Hands off nature: nearly 200,000 citizens say no to weakening EU environmental laws

European Commission receives an outpouring of support for nature from concerned citizens.

In just 10 days, 196,118 messages¹ poured in from European citizens, mobilised by the #HandsOffNature campaign ², urging the European Commission to stop any rollback of EU nature laws under the guise of “simplification” ³.
At the end of July, the European Commission launched a Call for Evidence ⁴, to gather opinions from EU citizens, companies and organisations on reducing administrative burdens within environmental legislation. This proposal is part of the ongoing “simplification” wave to cut red tape for businesses with supposedly faster decisions, fewer steps and clearer rules. But behind this language hides a different reality: much-needed environmental safeguards are being dismantled in the name of “efficiency”, giving more power to industries that damage nature and undermining decades of hard-won protections for people and the planet.

This call incited an overwhelming response: nearly 200,000 people wrote in to oppose environmental rollback and demand even stronger protection. Their messages emphasised the urgency of protecting nature for present and future generations, defending public health, preventing deforestation and water pollution, and preserving the hard-won progress already achieved by EU nature laws.

The #HandsOffNature coalition, consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, the European Environmental Bureau and WWF EU, says:

“EU citizens are standing up for nature, and their message to the European Commission is loud and clear: keep your hands off nature and the laws that protect us. Europe’s nature laws are making a real impact, delivering innovation and legal certainty. We need stronger implementation and enforcement, not dismantling or weakening. By continuing to undermine these laws, the EU would not only defy the will of its people but also jeopardise our public health and future.”

The European Commission is now expected to elaborate on the feedback received under the Call for Evidence and present its environmental Omnibus by the end of 2025.

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