Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/240of 7 February 2025adopting the fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region(notified under document C(2025) 741)

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/240 of 7 February 2025 adopting the fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region (notified under document C(2025) 741) THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/43/oj. , and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) The Steppic biogeographical region referred to in Article 1(c)(iii) of Directive 92/43/EEC comprises parts of the Union territory of Romania, as specified in the biogeographical map approved on 20 April 2005 by the committee set up by Article 20 of that Directive (the Habitats Committee). (2) The initial list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region, within the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC, was adopted by Commission Decision 2008/966/EC Commission Decision 2008/966/EC of 12 December 2008 adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC, an initial list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region (OJ L 344, 20.12.2008, p. 117, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2008/966/oj). . That list was last updated by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/446 Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/446 of 2 February 2024 adopting the fourth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region (OJ L 2024/446, 9.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2024/446/oj). . (3) The sites included in the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region form part of the Natura 2000 network which is an essential element of the protection of biodiversity in the Union. In order to make further progress in the actual establishment of the Natura 2000 network and in the context of a dynamic adaptation of that network, the lists of sites of Community importance are reviewed regularly. (4) Between 5 March 2023 and 29 February 2024 Romania has proposed additional sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC. Romania also submitted changes in the site-related information contained in the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region. (5) On the basis of the draft list drawn up by the Commission in agreement with the Member State concerned, which also identifies sites hosting priority natural habitat types or priority species, an updated list of sites selected as sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region should be adopted. Articles 4(4) and 6 of Directive 92/43/EEC apply to the newly included sites. (6) Knowledge of the existence and distribution of the natural habitat types and species is constantly evolving as a result of the surveillance undertaken in accordance with Article 11 of Directive 92/43/EEC. Therefore, the evaluation and selection of sites at Union level was carried out using the best available information at the time.

(7) With regard to the Steppic biogeographical region, Romania has not proposed sufficient sites to meet the requirements of Directive 92/43/EEC for certain habitat types and species. Furthermore, knowledge of the existence and distribution of some of the natural habitat types listed in Annex I and some of the species listed in Annex II to Directive 92/43/EEC remains incomplete. For those habitat types and species, it can therefore not be concluded that the Natura 2000 network is complete. (8) In the interests of clarity and transparency, Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/446 should be repealed. (9) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Habitats Committee, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region as set out in the Annex is adopted.

Article 2

Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/446 is repealed.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, 7 February 2025. For the Commission Jessika Roswall Member of the Commission

Annex

ANNEX PART 1 Fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Steppic biogeographical region Each site of Community importance (SCI) is identified by the information supplied in the Natura 2000 format, including the corresponding map. This information has been transmitted by the competent national authorities in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 4(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC. The table below gives the following information: A: SCI code comprising nine characters, the first two being the ISO code for the Member State; B: name of SCI; C: = presence on the SCI of at least one priority natural habitat type and/or species within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC; D: area of SCI in hectares or length of SCI in km; E: geographical coordinates of SCI (latitude and longitude) in decimal degrees. All the information given in the Union list below is based on the data proposed, transmitted and validated by Romania. ABCDESCI codeName of SCIArea of SCI (ha)Length of SCI (km)Geographical coordinates of SCILongitudeLatitude PART 2 SCIcodeNameSCIArticle1AreaHALENGTHKMLongitudeLatitudeROSAC0022Canaralele Dunării26109,927,89921144,246708ROSAC0053Dealul Alah Bair193,528,21878644,501053ROSAC0060Dealurile Agighiolului1514,128,8304345,041464ROSAC0067Deniz Tepe414,428,68809245,003028ROSAC0071Dumbrăveni - Valea Urluia - Lacul Vederoasa18024,427,87929444,147972ROSAC0072Dunele de nisip de la Hanul Conachi249,227,57897545,571839ROSAC0083Fântânița Murfatlar577,528,38633344,154403ROSAC0103Lunca Buzăului9575,427,00108945,075905ROSAC0131Oltenița - Mostiștea - Chiciu11521,226,81308944,101503ROSAC0133Pădurea Bădeana62,327,57183346,156728ROSAC0134Pădurea Balta - Munteni85,827,46473145,948678ROSAC0139Pădurea Breana - Roșcani15527,99482245,926528ROSAC0149Pădurea Eseschioi - Lacul Bugeac2942,827,43784244,081742ROSAC0151Pădurea Gârboavele219,827,99791445,576669ROSAC0157Pădurea Hagieni - Cotul Văii3680,128,42777243,742622ROSAC0162Lunca Siretului Inferior24980,627,27025345,878ROSAC0163Pădurea Mogoș - Mâțele65,527,94867845,721917ROSAC0165Pădurea Pogănești173,528,025545,976192ROSAC0169Pădurea Seaca - Movileni50,727,53331446,288261ROSAC0172Pădurea și Valea Canaraua Fetii - Iortmac13636,727,61163144,027705ROSAC0175Pădurea Tălășmani54,327,84066146,122075ROSAC0178Pădurea Torcești132,127,49042545,680747ROSAC0215Recifii Jurasici Cheia5654,528,45309444,483892ROSCI0005Balta Albă - Amara - Jirlău - Lacul Sărat Câineni6397,627,31653645,289225ROSCI0006Balta Mică a Brăilei20665,527,90612844,943669

ROSCI0012Brațul Măcin10433,228,11884244,867642ROSCI0065Delta Dunării453645,529,19836145,052417ROSCI0105Lunca Joasă a Prutului5753,428,17910345,418505ROSCI0114Mlaștina Hergheliei - Obanul Mare și Peștera Movilei231,728,58333943,83785ROSCI0123Munții Măcinului16926,628,30348345,155361ROSCI0191Peștera Limanu21,428,52207543,807069ROSCI0201Podișul Nord Dobrogean8487528,4892544,766353ROSCI0213Râul Prut10583,428,12705546,129622ROSCI0259Valea Călmățuiului18125,727,41690844,953353ROSCI0278Bordușani - Borcea5847,527,91389244,520333ROSCI0286Colinele Elanului741,428,1262346,400597ROSCI0290Coridorul Ialomiței27109,226,88319444,602303ROSCI0305Ianca - Plopu - Sărat - Comăneasca3234,527,71748945,227367ROSCI0307Lacul Sărat - Brăila329,427,89554745,207547ROSCI0309Lacurile din jurul Măscurei113927,53981446,388753ROSCI0315Lunca Chineja923,928,03741745,761706ROSCI0319Mlaștina de la Fetești2110,927,80281744,340708ROSCI0340Cuiugiuc13927,5124544,034981ROSCI0343Pădurile din Silvostepa Mostiștei2115,326,72579244,242261ROSCI0353Peștera - Deleni2549,328,08306944,115219ROSCI0360Râul Bârlad între Zorleni și Gura Gârbăvoțului2478,827,6696346,20675ROSCI0389Sărăturile de la Gura Ialomiței - Mihai Bravu3488,627,7538544,755803ROSCI0398Straja - Cumpăna1099,828,50483644,091892ROSCI0412Ivrinezu411,128,00335644,249917