Abstract
Every six years, all EU Member States are required, under Article 17 of the EU Habitats Directive, to report on the implementation of the Directive. The fourth UK Habitats Directive Report was submitted to the European Commission in August 2019. This Report considered the conservation status of all terrestrial and marine species listed under Annexes II, IV and V of the Directive that were present within the UK (both metropolitan UK and Gibraltar) during the reporting period.
The following constitute the main components of the report:
The UK General Implementation Report (Annex A)
The Annex A coverage includes the Atlantic (UK metropolitan area (ATL; MATL)) and Mediterranean biogeographic regions (Gibraltar (MED; MMED)). Where relevant, this information is provided at country level for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, rather than the UK as a whole.
The Annex A gives an overview of activities relating to implementation of the Habitats Directive during the period 2013–2018. It includes sections describing:
- The main achievements under the Habitats Directive;
- General information on the implementation of the Habitats Directive;
- Natura 2000 site designation;
- Conservation and management plans for Natura 2000 sites;
- Measures taken in relation to approval of plans and projects;
- Measures taken to ensure coherence of the Natura 2000 network;
- Reintroduction of Article IV species.
Article 17 2019 UK Annex A appendices
The Annex A appendices provide additional, detailed information to the UK General implementation Report (Annex A). The Annex A appendices coverage includes the Atlantic (UK metropolitan area (ATL; MATL)) and Mediterranean biogeographic regions (Gibraltar (MED; MMED)). Where relevant, this information is provided at country level for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, rather than the UK as a whole.
This document includes seven appendices and has the same structure as the Annex A, where relevant. The appendices include:
- Appendix 1. Main achievements under the Habitats Directive (Annex A Section 1);
- Appendix 2. Metropolitan UK Natura 2000 (pSCI, SCIs & SACs, including terrestrial sites and sites with marine components) – site designation (Article 4) (Annex A Section 3);
- Appendix 3. Gibraltar Natura 2000 (pSCIs, SCIs & SACs) – site designation (Article 4) (Annex A Section 3);
- Appendix 4. Set of conservation measures and management plans for metropolitan UK Natura 2000 sites (SACs, including terrestrial sites and sites with marine components) (Art. 6(1)) (Annex A Section 4);
- Appendix 5. Set of conservation measures and management plans for Gibraltar Natura 2000 sites (SACs) (Art. 6(1)) (Annex A Section 4);
- Appendix 6. Reintroductions of Annex II / V species (Annex A Section 7);
- Appendix 7. Reintroductions of Eurasian beaver Castor fiber.
Conservation status assessments for the 77 habitats, and 93 species (and an additional 32 short reports for vagrant species) in the metropolitan UK have also been produced.
