• Recommendation on Natura 2000 designation: The ‘2010’ SPA Review should be completed and implemented, along with the outstanding actions from the 2001 Review. Substantial progress is needed to fill evidence gaps and identify and classify marine SPAs and marine SACs for mobile species.

• Recommendation on Natura 2000 management: A review of the efficacy of management plans for European Marine Sites should be published.  Measures should be put in place to address failures to secure appropriate management to maintain/restore Natura 2000 features. A new approach to the setting of Conservation Objectives to focus on the delivery of favourable status for all Natura 2000 sites and features should be developed and agreed by all UK administrations.

• Recommendation on Natura 2000 financing: The UK should support increases to those EU budget lines that contribute to achieving Natura 2000 and wider biodiversity policy objectives (i.e. LIFE and CAP) even within the context of a position seeking a smaller overall EU budget. The UK should complete PAFs for all four regions (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) and improve tracking of biodiversity spending.

• Recommendation on degradation of protected areas - Implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives in England. The UK Government should implement the recommendations of the review of the Birds and Habitats Directives in England, with the primary aim of ensuring compliance with the Directives to maintain the integrity of sites and species of European importance.

• Recommendation on species protection: The UK Government should draw up and implement an action plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate illegal persecution of birds of prey to enable populations of these species to reach favourable conservation status. The number of hen harriers breeding in all four countries of the UK should be increasing by 2014.