# Commission Implementing Decision of 7 November 2013 adopting a second updated list of sites of Community importance for the            Steppic biogeographical region (notified under document C(2013) 7352) (2013/736/EU) (repealed)         

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U.K.

# Commission Implementing Decision

# of 7 November 2013

# adopting a second updated list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region

# (notified under document C(2013) 7352)

# (2013/736/EU) (repealed)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and                           flora(1), and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) thereof,                        

Whereas:

(1)The Steppic biogeographical region referred to in Article 1(c)(iii) of Directive 92/43/EEC comprises parts of the Union territory                              of Romania, as specified in the biogeographical map approved on 20 April 2005 by the Committee set up by Article 20 of that                              Directive, hereinafter the ‘Habitats Committee’.

(2)It is necessary in the context of a process which was initiated in 1995 to make further progress in the actual establishment                              of the Natura 2000 network, which is an essential element of the protection of biodiversity in the Union.

(3)The initial list and the first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region, within                              the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC, were adopted by Commission Decision 2008/966/EC(2) and Commission Implementing Decision 2013/28/EU(3). On the basis of Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC, the Member State concerned has to designate the sites included                              in the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region as special areas of conservation as soon                              as possible and within six years at most, establishing conservation priorities and the necessary conservation measures.

(4)In the context of a dynamic adaptation of the Natura 2000 network, the lists of sites of Community importance are reviewed.                              An update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region is therefore necessary.

(5)On the one hand, the update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region is necessary                              in order to include additional sites that have been proposed since 2011 by Romania as sites of Community importance for the                              Steppic biogeographical region within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC. For those additional sites, the obligations                              resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC should apply as soon as possible and within six years at most                              from the adoption of this Decision.

(6)On the other hand, the update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region is necessary                              in order to reflect any changes in site-related information submitted by Romania following the adoption of the initial and                              the first updated Union lists. In that sense, the updated list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical                              region constitutes a consolidated version of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region.                              It should be stressed that, for any site included in this Decision, the obligations resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1)                              of Directive 92/43/EEC should apply as soon as possible and within six years at most from the adoption of the list of sites                              of Community importance in which the site was included for the first time.

(7)For the Steppic biogeographical region, lists of sites proposed as sites of Community importance within the meaning of Article                              1 of Directive 92/43/EEC were transmitted to the Commission between June 2007 and October 2012 in accordance with Article                              4(1) of that Directive.

(8)The lists of proposed sites were accompanied by information on each site. Since 2012, that information was supplied in the                              format established by Commission Implementing Decision 2011/484/EU of 11 July 2011 concerning a site information format for                              Natura 2000 sites(4).

(9)That information includes the map of the site transmitted by the Member State concerned, name, location and extent of the                              site, and the data yielded by application of the criteria specified in Annex III to Directive 92/43/EEC.

(10)On the basis of the draft list drawn up by the Commission in agreement with the Member State concerned, which also identifies                              sites hosting priority natural habitat types or priority species, an updated list of sites selected as sites of Community                              importance for the Steppic biogeograpical region should be adopted.

(11)Knowledge of the existence and distribution of the natural habitat types and species is constantly evolving as a result of                              the surveillance undertaken in accordance with Article 11 of Directive 92/43/EEC. Therefore, the evaluation and selection                              of sites at Union level was carried out using the best available information at the time.

(12)The Member State concerned has not proposed sufficient sites to meet the requirements of Directive 92/43/EEC for certain habitat                              types and species. For those habitat types and species it can therefore not be concluded that the Natura 2000 network is complete.                              Taking into account the delay in receiving the information and reaching agreement with the Member State, it is necessary to                              adopt an updated list of sites which will need to be reviewed in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

(13)Given that knowledge of the existence and distribution of some of the natural habitat types listed in Annex I and some of                              the species listed in Annex II to Directive 92/43/EEC remains incomplete, it should not be concluded that the network is either                              complete or incomplete. The list should be reviewed, if necessary, in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

(14)In the interests of clarity and transparency, Implementing Decision 2013/28/EU should be repealed.

(15)The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Habitats Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

# Article 1U.K.

The second updated list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region in accordance with the third                     subparagraph of Article 4(2) of Directive 92/43/EEC is set out in the Annex to this Decision.                  

# Article 2U.K.

Implementing Decision 2013/28/EU is repealed.

# Article 3U.K.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 7 November 2013.

*For the Commission*                            

Janez Potočnik                            

*Member of the Commission*                            

## ANNEXU.K.**Second updated list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region**

Each site of Community importance (SCI) is identified by the information supplied in the Natura 2000 format, including the                     corresponding map. This information has been transmitted by the competent national authorities in accordance with the second                     subparagraph of Article 4(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC.                  

The table below gives the following information:

:

SCI code comprising nine characters, the first two being the ISO code for the Member State;

:

name of SCI;

:

=

presence on the SCI of at least one priority natural habitat type and/or species within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive                           92/43/EEC;                        

:

area of SCI in hectares or length of SCI in km;

:

geographical coordinates of SCI (latitude and longitude) in decimal degrees.

All the information given in the Union list below is based on the data proposed, transmitted and validated by Romania.

1

OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.                           

2

OJ L 344, 20.12.2008, p. 117.                           

3

OJ L 24, 26.1.2013, p. 643.                           

4

OJ L 198, 30.7.2011, p. 39.