A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (79/409/CEE).

Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds. SPAs comprise one or more SSSIs (Site of Special Scientific Interest) or ASSIs (Areas of Special Scientific Interest), for example Broadland SPA is a conglomeration of 28 SSSIs. Together with Special Area of Conservation or SACs, the SPAs form a network of protected sites across the European Union, called Natura 2000.

Each SPA has an EU code, e.g. the North Norfolk Coast SPA has the code UK9009031.

There is a total 87 proposed or designated SPAs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. See List of special protection areas in the United Kingdom for a list of these.

See also

• Ramsar Convention
• Protected areas of the United Kingdom
• UK sites recognised for their biodiversity conservation importance

Special Protection Areas

Vogelschutzgebiet | Zona de especial protección para las aves | Zone de protection spéciale | Dyrektywa Ptasia