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10 August 2026
As the European Commission’s public consultation on the future of the Birds and Habitats Directives closes today, more than 600,000 people have signed a petition calling on the EU to defend its nature laws.
Devastating fires have swept across Ireland and the rest of the EU highlighting the urgency of protecting nature. The Irish Wildlife Trust, alongside several other Irish environmental NGOs, have submitted to the Birds and Habitats consultation urging the European Commission not to weaken environmental regulations [1]. Organisation across the EU including the #HandsOffNature campaign coalition (consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, the European Environmental Bureau, and WWF EU) are also urging the European Commission to use its review of the EU’s nature laws to fully enforce and fund the existing legislation, rather than weaken it. [2]
“The Birds and Habitats Directives are two of the most important laws for protecting nature in Ireland and the rest of the EU. Weakening these laws would have hugely negative impacts on the natural environment which is already struggling. Most marine habitats in Ireland are considered to not be in good environmental condition and water quality is at an all time low. Wildfires are spreading due to a lack of biodiverse native woodland and the ongoing drainage of land. The last thing we should be doing right now is reducing the protections we have in place. The focus must be placed on fully implementing these laws and ensuring there is enough funding and resources to do that. If we don’t there will be a much higher price to pay going into a future of climate uncertainty.” Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer
While the Commission stated that the ‘stress test’ of the EU’s nature laws, namely the Birds and Habitats Directives, aims to “reduce administrative burdens,” Environmental NGOs warn against framing environmental protections as ‘red tape’ to be cut. We do not want to move in the same direction as the United States where laws protecting people and nature have been weakened or removed to help boost private profits.
These laws were already assessed as “fit for purpose” in the European Commission’s 2016 ‘Fitness Check’. [3] They help protect the forests, wetlands, rivers, and habitats that provide clean water, healthy soils, and resilience against climate-related risks such as wildfires, floods, and droughts. As we have seen in recent wildfires in Ireland, healthy native woodland is not as vulnerable to wildfires as degraded, overgrazed habitats.
As the climate crisis shows, these are essential protections for people and nature – helping to maintain the healthy ecosystems that underpin Europe’s long-term resilience, safety, and prosperity.
European citizens are also clear that they want stronger action to protect nature. The latest Eurobarometer survey found that almost all Europeans consider it important to halt biodiversity loss, while 94% say that protecting nature is important for our long-term economic prosperity. [4]
In a separate petition led by the #HandsOffNature coalition, more than 600,000 people have called on EU decision-makers to defend the laws that protect Europe’s nature and wildlife. [5]. Environmental NGOs in Ireland, including the Irish Wildlife Trust have been supporting and promoting this petition.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
[1] The Irish Wildlife Trust submission the the Birds and Habitats Stress Test consultation https://iwt.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Birds-and-Habitats-Stress-Test-submission.pdf
[2] Find the Restore Nature coalition’s full position on the EU Birds and Habitats Directives ‘stress test’ here: https://handsoffnature.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26_04_BHD-stress-test_initial-reflections_final.pdf
[3] Find the results of the European Commission’s 2016 ‘fitness check’ here: https://commission.europa.eu/publications/fitness-check-eu-nature-legislation-birds-and-habitats-directives-directive-2009147ec-conservation_en
[4] The full Eurobarometer survey is available here: Special Eurobarometer 571: Attitudes of Europeans towards biodiversity. Almost all Europeans (96%) believe halting biodiversity loss is important because we have a moral responsibility to protect nature, while 95% recognise that human health and well-being depend on healthy ecosystems.
[5] The European Commission will now assess the feedback received through the consultation as part of its ‘stress test’ of the Birds and Habitats Directives. The #HandsOffNature coalition is calling on the Commission to listen to the hundreds of thousands of citizens who have spoken out and use the process to strengthen implementation, enforcement and funding: https://iwt.ie/what-we-do/hands-off-nature/