(a) Identifying the conservation objectives of the Natura 2000 sites affected by the plan or project
In the appropriate assessment, the effects of a plan or project must be assessed against the conservation objectives set for the protected habitats and species present in the Natura 2000 sites. Competent authorities must set conservation objectives for each site. The objectives must be established for all species and habitat types of Community interest under the Habitats Directive and bird species of the Annex I of the Birds Directive that are significantly present on a Natura 2000 site, as well as for regularly occurring migratory bird species. The conservation objectives for a Natura 2000 site are usually set in the management plans or relevant management instruments, or in other documents published for the sites (e.g. designation acts published in official journals). They should also be publically available. Conservation objectives for each of the habitat types and species present in the site should be related to their ecological requirements and set with reference to the parameters used for determining its conservation condition on the site (e.g. their area, structure and functions or populations). They should specify targets to be achieved for each of these attributes/parameters. They should also include targets/limits for the ecological functions and processes on which the habitats and species depend (e.g. defining the required water quality and quantity for aquatic species). The lack of site-specific conservation objectives or the establishment of conservation objectives, which are not in line with the standard described above, jeopardises compliance with the requirements of Article 6(3). Box 9 gives examples of site conservation objectives. In the absence of conservation objectives (28), the appropriate assessment should assume as a minimum that the objective is to ensure that the habitat types or habitats of species significantly present on the site do not deteriorate below the current level (at the time of the assessment) and that the species are not significantly disturbed, in line with the requirements of Article 6(2) (29). Although the focus of the assessment should be on the birds and the species and habitat types of Community interest significantly present on the site, it should not be forgotten that these target features also interact with other species, habitat types and with the natural environment in complex ways. In this regard, other species can also be relevant when looking at the potential effects on protected habitats if they constitute typical plant and animal species of the habitat type in question (30) or play a significant role in the food chain on which the Natura 2000 site’s target feature depend. This will be reflected in the site’s conservation objectives and the appropriate assessment should also look at the possible impacts of the plan or project on these other species where relevant. Landscape features that contribute to the ecological coherence of the network, including to its connectivity, should also be considered, where appropriate, in the assessment of the effects of plans and projects on Natura 2000 (see Table 4).
Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-25 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.