These Regulations make provision for implementing Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

Part I contains introductory provisions.

Part II provides for the conservation of natural habitats and habitats of species, and in particular–

• regulations 7 to 15 make provision for the selection, registration and notification of sites to be protected under the Directive (“European sites”);

• regulations 16 and 17 make provision for management agreements for European sites;

• regulations 18 to 27 make provision in respect of European sites for the control of damaging operations and for special nature conservation orders;

• regulations 28 to 32 make provision for byelaws and compulsory purchase orders as respects European sites; and

• regulations 33 to 36 make special provision for the protection of European marine sites.

Part III provides for the protection of certain wild animals and plants and in particular–

• regulation 39 makes it an offence, subject to certain exceptions, deliberately to capture, kill or disturb those animals or to trade in them; and

• regulation 43 makes it an offence, subject to certain exceptions, to pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy those plants or to trade in them.

Part IV makes provision for the adaptation of planning and certain other controls for the protection of European sites; in particular–

• regulations 48, 49 and 54 require the effect on a European site to be considered before a grant of planning permission and, subject to certain exceptions, restrict the grant of planning permission where the integrity of the European site would be adversely affected;

• regulations 50 and 51 and 55 to 58 require planning permissions granted before the date on which a site becomes a European site (or if later, the commencement of these Regulations) to be reviewed and in certain circumstances revoked where the integrity of the site would be adversely affected.

Equivalent provision for the requirement to consider the effect on a European site and for review is made as respects the construction or improvement of highways, roads or cycle tracks (regulations 69 and 70), consents under the Electricity Act 1989 (regulations 71 to 74), authorisations under the Pipe–lines Act 1962 (regulations 75 to 78), orders under the Transport and Works Act 1992 (regulations 79 to 82), authorisations and licences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (regulations 83 and 84) and discharge consents under water pollution legislation (regulation 85). Regulations 60 to 67 make special provision as respects general and special development orders, simplified planning zones and enterprise zones.