L 344/46 Official Journal of the European Union 23.12.2009 COMMISSION DECISION of 22 December 2009 on adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC, a second updated list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region (notified under document C(2009) 10414) (2009/1001EU) 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 (') and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 4(2) thereof, Whereas: (1) The Macaronesian biogeographical region referred to in Article 1(c)(iii) of Directive 92[43/EEC, comprises the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira (Portugal) and the Canary Islands (Spain) in the Atlantic ocean, 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 which was initiated in 1995 to make further progress in the actual establishment of the Natura 2000 network, which is an essential element of the protection of biodi- versity in the Community. The initial list and the first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeo- graphical region, within the meaning of Directive 92/43[EEC were adopted by Commission Decisions 2002/11/EC (3 and 2008/95/EC (}). 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 Macaronesian biogeographical region as 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. A second update of the Maca- ronesian list is therefore necessary. 06, 22.7.1992, p. 7. o L2 0J L 5, 9.1.2002, p. 16. OJL3 1, 5.2.2008, p. 39. ©) ) On the one hand, the second update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeo- graphical region is necessary in order to include addi- tional sites that have been proposed since 2006 by the Member States as sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical 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 second updated list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region. On the other hand, the second update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeo- graphical region is necessary in order to reflect any changes in site related information submitted by the Member States following the adoption of the initial and the first updated Community lists. In that sense, the second updated list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region constitutes a consolidated version of the list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region. However, it should be stressed that 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 initial or the first updated lists of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region, depending on which list a site of Community importance was included as such for the first time. For the Macaronesian biogeographical region, lists of sites proposed as sites of Community importance within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC have been transmitted to the Commission between November 1997 and October 2008 by the Member States concerned in accordance with Article 4(1) of that Directive. The lists of proposed sites were accompanied by information on each site, supplied in the format estab- lished by Commission Decision 97/266/EC  of 18 December 1996 concerning a site information format for proposed Natura 2000 sites (*). (*) OJ L 107, 24.4.1997, p. 1.