Sites within the 12-mile zone

The North Sea Coastal Zone 2 and Vlakte van de Raan sites lie within the Dutch 12-mile zone. In view of this, the European Commission (and in some cases the European Council as well) must approve the measures that the Dutch government wishes to take at these sites in order to protect nature against the negative effects of fisheries activity.

A designation order is required to create a Natura 2000 site. The order names the national laws and international directives and/or treaties that provide the grounds for protecting the site. The order also describes the types of vegetation and/or species for which the site is being designated. There are various types of designation order and the final form depends on the directive that provides the grounds for the designation of the Natura 2000 site. This might be the Birds Directive only, the Habitat Directive only, or both directives. The conservation objectives form an important part of any designation order. These state the nature values of the Natura 2000 site that will be maintained or restored.

The designation orders for these sites will be ready in 2010. In the same year, the European Commission is expected to announce the fisheries measures for the sites in the Dutch North Sea that lie outside the 12-mile zone.