1.25 million signatures urge Brussels not to weaken Europe's nature laws

More than 1.25 million Europeans have signed a call for Brussels to keep its hands off the laws that protect nature. On Friday the #HandsOffNature campaign delivered 1,254,722 signatures to EU Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall.

Which laws are at stake

The European Commission plans to:

• Review the Water Framework Directive, which requires rivers, lakes and aquifers to be kept in good condition.
• Evaluate the Birds and Habitats directives, the legal basis of the Natura 2000 network: in Spain they protect much of our mountains and wetlands, and species such as the brown bear, capercaillie and bearded vulture.

In December 2025 the Commission also presented an environmental “simplification” package. The organisations say it could weaken protection for species and sites to make new projects easier.

Who’s behind it

The campaign, launched in February, is led by BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, the European Environmental Bureau and WWF, with the support of more than 230 organisations. They want the laws kept intact and more funding and staff to enforce them, which, they argue, is where the real problem lies.

Why it matters

The European Environment Agency’s Europe’s environment 2025 report finds that 81% of habitats of EU importance assessed are in unfavourable conservation status.

The organisations argue the problem isn’t the laws, but that they aren’t enforced with enough resources.

It’s the same debate that has already weakened wolf protection in Europe, as we reported in wolves lose protection in Europe. What Brussels decides in the coming months will directly affect the wild places we walk through every weekend.