The European Commission wants to hear from us

The European Commission’s DG Environment has launched a public consultation as part of the “stress test” of the Birds and Habitats Directives, an exercise examining whether and how these cornerstone laws of European nature conservation should be adapted and better implemented to reduce administrative burden on governments and businesses.

This is a pivotal moment. The outcome could shape the future of nature protection and restoration policy across the EU. SER-Europe believes the scientific and restoration community has a vital role to play in making sure this process is grounded in evidence, not assumption. That is why we are calling on our members to contribute.

What DG Environment is looking for

The consultation invites input, at EU or national level, from individual scientists or expert groups, on what is working in the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives and what could be improved. DG Environment is especially interested in:

• Existing tools and data that facilitate implementation, what works well, and where there is room to improve
• Structural collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and practitioners across sectors, whether it exists, and how it functions in practice
• Initiatives for streamlining information that reduce duplication or friction for authorities and businesses
• Maps and spatial data that could inform or improve permitting and planning processes
• Evidence of good coexistence between people and large carnivores
• Best-practice guidance demonstrating cost-effective approaches to conservation and restoration

If your work touches on any of these, a tool you have built, a collaboration that functions well, a dataset that has been put to good use, this is the moment to put it on the record.

Why this matters

Nature restoration and conservation policy is under real pressure at EU level. A stress test framed around burden reduction needs to be balanced by solid evidence of what the Directives have achieved and how implementation can be improved without weakening protection.

The scientific community’s voice is essential to that balance. Well-documented, practical evidence is what will carry weight in this process.

For a deeper look at the legal and policy stakes, the SER-Europe Legal Working Group has published a position paper on the stress test.

How to take action

Complete the consultation. It is open to individual experts, expert groups, and institutions, at EU or national level, until 10 August.

Spread the word. Share this call with colleagues, networks, and partner institutions. The more evidence-based input DG Environment receives from the restoration and conservation science community, the stronger the case for sound policymaking.

Read the position paper! The SER-Europe Legal Working Group’s paper provides background and legal context.

Your data, your tools, and your experience on the ground: this is the moment to make them count.

SER-Europe Secretariat, www.ser-europe.org