WRITTEN QUESTION E-3545/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Obstacles to a cross-border approach to breeding programmes for the European hamster, an endangered species

1. Is the Commission aware that the European hamster, a species which can only live in areas of at least 30 ha that do not contain roads, woods or buildings, is at risk of extinction in the densely populated Netherlands, and that the Das en Boom Association and Blijdorp (Rotterdam Zoo) have recently started a breeding programme using the last individuals to have been caught, as a result of which 135 animals have so far been bred with the intention of returning them to the wild as soon as suitable areas have been found?

2. Is the Commission aware, furthermore, that, despite previous undertakings to find eleven such areas, of 45 ha each, consisting of windblown loamy soils (löss) in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands Government probably will not find them because of the ongoing construction of new roads, business/industrial estates and residential areas and bearing in mind that the animals also cannot be returned to the wild near woodland because they would then be eaten too quickly by buzzards, hawks and foxes?

3. Can the Commission confirm that exchanges of European hamsters for use in a common breeding programme in order to prevent inbreeding (degeneration arising from individual animals' being descended from a pool of ancestors who are genetically too alike) are being obstructed by internal borders within the EU?

4. Can the Commission furthermore confirm that efforts to return these specially bred hamsters to the wild in the Netherlands' neighbours, Belgium and Germany, are likewise being hampered by internal borders within the EU?

5. What can the Commission do to help eliminate obstacles to the finding of habitats for European hamsters bred with the aim of enabling the species to survive and to help facilitate cross-border breeding programmes?

Source: Rotterdams Dagblad, 29 and 30 November 2001

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 2002)

The fact that the European hamster has been included in annex IV of the Council directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora(1), hereafter Habitats Directive, shows that the Commission is aware of the necessity to maintain the conservation status of this species.

On the occasion of exchanges that took place with the non-governmental organisations (NGO) Das en Boom in relation to complaint cases, the Commission has been informed of the existence of a captive breeding programme using hamsters caught from the wild.

The Dutch Government has sent to the Commission a Hamster Protection Plan 2000-2004, which aims to establish 500 hectares of suitable habitats in which captive-bred individuals can be released. Under complaint procedure A-98/2016, the Commission has requested the Netherlands to supply information about the legal instruments to realise this plan and about its results so far. The Netherlands have replied to this request on 21 October 2001. The Commission is currently examining this reply.

Capture, exchange, and reintroduction of species listed in annex IV of the Habitats Directive can be allowed by Member States under a derogation regime that complies with the provisions of Article 16 (1) of this directive. Provided that Member States decide to jointly apply such a derogation regime there should be no problem with the crossing of national borders.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.