EU satisfied with Finnish measures to protect flying squirrels

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The European Commission has decided to cancel legal action against Finland on the matter of the protection of rare flying squirrels.
      In 2000 the Commission gave Finland an official warning, sparked by a complaint by environmental organisations over tree felling in the forest of Konikallio in Forssa in Southern Finland.
      The Commission criticised Finland over the wording of the law on nature conservation, which it said contravened the EU's nature directive.
     
Another warning came in 2002, concerning the planned construction of a part of the Helsinki-Turku motorway between Lohja and Muurala. The area contains a habitat for flying squirrels, and the routing would destroy one of ten nesting areas and damage five of them.
      The Commission found that Finnish officials had not paid enough heed to the requirements of protecting the squirrels.
      Last year the Commission issued a tougher statement on both issues.
     
This year the Commission had decided to bring Finland before the Court of Justice of the European Communities. However, the decision was never implemented; on Monday the Commission decided to drop procedures against Finland.
      The decision was prompted by changes in Finnish nature protection legislation, which now forbids the destruction of all breeding and resting areas for flying squirrels. In the previous law, only the destruction of "clearly discernible" breeding and resting areas was illegal.
     
The flying squirrel, which is considered to be an endangered species, has become something of a symbol of Finnish nature conservation. Its status was elevated when it was specifically mentioned in the EU's nature directive as an animal requiring special protection.
      Finland and the Baltic States are the only parts of the European Union that have flying squirrels.
      Finland has tens of thousands of the animals, while Estonia and Latvia have a few hundred.
      More precise figures on Finland's flying squirrel population should come in 2006, when the results of a national survey are complete.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Law professor: Nesting boxes for flying squirrel on future building sites are illegal (22.9.2004)

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