Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA)

This process is known as a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA).

The Habitats Regulations: implementing species protection (Nature Scot website)

The HRA:

• ensures the objectives of the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive are met

  The Habitats Directive (European Commission website)

  The Birds Directive (European Commission website)

• contributes to the maintenance of Natura 2000

  Natura 2000 (European Commission website)

• considers the consequence of actions for features of European sites maintains habitats and species of Favourable Conservation Status (FCS)

  Favourable Conservation Status: UK Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies Common Statement 2018 (Joint Nature Conservation Committee website)

HRA applies to European sites considered as:

• Special Protection Areas (SPA) classified under the Birds Directive
• Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) classified under the Habitats Directive and ‘candidate’ SAC 

For a proposal to potentially affect a site, there has to be a link or connection between the:

• qualifying interests of the site
• changes that a proposal may cause.

It's not possible to produce a list of plans or projects that must always be subject to appraisal and those that will not. 

Neither the European Commission Directives or the Habitats Regulations define the scope of either plan or project by reference to particular categories. 

Instead, the key limiting factor is whether a plan or project could undermine the conservation objectives of the qualifying features for which the site was classified.

SiteLink provides access to information on European sites. You can view: 

• site boundaries
• qualifying interests
• conservation objectives
• consultation cases
• site management agreements
• site conditions and download supporting documents

SiteLink (NatureScot website)

Where there's a likely significant effect we cannot approve a proposal unless it can be shown beyond reasonable scientific doubt by means of ‘appropriate assessment’ that it will not adversely affect the integrity of a European site. 

For the purposes of the assessment, we must formally consult NatureScot before a decision is made.

Habitats Regulations Appraisal (Nature Scot website)

The Habitats Regulations also state, where appropriate, we should take the opinion of the public. 

To do this, we may publish details of the proposed plan or project on our public registers.

Engage with forestry projects and plans