About: Birds and Habitats Directives
France suspends controversial glue-trapping of songbirds
France has suspended the glue-trapping of songbirds this year but stopped short of abolishing the controversial practice which is criticised as barbaric by bird lovers and banned under European Union regulations.
France reprimanded over controversial bird hunting practices
Paris has refused to comply with a letter of formal notice sent by the European Commission in July last year, which calls on French authorities to stop illegal hunting methods.
Environmental measures in Swedish forests will continue to be strong
In a recent opinion piece, a group of NGOs wrote that Sweden's forest policy is wreaking havoc. Herman Sundqvist argues that this is wrong on several counts and that the country is working to improve environmental measures in the forest.
Sweden’s forest crimes
Sweden presents itself as a global torchbearer on the environment, but its forest policy is wreaking havoc. The EU must act to stop it, say five European NGOs.
Are we crying wolf? A European tale of farmers vs. nature
Wolves have made a comeback in Europe, and politicians struggle to find the balance between nature and farmers. But some cry wolf.
The EU has to fight for our nature and the rule of law
In the face of efforts by member states to destroy protected habitats and ignore EU nature laws, the EU must stand up for the rule of law and say enough is enough, writes Ariel Brunner.
Celebrating 25 years of the EU’s nature directives
Europe’s nature protection legislation has had remarkable success with a tiny budget over the last 25 years. Just think what we could achieve with adequate funding in the next quarter-century, writes Andreas Baumüller.
EU decides against tinkering with flagship nature directives
After undergoing a much-criticised European Commission-helmed ‘fitness check’, the EU’s main nature directives have been ruled fit for purpose and will not be rewritten or weakened, in a huge win for environmentalists.
Spain’s high-speed rail link breaches EU bird law
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Spain breached European directives on birds and habitats conservation in building a high-speed train link between Seville and Almería. EURACTIV Spain reports.
Changing track on trade
A potential CETA trainwreck was narrowly avoided this week, but the chaos surrounding the EU-Canada trade deal has been long in the making and may not be over yet, warns Pieter de Pous.
Saving our wildlife requires radical policy change
Cute animals are social media stars. Facebook and Twitter are peppered with them. Beyond this fun factor though, animals rarely get the attention they deserve. Hopefully, this will change, writes Geneviève Pons, as WWF launches its Living Planet Report.
The Brief: Is ‘better regulation’ getting better?
Is the European Commission’s 'better regulation' strategy getting, well, better? The REFIT program, where EU laws are called in for “fitness checks”, was touted as Brussels’ response to the accusation it was drowning Europe in red tape.
A call on Vice-President Timmermans to free the Nature Directives
If the Commission wants to change its image as a shadowy lobbyist’s paradise, approving the Birds and Habitats Directives would show that the EU executive is in touch with its citizens, not in the pocket of powerful corporations, writes Ariel Brunner.