13.1.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 11/105 COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION of 18 November 2011 adopting a fifth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeographical region (notified under document C(2011) 8278) (2012/14/EV) 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 Continental biogeographical region referred to in Article 1(c)(iii) of Directive 92[43/EEC comprises the Union territory of Luxembourg and parts of the Union territories of Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden as specified in the biogeographical map approved on 20 April 2005 by the Committee set up by Article 20 of that Directive, hereinafter the ‘Habitats Committee’. (2) 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 Union. (3)  The initial list and the first four updated lists of sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeo- graphical region, within the meaning of Directive 92/43[EEC, were adopted by Commission Decisions 2004/798/EC (),  2008/25[EC (}),  2009/93/EC (¥), 2010/44[EU () and 2011/64/EU (). 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 () O] L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7. () O] L 382, 28.12.2004, p. 1. () O] L 12, 15.1.2008, p. 383. () O] L 43, 13.2.2009, p. 63. () O] L 30, 2.2.2010, p. 120. () O] L 33, 8.2.2011, p. 146. for the Continental 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 fifth update of the Conti- nental list is therefore necessary. On the one hand, the fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeo- graphical region is necessary in order to include addi- tional sites that have been proposed since 2009 by the Member States as sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeographical region within the meaning of Article 1 of Directive 92/43/EEC. For these additional sites, the obligations resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43/EEC should apply as soon as possible and within six years at most from the adoption of the fifth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeographical region. On the other hand, the fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Continental 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 four updated Union lists. In that sense, the fifth updated list of sites of Community importance for the Continental ~ biogeographical —region constitutes a consolidated version of the list of sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeographical region. It should be stressed that, for any site included in the fifth update of the list of sites of Community importance for the Continental biogeographical region, the obligations resulting from Articles 4(4) and 6(1) of Directive 92/43[EEC should apply as soon as possible and within six years at most following the adoption of the list of sites of Community importance in which the site was included for the first time. For the Continental 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 2003 and October 2010 by the Member States concerned in accordance with Article 4(1) of that Directive.