Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) form the Natura 2000 network. In turn, the Natura 2000 network forms part of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) and is considered the EU’s contribution to the Emerald Network.

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are established under the European Union Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). Article 1 of the Habitats Directive defines a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) as: “a site designated according to the Habitats Directive. Special Area of Conservation (SAC) means a Site of Community Importance (SCI) 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.” ¹

The Habitats Directive includes criteria for the selection of habitats and species of interest. Based on those criteria, Annex I and Annex II of the Habitats Directive contain a list of habitats and species that are considered to be of “community interest”. ¹ Member States of the European Union assess their territories scientifically in order to identify Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) which would contribute to the conservation of the habitats and species of Annexes I and II, which they then suggest to the European Commission. The European Commission holds scientific seminars for each biogeographical region, where the proposed sites are evaluated and the final list of SCIs are approved.

Once the SCI is approved, the Member State must designate it as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) ‘as soon as possible and within six years at the most’ (Article 4.2). ¹ Changing the status of the site from an SCI to an SAC enforces Article 6(1) of the Habitats Directive onto the site, which states that Member States shall establish the necessary conservation measures for the habitats and species of Annexes I and II which are present in the given SACs. ² Articles 6(2) - 6(4) of the Habitats Directive, which require Member States to avoid the deterioration of the sites and to undertake appropriate assessments for any potentially impactful projects, apply to SCIs and are therefore de facto applicable to SACs as well. Therefore, while SCIs have a degree of protection based on Articles 6(2) – 6(4), the designation of SACs triggers the implementation of Article 6(1) onto the site. This means that sites must be designated as SACs in order for the full conservation measures of the Habitats Directive (i.e. all of Article 6) to be applicable.

The SAC designation act of a Member State must: ²

• Provide the name and location of the site, with clear boundaries
• Specify the species and habitat types for which the SAC is being designated
• Provide the purpose of the designation (i.e. to protect the species and habitats)
• Clarify what legal provisions will apply to SACs.

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) form the Natura 2000 network. In turn, the Natura 2000 network forms part of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) and is considered the EU’s contribution to the Emerald Network.