EN Official Journal of the European Union L 33/52

COMMISSION DECISION

of 10 January 2011

adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC, a fourth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region

(notified under document C(2010) 9666)

(2011/63/EU)

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 Atlantic biogeographical region referred to in Article 1(c)(iii) of Directive 92/43/EEC comprises the territories of Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and parts of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain as specified in the biogeographical map approved on 25 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 three updated lists of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region, within the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC, were adopted by Commission Decisions 2004/813/EC (2), 2008/23/EC (3), 2009/96/EC (4) and 2010/43/EU (5). On the basis of Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC, the Member State concerned shall designate the sites included in the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic 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. A fourth update of the Atlantic list is therefore necessary.

(5) On the one hand, the fourth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region is necessary in order to include additional sites that have been proposed since 2008 by the Member States as sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC. The obligations resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC are applicable as soon as possible and within six years at most from the adoption of the fourth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region.

(6) On the other hand, the fourth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region is necessary in order to reflect any changes in site related information submitted by the Member States following the adoption of the initial and the first three updated Community lists. In that sense, the fourth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region constitutes a consolidated version of the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region. However, it should be stressed that the obligations resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC are applicable as soon as possible and within six years at most from the adoption of the initial or the first three updated lists of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region, depending on which list a site of Community importance was included as such for the first time.

(7) For the Atlantic biogeographical region, lists of sites proposed as sites of Community importance within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC have been transmitted to the Commission between March 2002 and November 2009 by the Member States concerned in accordance with Article 4(1) of that Directive.

(8) The lists of proposed sites were accompanied by information on each site, supplied in the format established by Commission Decision 97/266/EC of 18 December 1996 concerning a site information format for proposed Natura 2000 sites (6).

(9) That information includes the most recent and definitive map of the site transmitted by the Member States 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 each of the Member States concerned, which also identifies sites hosting priority natural habitat types or priority species, a fourth updated list of sites selected as sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical 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 in accordance with Article 11 of Directive 92/43/EEC. Therefore, the evaluation and selection of sites at Community level was done using the best available information at present.

(12) Certain Member States have 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 States, it is necessary to adopt a fourth updated list of sites, which will need to be revised in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

(13) Given that knowledge on the existence and distribution of some of the natural habitat types of Annex I and species of Annex II to Directive 92/43/EEC remains incomplete, it should not be concluded that the Natura 2000 network is either complete or incomplete. The list should be revised, if necessary, in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

(14) In the interests of clarity and transparency Decision 2010/43/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 1

The fourth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic 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 2

Decision 2010/43/EU is repealed.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 10 January 2011. For the Commission Janez POTOČNIK Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7.

(2) OJ L 387, 29.12.2004, p. 1.

(3) OJ L 12, 15.1.2008, p. 1.

(4) OJ L 43, 13.2.2009, p. 466.

(5) OJ L 30, 2.2.2010, p. 43.

(6) OJ L 107, 24.4.1997, p. 1.