Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora

The aim pursued by this Directive is to ensure biodiversity through the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora in the territories of the Member States. Pursuant to this Directive, measures shall be designed and undertaken in order to maintain or restore, as the case may be, natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora. To this end, a coherent European ecological network of special areas of conservation shall be set up under the title Nature 2000 (art. 3). Such network shall be composed of sites hosting the natural habitat types referred to in Annex I and habitats of the species listed out in Annex II. The Nature 2000 network shall also comprise the special protection areas classified by the Member States in compliance with Directive 79/409/EEC. In accordance with article 11, Member States shall undertake surveillance of the conservation status of the above-mentioned natural habitats and species, giving particular regard to priority natural habitat types and priority species. They shall establish a system of strict protection for the animal species and plant species referred to in Annex IV (a) and (b) respectively (arts. 12 and 13). Furthermore, Member States shall prohibit, with respect to the capture or killing of the wild fauna species referred to in Annex V (a), the use of all indiscriminate means capable of causing local disappearance of, or serious disturbance to populations of such species. They shall in particular prohibit the use of: (a) the means of capture and killing listed out in Annex VI (a); (b) any form of capture and killing from the modes of transport referred to in Annex VI (b). Article 16 specifies the circumstances and conditions under which Member States may derogate from the provisions laid down in articles 12 to 15. Article 17 sets forth the duty of Member States to draw up a report relating to the implementation of the measures to be taken pursuant to this Directive.