Conservation and Biodiversity – Onshore Overview

Key Legislation:

For more detail on the Legislation relevant to this page, please use the following links:

Guidance Notes:
Consents required: Consent(s) required is (are) dependent on the process. Further information on the following environmental studies which may apply to O&G onshore operations is available via the links below:

Amendments to the Bonn Convention:

The Bonn Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It was concluded under the United Nations Environment Programme and is concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. Within the EU, the requirements of the Bonn convention are delivered through the EU Habitats Directive and its transposition into legislation within each member state

 Monitoring: See the Consent Needed and How to Obtain It tab for further details.
 Reporting: See the Consent Needed and How to Obtain It tab for further details.
 Non Compliance: See the Consent Needed and How to Obtain It tab for further details.
 Renewal: See the Consent Needed and How to Obtain It tab for further details
Wildlife Licensing: comment on new policies for European Protected Species Natural England is seeking views on whether four new policies could be permitted under licence to benefit European Protected species whilst improving flexibility for development (link here).Consultation document is available here.
Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (Authorised Operations) Order SSI 2016/38 This order came into force on 3rd March 2016 and applies to Scotland only.  It describes operations where consent from Scottish Natural Heritage is not required. It revokes the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (Authorised Operations) Order SSI 2011/419 (link here).
Report on the Work of the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives – Marine Evidence Group (Update on progress from the Marine Evidence Group on key evidence gaps identified in the Habitats and Wild Birds Directive Review):

The Marine Evidence Group was established in mid-2012 to fulfil measures on improving marine data and evidence set out in the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives Implementation Review. In particular, it was a response to ongoing difficulties in assessing the impacts of marine developments on protected sites and species.

The Group is conducting this by addressing gaps in evidence that can create uncertainties when undertaking Habitats Regulations Assessments which may hamper fast, effective and proportionate decision-making.

This report provides an update on the progress made so far by the Marine Evidence Group in addressing these key evidence gaps identified in the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives Implementation Review and on improving access and use of data.

The report can be accessed on the Defra website (PDF document).

Ten Year Health Check for UK’s most important bird sites The JNCC has submitted a review of the important UK bird species status with respect to the Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated to protect them.