The European Commission is taking France to the EU Court of Justice after the country ignored repeated warnings to ban bird hunting with nets, violating the EU Birds Directive.
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it is referring France to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to ban the use of nets to catch wild birds, despite multiple warnings.
France continues to authorise horizontal and vertical nets for capturing certain bird species in five departments in Southwest France, a method prohibited under the EU Birds Directive, which bans large-scale, non-selective hunting practices.
“The use of nets to capture birds is prohibited unless member states meet the strict criteria for derogation allowed under the directive, but France has failed to demonstrate that the disputed nets meet those criteria,” the Commission said in a statement.
The Commission has sent repeated warnings to France in 2019, 2020, and 2023, but said efforts by French authorities remain insufficient. The French environment and agriculture ministries have not responded to requests for comment.
The EU Birds Directive protects wild bird species across the bloc and bans deliberate killing, nest destruction, and illegal trade in wild birds. Conservation groups have long criticised France for circumventing EU wildlife protection laws.
Yves Verhilhac, director of the French Bird Protection League, condemned France’s inaction:
"What is happening in France is catastrophic. Lawmakers cave in to hunters’ and farmers’ lobbies instead of enforcing protections. The EU is our only hope."
This is not the first time France has faced legal action over bird hunting. In 2021, the EU Court of Justice ruled that trapping songbirds with glue—a traditional French practice—was illegal and could not be authorised by the state.
The latest case marks another escalation in the EU’s crackdown on France’s failure to comply with wildlife protection laws.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Châtelet-Les Halles areas from 11pm Saturday until 6am Sunday (1 November).
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said.
Gen Z protests swept 34 German cities on Saturday (31 October) over education and living costs. Violence erupted in Frankfurt, where shops were looted and police reported Molotov cocktail attacks.
Iran designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organisations on Sunday, (1 November), and classified the country's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, as a hostile group, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Thousands protested in Albania's capital, Tirana, on Saturday (31 October), demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation over perceived corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government over a lack of jobs and poor education standards.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment