Completion of the UK Network of SACs for Marine
Habitats
The UK
is nearing completion of the marine SAC network. The UK
contribution to the network will be assessed by the European
Commission at a biogeographic level.
In the EU Atlantic Biogeographic region the
network is not yet complete for four habitats. These are the
four Annex I habitats for which JNCC and the
country conservation agencies are currently looking to identify
additional SACs.
Whilst the assessment of Member States' contributions to the
network is conducted by the Commission, in order to effectively
advise Government on a suitable number and range of sites to
propose to the Commission, JNCC has considered the network in a whole UK
context, and to a more limited extent, in a wider European
context. This paper was considered and approved by
JNCC Committee in December 2008.
JNCC has conducted the network analysis by examining three
principles, as laid out in Article 3 of the
Habitats Directive. These are the principles of:
- Natural range;
- Sufficiency;
- Proportionality.