Opinion of the Advocate General — ECLI:EU:C:2017:476
Date: 2017-06-15
Language of the case: Dutch
Subject matter: Accession;Environment
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling
Origin: Netherlands

summary, it must be stated that the Commission may, under Article 4 of the Habitats Directive, on a proposal from the competent Member State, reduce the size of an SCI if the areas concerned form part of the SCI solely in respect of future measures for the restoration of habitat types and/or species and the Member State provides information which permits the Commission to establish that measures in those areas are not necessary for guaranteeing a favourable conservation status for the habitat types and/or species concerned. V. Conclusion 73. I therefore propose that the Court give the following answer to the request for a preliminary ruling: (1) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/72 of 3 December 2014 adopting an eighth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region is invalid in so far as the Leenheerenpolder is no longer included in the ‘Haringvliet’ site (NL1000015). (2) The Commission may, under Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, on a proposal from the competent Member State, reduce the size of a site of Community importance if the areas concerned form part of the site solely in respect of future measures for the restoration of habitat types and/or species and the Member State provides information which permits the Commission to establish that measures in those areas are not necessary for guaranteeing a favourable conservation status for the habitat types and/or species concerned. 1 Original language: German. 2 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). 3 Decision of 7 December 2004 adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC, the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region (OJ 2004 L 387, p. 1). 4 Most recently by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/2335 of 9 December 2016 adopting a tenth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region (OJ 2016 L 353, p. 533). 5 Implementing Decision of 3 December 2014 adopting an eighth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region (OJ 2015 L 18, p. 385). 6 ECLI:NL:RVS:2014:3543. 7 Judgment of 3 April 2014, Cascina Tre Pini (C‑301/12, EU:C:2014:214, paragraph 26). 8 Judgments of 11 September 2001, Commission v Ireland (C‑67/99, EU:C:2001:432, paragraph 33); Commission v Germany (C‑71/99, EU:C:2001:433, paragraph 26); and Commission v France (C‑220/99, EU:C:2001:434, paragraph 30); and of 3 April 2014, Cascina Tre Pini (C‑301/12, EU:C:2014:214, paragraph 27). 9 Judgments of 7 November 2000, First Corporate Shipping (C‑371/98, EU:C:2000:600, paragraph 22); and of 11 September 2001, Commission v Ireland (C‑67/99, EU:C:2001:432, paragraph 34); Commission v Germany (C‑71/99, EU:C:2001:433, paragraph 27); and Commission v France (C‑220/99, EU:C:2001:434, paragraph 31). 10 Judgments of 7 November 2000, First Corporate Shipping (C‑371/98, EU:C:2000:600, paragraph 23); and of 11 September 2001, Commission v Ireland (C‑67/99, EU:C:2001:432, paragraph 35); Commission v Germany (C‑71/99, EU:C:2001:433, paragraph 28); and Commission v France (C‑220/99, EU:C:2001:434, paragraph 32). 11 Judgment of 25 November 1999, Commission v France (Poitou) (C‑96/98, EU:C:1999:580, paragraph 54). 12 See the Note to the Members of the Habitats Committee of 21 June 2005, Annex 4 to the Commission’s written pleading (available at: http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/document-library/natura-2000/reporting-guidelines-for-natura-2000/reference-documents-relevant-for-the/habcomm2005-updating-of-the-natura). 13 Judgments of 21 June 2007, ROM-projecten (C‑158/06, EU:C:2007:370, paragraph 25), and of 10 March 2009, Heinrich (C‑345/06, EU:C:2009:140, paragraph 44). 14 See judgments of 7 December 2000, Commission v France (C‑374/98, EU:C:2000:670, paragraph 54); of 7 September 2004, Waddenvereniging andVogelbeschermingsvereniging (C‑127/02, EU:C:2004:482, paragraphs 66 and 69); and of 8 November 2016, Lesoochranárske zoskupenie VLK (C‑243/15, EU:C:2016:838, in particular paragraph 44). 15 See, for example, judgments of 19 November 2013, Commission v Council (C‑63/12, EU:C:2013:752, paragraphs 98 and 99), and of 16 June 2015, Gauweiler and Others (C‑62/14, EU:C:2015:400, paragraph 70). 16 See, by way of illustration, judgment of 16 June 2015, Gauweiler and Others (C‑62/14, EU:C:2015:400, paragraph 71). 17 Judgment of 25 November 1999, Commission v France (Poitou) (C‑96/98, EU:C:1999:580, paragraphs 52 to 55). 18 Judgment of 3 April 2014, Cascina Tre Pini (C‑301/12, EU:C:2014:214, paragraphs 27, 30 and 32 to 34). 19 Judgment of 7 November 2000, First Corporate Shipping (C‑371/98, EU:C:2000:600, paragraph 23). 20 See to that effect judgment of 20 October 2005, Commission v United Kingdom (Gibraltar, C‑6/04, EU:C:2005:626, paragraph 34). 21 Judgment of 7 November 2000, First Corporate Shipping (C‑371/98, EU:C:2000:600, paragraphs 23 and 24). 22 Judgments of 9 September 2004, Spain v Commission (C‑304/01, EU:C:2004:495, paragraph 23); of 18 July 2007, Industrias Químicas del Vallés v Commission (C‑326/05 P, EU:C:2007:443, paragraph 75); of 22 December 2010, Gowan Comércio Internacional e Serviços (C‑77/09, EU:C:2010:803, paragraph 82); of 19 December 2012, Brookfield New Zealand and Elaris v CPVO and Schniga (C‑534/10 P, EU:C:2012:813, paragraph 50); of 16 June 2015, Gauweiler and Others (C‑62/14, EU:C:2015:400, paragraph 68); and of 8 September 2016, Borealis and Others (C‑180/15, EU:C:2016:647, paragraph 45). 23 Judgments of 18 July 2007, Industrias Químicas del Vallés v Commission (C‑326/05 P, EU:C:2007:443, paragraphs 76 and 77); of 6 November 2008, Netherlands v Commission (C‑405/07 P, EU:C:2008:613, paragraphs 55 and 56); and of 9 July 2015, Germany v Commission (C‑360/14 P, not published, EU:C:2015:457, paragraph 37).