5.2.2008 Official Journal of the European Union L 31/39 COMMISSION DECISION of 25 January 2008 adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43[EEC, a first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region (notified under document number C(2008) 286) (2008/95/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 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: (4) The Macaronesian biogeographical region, as 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 initiated since 1995 to make further progress in the actual estab- lishment 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 Macaronesian ~ biogeographical ~ region, within the meaning of Directive 92[43/EEC was adopted by Commission Decision 2002/11/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 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 (") OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7. Directive as last amended by Directive 2006/105[EC (O] L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 368). () OJ L5, 9.1.2002, p. 16. 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 Macaronesian bio- geographical region is necessary in order to include addi- tional sites that have been proposed since 2000 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 first updated list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region. On the other hand, the update of the initial list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeogra- phical 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 Macaronesian biogeographical region constitutes a consolidated version of the initial 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 list of sites of Community importance for the Macaronesian biogeographical region. 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 September 2006, in accordance with Article 4(1) of the Directive, by Portugal and Spain. The lists of proposed sites were accompanied by infor- mation on each site, supplied in the format established by Commission Decision 97/266/EC of 18 December 1996 concerning a site information format for proposed Natura 2000 sites (?). () O] L 107, 24.4.1997, p. 1.