S.I. No. 233/1998:

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (NATURAL HABITATS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1998.

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (NATURAL HABITATS) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1998.

I, SÍLE DE VALERA, Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 3 of the European Communities Act, 1972 (No. 27 of 1972), and for the purpose of giving effect to Council Directive No. 97/62/EC of 27 October 1997¹, hereby make the following Regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Natural Habitats) (Amendment) Regulations, 1998.

(2) These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of July, 1998.

2. Regulation 2 of the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997 ( S.I. No. 94 of 1997 ), is hereby amended by the substitution for the definition of "the Habitats Directive" of the following:

"`the Habitats Directive' means Council Directive No. 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992², as amended by Council Directive No. 97/62/EC of 27 October 1997¹;".

¹O.J. No. L305, 8.11.97, p.42.

²O.J. No. L206, 22.7.92, p.7.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 30th day of June, 1998.

SÍLE DE VALERA,

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations amend the European Communities (Habitats Directive) Regulations, 1997 ( S.I. No. 94 of 1997 ) by providing that the Interpretation of the term "the Habitats Directive" in Regulation 2 be amended to include Council Directive No. 97/62/EC of 27 October 1997, adapting the Habitats Directive to technical and scientific progress.

Council Directive No. 97/62/EC of 27 October 1997 replaces Annex I and Annex II to the Habitats Directive with new Annexes in light of technical and scientific progress since the original Directive was adopted in 1992. Annex I lists the natural habitat types of Community interest whose conservation requires the designation of Special Areas of Conservation. Annex II lists the animal and plant species of Community interests whose conservation requires the designation of Special Areas of Conservation.