Brussels - Just one endangered species in every six is being properly protected by European Union member states, and hundreds are threatened with extinction, the EU's executive said Monday. EU member states have built up a comprehensive list of endangered species in their territories for the first time, and this shows that "most habitats and species are not considered to have a favourable conservation status," European Commission environment spokeswoman Barbara Helfferich said.
Just 17 per cent of protected habitats and species are returning to health under human protection, and more than 50 per cent are at risk of annihilation because of human activities, she said.
Species under threat range from the Iberian lynx of Spain and Portugal, with just 80 of the giant cats still alive worldwide, to frogs and newts, which are under pressure from climate change and disease.
"Butterflies may also disappear altogether due to the pressures on grasslands and wetlands," Helfferich said.
The commission ordered the report on some 1,150 species and 200 types of habitat from member states to build up a comprehensive picture of the status of endangered species in the 27-member bloc.
Some larger mammals, such as the wolf, beaver and otter, have begun to thrive under human protection, returning to areas in which they were wiped out generations ago.
But many more species are in danger of extinction as farming and tourism expand and climate change continues to reduce wild animals' breeding and feeding grounds.
The EU is currently finalizing the creation of a European network of nature sanctuaries. It is also funding projects to support rare wildlife, and is urging member states to take more action to protect endangered species, Helfferich said.
The EU prides itself on its environmental credentials. The bloc is among the world's pioneers in issues such as reducing chemical pollution, cutting the dumping of sewage into the sea and bringing in laws to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
At the same time, its policies have been blamed for putting many species at risk by destroying their habitats on land and for promoting over fishing at sea.
