European Legislation
Within Europe the European Union adopts legislation in the form
of Directives and Regulations. European Directives require member
states to implement their provisions nationally for the benefit of
Europe as a whole. Regulations directly implement EU policy in
member states without the need for member states to enact their own
legislation.
In relation to wildlife and nature conservation, the
European
Community has adopted two Directives in response to its
obligations under the Bern Convention: Council Directive 79/409/EEC
(the Birds Directive), and Council Directive 92/43/EEC (the Species
and Habitats Directive). These Directives provide for the
protection of animal and plant species of European importance and
the habitats which support them, particularly through the
establishment of a network of protected sites. More recently, the
European Community has adopted Council Directive 92/43/EEC (the
Water Framework Directive), under which member states are required
to achieve stated targets for protecting and improving inland and
coastal waters.
See navigation for summary information on the main European
Directives relating to nature conservation. Each summary provides
an overview of the Directive concerned, how the Directive is being
implemented in the UK, and JNCC's role in this implementation.
Links are provided to relevant areas of work within JNCC, and
useful external sources of information (such as on-line versions of
legislative text). Users should note that the summaries provided
were correct at the time of writing; however, for up to date
information, primary sources should be consulted.