Designation order

North Sea Coastal Zone 2 has been notified to the European Commission by the Netherlands as a Habitat Directive site or SAC. You will find the information about this notification in the Standard Data Form (pdf: 12 pages). The Standard Data Form contains all the relevant information about the proposed Natura 2000 site. The form enables the standardised transfer of information from the Dutch government to the European Commission.

A Birds Directive site or SPA does not need to be notified to the European Commission; the Dutch government can designate the site itself. The designation order states which birds we wish to protect and the boundaries of the site where we intend to protect them.

The notification of the Habitat Directive site or SAC site by the Netherlands is followed by a procedure that culminates in a designation order The designation order states the nature values we wish to protect and the level of quality we will aim to achieve for each of these values. These are the conservation objectives for birds, fish, plants, mammals and their habitats. Also stated are the site boundaries.

North Sea Coastal Zone 2 is expected to be designated as a Natura 2000 site in spring 2010, under both the Birds Directive and the Habitat Directive. After that, the site management plan must be completed within three years of the designation date.