S.L. 549.44 Art. 14Management plans and appropriate action for conservation.

(1) The competent authority shall establish the necessary conservation measures required for protected sites.

(2) The competent authority shall take appropriate steps to avoid, in the protected sites, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species, as well as the disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of these regulations.

(3) In relation to SPAs, the competent authority shall also strive to avoid pollution or deterioration of habitats outside the SPAs.

(4) The competent authority may issue a management plan for the said protected sites, which shall include planning, management, supervision and monitoring measures in line with the protection category or categories assigned to the protected site in question. Such measures may include for each protected site as appropriate:

(a) a long-term ecological vision for the protected site and the related terrestrial, coastal and marine communities, and provisions for biodiversity protection, zoning, public awareness and education, management, performance evaluation and any other activities required by the competent authority;

(b) the legal and institutional framework and protection measures applicable;

(c) the continual monitoring of ecological processes, habitats, population dynamics, landscapes, as well as the impact of human activities;

(d) the active involvement of local communities and populations, as appropriate, in the management of the protected site, including assistance to local inhabitants who might be affected by the establishment of such area;

(e) the adoption of mechanisms for financing the promotion and management of the protected site, as well as the development of activities which ensure that management is compatible with the objectives of conservation of such area;

(f) the regulation of activities compatible with the objectives for which the protected site was established and the terms of the related permits; and

(g) the training of managers and qualified technical personnel, as well as the development of an appropriate infrastructure for its management.

(5) The competent authority shall promote and enforce the management of the protected site and its use in a sustainable manner, depending on the categories of protected site included in the protected site: Provided that such management or use shall not compromise the structure and function of biodiversity, including the land areas, coastal areas, submerged lands and water column, with which they are associated.

(6) The competent authority shall review the management plans of each SAC or SPA at least every five years, and regularly assess the state of the protected site and the progress made in the implementation of the management plan and these regulations.

(7) The competent authority shall ensure that national management plans or contingency plans incorporate measures for responding to incidents that could cause damage or constitute a threat to the protected site.

(8) When protected sites covering both land and marine areas have been established, the competent authority shall endeavour to ensure the coordination of the administration and management of the protected site as a whole.

(9) The competent authority may develop policies in respect of the conservation of the natural beauty and amenity of the land which are of major importance for wild fauna and flora, with a view to improving the ecological coherence of the National Ecological Network, the Natura 2000 Network and the Pan-European Ecological Network.