At a time when international negotiations have resumed within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15, Kunming, Part 1), the European Commission published, on Tuesday 12 October, a guide for EU Member States on the strict protection of animal species under Directive 92/43/EEC, the so-called ‘Habitats’ Directive.
These guidelines clarify Article 12 (strict protection regime applicable throughout the territory of the Member States) and Article 16 (derogations),...