Habitats Directive
As people make increasing demands on the environment our wildlife habitats are coming under more and more pressure. The Habitats Directive recognises this and aims to protect the wild plants, animals and habitats that make up our diverse natural environment.
This European Directive created a network of protected areas around the European Union of national and international importance. They are called 'Natura 2000' sites.
These sites include:
- Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
- Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
The Habitats Directive has been transposed into English and Welsh law as the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c) Regulations. Now known as the Habitats Regulations, the Environment Agency is one of the Competent Authorities responsible for implementing them.
What guidance information is available?
Environment Agency guidance - the EU Habitats & Birds Directive Handbook shows how we implement the Habitats Regulations when we consider new consents and review old ones. We work with Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales to produce this information and are happy for these documents to be used by external organisations for information. The documents within the Handbook set out the general policy, process and technical guidance we have developed.
The Handbook is subdivided into chapters one to seven, which deal with generic implementation issues: -
Chapter 1.1 - Policy for Implementing the Habitats Directive
Chapter 1.2 - Summary Procedure for New and Existing Permissions
Chapter 2 - Application of the Procedure to European Sites and Species
Chapter 3 - Application of Procedure to Agency Permissions, Plans and Projects
Chapter 4 - Taking a New Agency Permission, Plan or Project through the Habitats Regulations
Chapter 5 - Agency Permitted Development Plans and Projects
Chapter 6 - References
Chapter 7 - The Review of existing Permissions, Plans and Projects
Technical appendices one to ten, look at specific functions of our work in more detail, including Water Resources, Waste Management and Industry Regulation.
Each chapter/appendix of the handbook contains numerous documents and is regularly revised and updated. For more information about the latest version of these documents, please contact our National Customer Contact Centre by e-mail enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk. We aim to respond to requests within 10 working days.
