3.2.3.4 European Protected Species 16.
European Protected Species (EPS) are those listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive; these include species of both animal and plant in the marine and terrestrial environments. The UK regulations which transpose this directive into UK law are described in section 3.3.3.7.
3.2.3.5 Ramsar 17.
Ramsar Sites are designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, agreed in Ramsar, Iran in 1971 and ratified by the UK in 1976. The criteria for assessing a site for designation as a Ramsar site include whether or not the wetland supports 20,000 water birds and / or supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of water bird. UK Government policy affords the same protection to Ramsar sites as European designations such as SPAs and SACs. The UK has generally chosen to underpin the designation of its Ramsar sites through prior notification of these areas as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
3.2.3.6 OSPAR 18.
International cooperation to protect the marine environment (including biodiversity) of the north-east Atlantic is achieved through the OSPAR Convention1. With the adoption in 2008 of the EC Directive 2008/56/EC MSFD (see section 3.2.3.1), the Convention is expected to play a key role as one of the Regional Sea Conventions with specific responsibilities for delivery of some aspects of the Directive.
19. A key part of OSPAR's biodiversity strategy is to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The UK has currently identified 170 OSPAR MPAs, all of which are Natura 2000 sites which meet the relevant OSPAR selection criteria.
3.2.3.7 The Convention on Biological Diversity 20.
The Convention on Biological Diversity is a legally binding treaty which came into force in December 1993 with 168 signatories of which the UK is one. It has three main objectives:
The conservation of biological diversity; The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity; and
1 The convention had its origins in the Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft (the Oslo Convention) (adopted in 1972) and the Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources (the Paris Convention) (adopted in 1974) which were brought together in 1992 as the OSPAR Convention
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
Chapter 3 Policy and Legislative Context Page 4
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