The State of Implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives in the EU: An analysis by national environmental NGOs in 18 Member States

The Birds and Habitats Directives are the main legal tool the EU has to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. These Nature Directives are responsible for the creation of the largest and most coherent network of protected natural areas in the world – the Natura 2000 network. In 2016, the European Commission finalised a Fitness Check on these directives, concluding that they are still fit for purpose. The analysis clearly identified the need for a substantial improvement in their implementation.