The legal basis for our work

The legal basis for the JNCC is the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006. It sets out the composition of the Joint Committee, the purpose of JNCC and the functions of national and international significance that it is responsible for.   

 

JNCC’s specific responsibilities for offshore marine nature conservation are set out in the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 2007, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and various Regulations that relate to the activities of the offshore petroleum industry.

 

JNCC has also been appointed by the UK Government as the scientific authority on fauna under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the corresponding EC Regulation.

 

As well as the legal instruments that define JNCC’s role, our work is also shaped by a range of international, European and national conventions, directives, legal acts and policies. Collectively they provide the framework for UK nature conservation.