The Habitats Directive requires member states to propose relevant areas for designation as special areas of conservation for the conservation of listed habitats and species, and to maintain their favourable conservation status. It also requires member states to transmit a list of the proposed areas together with full information on each site to the EU Commission, within three years of the date of the notification of the directive. No member state has met that deadline. The directive specifies scientific criteria for the selection of these areas.
The directive was transposed into Irish law by means of the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations in March 1997, before my taking office. A total of 362 sites, covering over 900,000 hectares have been formally transmitted to the EU Commission. These are fully protected under national legislation.