Judgment_paragraph 3 · Vereniging Hoekschewaards Landschap v Staatssecretaris van Economische Zaken (C-281/16)

3Article 1 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ 1992 L 206, p. 7) as amended by Council Directive 2006/105/EC of 20 November 2006 (OJ 2006 L 363, p. 368) (‘the Habitats Directive’) is worded as follows:‘For the purpose of this Directive:(a) conservation means a series of measures required to maintain or restore the natural habitats and the populations of species of wild fauna and flora at a favourable status as defined in (e) and (i);…(e) conservation status of a natural habitat means the sum of the influences acting on a natural habitat and its typical species that may affect its long-term natural distribution, structure and functions as well as the long-term survival of its typical species within the territory referred to in Article 2.The conservation status of a natural habitat will be taken as “favourable” when:– its natural range and areas it covers within that range are stable or increasing,and– the specific structure and functions which are necessary for its long-term maintenance exist and are likely to continue to exist for the foreseeable future,and– the conservation status of its typical species is favourable as defined in (i);…(i) conservation status of a species means the sum of the influences acting on the species concerned that may affect the long-term distribution and abundance of its populations within the territory referred to in Article 2;The conservation status will be taken as “favourable” when:– population dynamics data on the species concerned indicate that it is maintaining itself on a long-term basis as a viable component of its natural habitats,and– the natural range of the species is neither being reduced nor is likely to be reduced for the foreseeable futureand– there is, and will probably continue to be, a sufficiently large habitat to maintain its populations on a long-term basis;…(k) site of Community importance means a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type in Annex I or of a species in Annex II and may also contribute significantly to the coherence of Natura 2000 referred to in Article 3, and/or contributes significantly to the maintenance of biological diversity within the biogeographic region or regions concerned.…(l) [SAC] means a site of Community importance designated by the Member States through a statutory, administrative and/or contractual act where the necessary conservation measures are applied for the maintenance or restoration, at a favourable conservation status, of the natural habitats and/or the populations of the species for which the site is designated;…’