Habitats Directive Advice & Appropriate Assessment

Two European Directives; the 1979 Wild Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive have resulted in the designation of a number of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) which are designed to protect species and habitats which are threatened in a European context. In the UK these designations are subject to national legislative protection under the The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (superceding the 1994 Habitats Regulations). These Regulations have created an additional set of assessment procedures to which proposed plans and projects are subject.