The Green Tank participated in the European Commission’s public consultation on the future of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives (Nature Directives), which closed on 10 August 2026.
The public consultation, or “stress test,” of the Directives is part of the Commission’s broader examination of opportunities to simplify legislation with a view to strengthening EU competitiveness. However, the focus on reducing administrative burdens and bureaucracy carries the risk of weakening the provisions of the Directives rather than strengthening their implementation.
As part of its contribution, The Green Tank submitted evidence and documentation from the Greek experience of implementing the Nature Directives, highlighting the long-term value of a stable European framework for nature protection. This framework has contributed not only to the protection of species, habitat types and the Natura 2000 network, but also to the development of the institutions, scientific knowledge, conservation planning and administrative capacity needed to protect nature effectively. The Green Tank also highlighted the progress made since the previous Fitness Check of the two Directives in 2016, despite the challenges that remain.
The Greek experience shows that gaps in implementation are primarily linked to issues of governance, institutional capacity, ecological knowledge and data, monitoring, enforcement, coordination, public participation and funding at the national level — rather than to the legal framework itself.
The Green Tank therefore supports maintaining the existing EU legal framework and focusing efforts on its more effective implementation, as well as on strengthening institutional and administrative capacity and enforcement.
The European Commission’s findings are expected by the end of 2026.
Read The Green Tank’s responses to the relevant questionnaire here and the accompanying evidence document submitted as part of the public consultation here.
