Press Release: Environment: Commission warns France over protection of hamsters and extension of port

The European Commission sent 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.