Looking more broadly at EU environmental law, the European Commission is engaging with stakeholders to gather feedback on what is working and what is not, and to identify ways to improve and facilitate implementation.

The dialogues target key groups affected by EU policies, including industry (notably SMEs), social partners, regional and local authorities, and civil society, to ensure balanced participation.

On 18 February, a dialogue with the farming community was hosted by Jessica Roswall, Commissioner for the Environment, and Christophe Hansen, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food. The discussion focused on the practical difficulties and administrative burdens faced by farmers and forest holders in implementing the Nitrates Directive, the Water Framework Directive, and the Habitats and Birds Directives, as well as possible solutions. A summary of the dialogue’s conclusions is expected to be published shortly. The implementation dialogues have attracted criticism from several NGOs regarding the perceived lack of involvement of certain civil society actors.

FACE will continue to monitor these developments and actively advocate measures that support biodiversity, habitats, and small-game populations.