Hundreds of UK Nature Sites get EU Special Protection

4.02.55pm GMT Wed 8th Dec 2004

The European Commission has today (Wednesday 8 December) designated more than 600 locations across Britain as European Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in a bid to protect the best examples of plant and animal life across the continent.

The sites chosen for special protection were originally identified by English Nature and total more than 1.5 million hectares of land. They include a hugely diverse number of land and marine habitats stretching from the far north of Scotland to the Scilly Isles, and ranging from Paston Great Barn, Norfolk to the whole of Breckland in the East of the region and the Chilterns in the West.

Amongst the natural wonders the designation is intended to protect are stag beetles, Ram's horn snails and Fisher's estuarine moths, habitats including salt meadows and oak woods, and rare plants such as the Lady's slipper orchid.

The announcement implements the much-delayed 1992 Habitats Directive, widely regarded as the EU's most important nature conservation law. It requires Governments across Europe to ensure that human activities do not threaten the survival of habitats or species in SACs unless there are reasons of "overriding public interest" for doing so. Failure to meet this obligation could result in member states being taken to the European Court of Justice.

In total some 205 habitat types and 286 animal and plant species across Europe have been identified as requiring special protection to ensure their survival for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

In Britain all the locations have already been declared Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), making it a criminal offence to carry out damaging works such as road building, tree clearance or pond drainage without the consent of English Nature

Andrew Duff, Lib Dem MEP for the East of England, said the announcement was a landmark in EU nature conservation.

It would help ensure the survival of hundreds of unique species across Europe.

He said: "Originally the UK Government proposed to nominate only 200 sites, but they were told firmly by the botanists and biologists working for the European Commission that the plan would not be sufficient to guarantee the survival of endangered species throughout the country. Today's announcement of a much extended list is great news.

"It's too easy for governments to talk fine words about nature protection but to do nothing in practice to curb activities that may threaten it. Now whether it is in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk or Bedfordshire, environmentalists can point to the special European importance of these sites and turn to the courts to defend them."

Notes to editors

A full list of UK sites can be found at:

http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ProtectedSites/SACselection/SAC_list.asp