Environment: Commission warns France over protection of hamsters and extension of port
Georges Markatatos, 6/6/2008,18:01
Main Source: European Commission Press Releases
The European Commission is sending two final warnings to France for insufficient implementation of nature protection legislation. The first case concerns the dramatic decline of one of Europe's most threatened – and strictly protected - mammals, the great hamster of Alsace, which is significantly also known as the European hamster. The final warning letter notes that rapid and substantial action is needed to prevent the animal from becoming extinct. The other case concerns a planned extension to the port of Saint Nazaire on the Loire, which would destroy protected wetlands. More ambitious compensation measures will be required before the development can be sanctioned. Any failure to respond within two months could see France taken to the European Court of Justice. The Commission has sent France a final written warning for failing to implement proper measures – as outlined in the Habitats Directive – to safeguard the great hamster of Alsace. Once considered a nuisance by Alsatian farmers, this European hamster Cricetus cricetus is now in serious danger. The species, which can grow to a length of 20cm, has a high reproductive capacity, but its numbers are dwindling as its habitat disappears. The number of burrows in Alsace has fallen dramatically, from 1167 in 2001 to 161 in 2007. A plan to save the hamster is in place, but implementation has been slow and the Commission does not believe that the measures it contains will be sufficient to halt the decline and prevent the species from becoming extinct. It is therefore demanding that the plan to save the hamster should include more measures to combat the agricultural practices and the urban sprawl that are destroying the animal's natural habitat. The Commission is therefore sending France a final written warning. More<
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Georges Markatatos markatatos@elyros.com
Elyros SA Source of information: European Commission Press Releases
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The European Commission is sending two final warnings to France for insufficient implementation of nature protection legislation. The first case concerns the dramatic decline of one of Europe's most threatened – and strictly protected - mammals, the great hamster of Alsace, which is significantly also known as the European hamster. The final warning letter notes that rapid and substantial action is needed to prevent the animal from becoming extinct. The other case concerns a planned extension to the port of Saint Nazaire on the Loire, which would destroy protected wetlands. More ambitious compensation measures will be required before the development can be sanctioned. Any failure to respond within two months could see France taken to the European Court of Justice.
