15.1.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L12/1 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 12 November 2007 adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43EEC, a first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region (notified under document number C(2007) 5396) (2008/23/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, Having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (1), and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) thereof, Whereas: 1 O e The Atlantic biogeographical region referred to in Article 1 (o)(iii) of Directive 92[43/EEC, comprises the territory of Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and parts of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, as specified in the biogeographical map approved on 25 April 2005 by the Committee set up by Article 20 of that Directive, hereinafter the ‘Habitats Committee’. It is necessary in the context of a process initiated since 1995 to make further progress in the actual establishment of the Natura 2000 network, which is an essential element of the protection of biodiversity in the Community. An initial list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region, within the meaning of Directive 92/43/EEC was adopted by Commission Decision 2004/813/EC (3. On the basis of Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43[EEC, the Member State concerned shall designate the sites included in the list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region as OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7. Directive as last amended by the 2003 Act of Accession. O]l 397, 29.12.2004, p. 1. () (6) special areas of conservation as soon as possible and within six years at most, establishing conservation priorities and the necessary conservation measures. In the context of a dynamic adaptation of the Natura 2000 network, the lists of sites of Community importance are reviewed. The update of that initial list is therefore necessary. On the one hand, the update of the initial list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region is necessary in order to include additional sites that have been proposed since 2004 by the Member States as sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeo- graphical region within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92[43/EEC. The obligations resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43[EEC are applicable as soon as possible and within six years at most from the adoption of the first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region. On the other hand, the update of the initial list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region is necessary in order to reflect any changes in site related information submitted by the Member States following the adoption of the Community list. In that sense, the first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical region con- stitutes a consolidated version of the initial list of sites of Community importance for the Atlantic biogeographical