EN Official Journal of the European Union L 12/678

COMMISSION DECISION

of 13 November 2007

adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC, the list of sites of Community importance for the Pannonian biogeographical region

(notified under document number C(2007) 5404)

(2008/26/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

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 Pannonian biogeographical region referred to in Article 1(c)(iii) of Directive 92/43/EEC, comprises parts of the territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, and the territory of Hungary 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) This Decision does not cover the territory of Romania that joined the European Union in 2007. Romania began submitting its site proposals to the Commission after its accession. It has not yet been possible to integrate the information from Romania into the present initial list of sites of Community importance, within the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC.

(3) It is furthermore necessary in the context of a process initiated since 1995 to make progress in the actual establishment of the Natura 2000 network, which is an essential element of the protection of biodiversity in the Community.

(4) For the Pannonian 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 May 2004 and September 2006, in accordance with Article 4(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC, by the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

(5) 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 (2).

(6) That information includes the most recent and definitive map of the site transmitted by the Member State in question, the site's name, location and extent, and the data yielded by application of the criteria specified in Annex III to Directive 92/43/EEC.

(7) 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 list of sites selected as sites of Community importance should be adopted.

(8) 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.

(9) However, the Member States concerned have not proposed sufficient sites to meet the requirements in Directive 92/43/EEC for certain habitat types and species. For those types and species it can therefore not be concluded that the network is complete. However, taking into account the delay in receiving the information and reaching agreement with the Member States, it is necessary to adopt an initial list of sites which will need to be revised in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

(10) 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 network is either complete or incomplete for them. The initial list should be revised, if necessary, in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of Directive 92/43/EEC.

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The initial list of sites of Community importance for the Pannonian 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

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 13 November 2007. For the Commission Stavros DIMAS Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7. Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/105/EC (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 36).

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