1991 - 2006. EUROBATS celebrates its 15th anniversary

an unacceptable rate of injuries caused by
ringing. However, French data, when availa-
ble, have been taken into consideration in
a recent German publication produced by
collaboration within the EUROBATS Working
Group on Bat Migration. A summary of
French bat banding activity is also provided
in this booklet.
Bats and forests
A major field of interest in France is bats’
use of forests as either roosting or foraging
habitats. Since the beginning of the first Action
Plan, the National Forest Office (O.N.F.)
has been increasingly involved in bat conservation.
This office recently appointed a
bat specialist (who is also a member of the
EUROBATS Intersessional Working Group)
as co-ordinator of a network charged with
monitoring bats in national forests. This network,
of course, has a particular interest in
monitoring bat populations in relation to forestry
work, and a booklet containing guidelines
for bat-friendly practices in forestry
should be published soon.
Conservation practices
The conducting of bat activities, including
invasive methods such as netting or ringing,
is severely restricted to licensed bat
workers. Licences are issued by the regional
environment office, with a further input
of expertise by a member of the National
Council for Nature Conservation, after thorough
checking of the ability of the applicant
and the relevance of the project. For
two endangered species in France, Rhinolophus
mehelyi and Myotis dasycneme,
licences are issued by the Ministry of the
Environment. State institutions are allowed
to issue licences to their staff, provided that
1991-2006 • EUROBATS celebrates its 15 th anniversary
© Nathalie Lacour
the ability of the applicant is checked and
the planned activity reported to the central
authority.
Legislative progress
Bat conservation has recently been reinforced
by the Decree of 16 December 2004.
According to the European Directives, mainly
Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation
of Natural Habitats and Wild Fauna
and Flora, protected mammal species
are under strict legal protection throughout
the year over the entire country.
New threats
Two potential sources of danger have recently
emerged in France: safety measures
in mines and the construction of wind
parks. Old unexploited mines, which are
often used by bats, mainly as hibernacula,
are currently being sealed off or blown up
for safety reasons, in accordance with directives
from the Ministry of Industry. These
directives conflict with central conservation
regulations, including the Habitats
Directive, and it has not yet been possible
to start negotiations on the subject with the
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