Von der Leyen’s Commission threatens to dismantle EU nature laws despite opposition from Member States and 1.25 million citizens

Brussels, 4 November 2026 – The European Commission has put the review of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, and with them the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, back on the table in its 2027 Work Programme [1], even though the preliminary results of its own ‘stress test’ say these laws need proper implementation, not a potential revision. The #HandsOffNature coalition, composed of WWF EU, BirdLife Europe, the European Environmental Bureau, and ClientEarth, strongly condemns the announcement.

The work programme hints at the possibility of reopening the Directives, which would reverse decades of environmental progress and ignore the evidence the Commission itself is gathering under the ongoing ‘stress test’. The announcement is a slap in the face to the 1.25 million citizens who signed the #HandsOffNature petition [2] to oppose the revision, and a waste of time and public money which should instead focus on implementing and enforcing these vital protections.

Hot on the heels of the Commission’s “resilience package”, weakening nature protections would directly contradict its goal of boosting the EU’s ability to adapt to climate change, and thus be incoherent and unacceptable. Nature is Europe’s strongest defence against climate disasters, and weaker protections would mean greater risks from pollution, heatwaves, flooding and extreme weather, the coalition warns.

“President von der Leyen appears to have caved in to political pressure from her national party and powerful lobbies. This is a political choice, not an evidence-based response to Europe’s challenges,” a spokesperson of the coalition said. “Despite clear warnings from EU Member States, scientists, businesses and 1.25 million citizens, she’s opening the door to a full-scale assault on Europe’s nature laws. Tearing down protections amidst the climate and biodiversity crises is reckless, costly, and deeply irresponsible.”

The announcement comes while the Commission’s own evidence-gathering process, the Birds and Habitats Directives ‘stress test’, is still ongoing, and its preliminary findings point to the need for better implementation, funding, and enforcement of the Directives – not legislative revision. A clear majority of stakeholders, including scientists and industry representatives, reached the same conclusion at the October implementation dialogue.

The coalition is calling on the Commission to conclude this exercise, and to focus on fully implementing and financing the Directives on the ground, rather than reopening them.

Businesses, including from the renewable energy sector, have warned that reopening the Directives will create legal uncertainty, increase litigation risks and delay the investment Europe needs. The announcement also immediately sparked criticism from several Member States, including France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg and Spain.

The Commission’s Work Programme also mentions that the upcoming water initiative could involve a legislative proposal. The coalition stresses that any such proposal must build on the existing EU water protection laws, including the Water Framework Directive, which must remain unchanged. It should prioritise water retention in nature, such as the protection, sustainable management and restoration of wetlands, floodplains, forests and ponds.

The decision also contradicts the EU’s recent commitments at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17), where it reaffirmed its pledge to accelerate global biodiversity action. Weakening nature protections at home would severely compromise Europe’s credibility on the global stage and jeopardise its capacity to fulfil those newly reaffirmed pledges.

ENDS.

Notes to editors:

[1] Commission unveils work programme and simplification reports

[2] The #HandsOffNature coalition delivered 1.25 million signatures to Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall on 23 October 2026 – www.handsoffnature.eu

[3] EXCLUSIVE: Berlin, Madrid, Paris warn Commission to leave EU nature laws alone (Rapporteur)

[4] Released today: Letter by scientists opposing a revision of the Nature Directives

For further information, please contact:

• Hind Sharif, WWF EU, hsharif@wwf.eu, +32 494 083 880
• Ben Snelson, European Environmental Bureau, snelson@eeb.org
• Honey Kohan, BirdLife Europe, kohan@birdlife.org, +32 483 55 95 43
• Jan Minke Contreras, ClientEarth, jminkecontreras@clientearth.org