number and overall size of the territories fulfilling the preconditions for classification as special protection areas for the purposes of Article 4(1) and (2) of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, as amended, inter alia, by Commission Directive 97/49/EC of 29 July 1997, —
by failing to designate special protection areas to offer protection to Krüper's nuthatch (Sitta krueperi), and —
by classifying as special protection areas areas in which the shag (Mediterranean subspecies) (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), black vulture (Aegypius monachus), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) and cinereous bunting (Emberiza cineracea) are insufficiently represented, the Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 4(1) and (2) of Directive 79/409, as amended by Directive 97/49; | — | by classifying as special protection areas territories the number and overall size of which fall clearly short of the number and overall size of the territories fulfilling the preconditions for classification as special protection areas for the purposes of Article 4(1) and (2) of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, as amended, inter alia, by Commission Directive 97/49/EC of 29 July 1997, | — | by failing to designate special protection areas to offer protection to Krüper's nuthatch (Sitta krueperi), and | — | by classifying as special protection areas areas in which the shag (Mediterranean subspecies) (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), black vulture (Aegypius monachus), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) and cinereous bunting (Emberiza cineracea) are insufficiently represented, |
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| — | by classifying as special protection areas territories the number and overall size of which fall clearly short of the number and overall size of the territories fulfilling the preconditions for classification as special protection areas for the purposes of Article 4(1) and (2) of Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, as amended, inter alia, by Commission Directive 97/49/EC of 29 July 1997, | | | | | | |
| — | by failing to designate special protection areas to offer protection to Krüper's nuthatch (Sitta krueperi), and | | | | | | |
| — | by classifying as special protection areas areas in which the shag (Mediterranean subspecies) (Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), black vulture (Aegypius monachus), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae), Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus) and cinereous bunting (Emberiza cineracea) are insufficiently represented, | | | | | | |

| 2. | Dismisses the remainder of the action; |
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| 3. | Orders the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs; |
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| 4. | Orders the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Portuguese Republic and the Republic of Finland to bear their own costs. |
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( 1 )  OJ C 239, 25.9.2004.

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