Brussels, 03/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to launch infringement proceedings against six Member States (France, Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and Italy) for failing to comply with the Wild Birds and Habitats Directives.
France will be sent a Reasoned Opinion, under Article 228 of the EC Treaty to formally request that France complies with a 7 December 2000 ruling of the Court of Justice requiring the designation of an adequate protection area (SPA) in the Natura 2000 network of the Basses Corbières, an important natural habitat for wild birds. Greece will be sent a Reasoned Opinion under Article 228 of the Treaty requesting it complies with the 30 January 2002 Court of Justice ruling on failure to adopt and apply adequate measures to protect the breeding and resting places of the rare Mediterranean sea turtle, Caretta caretta. Greece will also be sent to second written warnings (second stage under Article 226 of the Treaty), the first for failing to designate a sufficient number of SPAs and the second for failing to properly protect the lagoon of Messolonghi-Aitolikon, a wetland that is internationally recognised as an important habitat for wild birds. The Netherlands will be referred to the Court of Justice (third stage of proceedings under article 226 of the Treaty) for failing to properly apply the Habitats Directive. Germany will be sent two Reasoned Opinions, one concerning a project to build a wind-farm in an important wild bird conservation area in Lower Saxony, and another over failure to nominate as its proposed Natura 2000 sites two important habitats at Enzenstettener Quellmoor and Füssener Wasenmoos in Bavaria.
Ireland will be sent two separate second written warnings (first stage of proceedings under Article 226). The first is for failing to properly safeguard a SPA for wild birds in the Boyne Estuary and the second is for failing to take adequate measures to make up for a temporary loss of mudflats, used as a site for waste storage.
Italy is to be sent a second written warning for approving a ski-run and ski-lift at two sites ("Faggete del versante N-E della Montagna Grande" and "Monte Marsicano e Terratta".
Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström commented: "Member States have commitment themselves to halting the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2010. If this objective is to be achieved, it is crucial that the European Union's most important habitats are adequately recognised and safeguarded under EU nature legislation."