7.—(1) Once a site of Community importance in Northern Ireland has been adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in paragraph 2 of Article 4 of the Habitats Directive, the Department shall designate that site as a special area of conservation as soon as possible and within six years at most.
(2) The Department shall establish priorities for the designation of sites in the light of—
(a)the importance of the sites for the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of—
(i)a natural habitat type in Annex I to the Habitats Directive, or
(ii)a species in Annex II to the Directive,
and for the coherence of Natura 2000; and
(b)the threats of degradation or destruction to which those sites are exposed.
(3) In this regulation in relation to European marine sites for the words “the Department” where they occur substitute “the Secretary of State”.