What are the Habitats and Birds Directives?
Scotland is home to many wonderful plants, animals and birds – some rare, endangered or vulnerable. By caring for these and other species, we can make an important contribution to conserving the world’s biodiversity. The two most influential pieces of European legislation relating to nature conservation are the Habitats and Birds Directives. The ‘Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora’ was adopted in 1992 and is commonly known as the Habitats Directive. It complements and amends the 1979 ‘Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds’, commonly known as the Birds Directive. The Birds Directive protects all wild birds, their nests, eggs and habitats within the European Community. It gives EU member states the power and responsibility to classify Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to protect birds which are rare or vulnerable in Europe as well as all migratory birds which are regular visitors. The Habitats Directive b
