1. Progress in the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
Wouter Langhout
Nature Unit (B.3)
DG ENVIRONMENT
Expert Group on the management of Natura 2000
Brussels, 27/11/2012

2. Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Site of Community importance designated by the Member States through a statutory, administrative and/or contractual act where the necessary conservation measures are applied for the maintenance or restoration, at a favourable conservation status, of the natural habitats and/or the populations of species for which the site is designated. Habitats Directive Article 1(l)

3. SAC designation timeline (1)
Once a site of Community importance has been adopted [on the Union list] the Member State concerned shall designate that site as a special area of conservation as soon as possible and within six years at most….
Habitats Directive Article 4(4)
Adoption of first lists of sites of Community interest:
Macaronesian region: Pannonian region:
Alpine region: Steppic region:
Atlantic region: Black sea region:
Continental region:
Boreal region:
Mediterranean region:

4. SAC designation
Note to the Nature Directors on the Designation of SACs under the Habitats Directive in June 2012
Additional information provided through the new Standard Data Forms
Answers to the Note to Nature Directors on the Designation of SACs are missing from the following MS:
DE, FI, IE, IT, LT, LU, PL, PT
New Standard Data Forms are missing from the following MS:
BE, CZ, DK, PT

5. Progress in the designation of SACs (1)

6. Progress in the designation of SACs (2)

7. Responses from MS
Strong commitment towards designating SACs in time, or as soon as possible if the deadline has already passed
Stakeholder consultation has proven to be a difficult and time- consuming process
Conservation measures have already been put in place for SACs/SCIs in several MS
Most MS are currently working on the development of management plans

8. Conservation measures
Information provided by MS on conservation measures on the SDF is very valuable
Information includes management plans, conservation measures, legal protection regimes and conservation objectives
European Commission will provide feedback on the information on conservation measures when all SDFs have been received, based on a QA/QC procedure by the ETC

9. Summary of progress in SAC designation
Good progress in the designation of SACs in general
Significant work still to be done in some MS