The European Commission is taking Germany to the European Court of Justice for violating nature and conservation laws.
The EU has long warned Germany that its efforts to protect nature under the Flora-Fauna-Habitats Directive were not adequate. On Thursday, it decided to take the country to court for not respecting its conservation obligations.
The Habitats Directive requires countries to designate special protection areas to conserve rare, threatened or native flora and fauna. More than 1,000 animal and plant species, as well as 200 types of habitat, are protected by the law.
In these special protection areas, each EU member state must establish conservation measures to maintain or restore habitats and species.
The Commission says that Germany has failed to meet some requirements, particularly when creating protected areas in the country. According to recent reporting, Germany has not designated a significant number of locations as special protection areas, the Commission says.
“Therefore, the Commission is taking Germany to the Court of Justice of the European Union.”
Full story by Rosie Frost at Euronews Living
