Editorial note

Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds seeks to conserve wild birds and establish measures to ensure the protection and control of certain species. The scope of this Directive extends to the conservation of all species of naturally occurring birds in the wild in the European territory of the Member States to which the Treaty applies, and covers the protection, management and control of these species and establishes rules for their exploitation (Article 1(1)). The Directive applies to birds, their eggs, nests and habitats (Article 1(2)). Member States must take the necessary measures to maintain the population of the species described in Article 1 at a level which corresponds to ecological, scientific and cultural requirements, or to adapt the population of the species to that level, taking into consideration economic and recreational requirements (Article 2). Member States must take measures to preserve, maintain or re-establish a sufficient diversity and area of habitats for all species of birds referred to in Article 1, including the creation of protected areas, the upkeep and management of habitats inside and outside the protected areas, the re-establishment of destroyed biotypes, and the creation of new biotypes (Article 3).

Species listed in Annex I to the Directive are subject to special conservation measures regarding their habitat and Member States must classify the most suitable territories as special protection areas for the conservation of these species (Article 4(1)). The Directive requires Member States to adopt similar measures for regularly occurring migratory species not listed in Annex I and, to this end, attention should be paid to the protection of wetlands, particularly wetlands of international importance (Article 4(2)).