COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 2 April 1979 concerning Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds

I.

1. The Council calls upon the Member States to notify the Commission within 24 months following adoption of Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds of: (a) the special protection areas which they have classified under Article 4,

(b) the areas which they have or intend to have designated as wetlands of international importance,

(c) the areas other than wetlands already classified according to national legislation, similar to those described in Article 4 and subject to comparable protection measures.

2. In the designation of these areas, account shall be taken of the need to protect biotopes and flora and fauna without, however, delaying the action of primary importance for bird conservation, particularly in wetlands, to be taken under the Programme of Action of the European Communities on the Environment.

II.

1. The Council requests the Commission to draw up a list of the areas notified by the Member States pursuant to point I above.

2. This list shall be drawn up within six months following the transmission of the information and shall be kept up to date. The Council calls upon the Commission to take the necessary coordinating steps to see that the network thereby established fulfils the objectives of the Directive and can be integrated into a larger network, should the need arise.

III.

The Council takes note of the Commission's intention of submitting appropriate proposals regarding the criteria for the determination, selection, organization and methods of administration of the special protection areas, and invites the Commission to take into consideration in particular in those proposals the parts of the areas selected which are to be given intensive protection, a minimum threshold for those parts, which will enable the objectives of Article 4 to be attained, and the measures to be taken to prohibit hunting and to control other specific activities likely to disturb the birds.