Designation order

The Cleaver Bank was notified to the European Commission on 22 December 2008 using the Standard Data Form (pdf: 11 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.

The notification of a Natura 2000 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, marine mammals and their habitats. Also stated are the site boundaries.

The Cleaver Bank is expected to be designated as a Natura 2000 site in summer 2010. After that, the site management plan must be completed within three years of the designation date.