A campaign to protect European laws that are crucial for the protection of some of the most important wildlife sites and species in the UK has been launched today by a coalition of 100 Non-Governmental Organisations.

According to the NGOs, the laws protecting the most important nature sites and wildlife species (the Birds and Habitats Directives) are under threat as part of a review of regulation by the European Commission, called the Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT). The review started in January 2015 but the public consultation launched in May will be the only opportunity for EU citizens to be formally involved in the process. Previous reviews of the directives at both UK and EU level have found them not to be a burden on business.

The Joint Links REFIT Task and Finish Group was set up in June 2014 to address the EU review of the Habitats and Birds Directives. On 29 April, the Joint Links resubmitted its response to the European Commission’s consultation on the REFIT. The group has today published a position statement warning that the Commission’s REFIT ‘Fitness Check’ of the Birds and Habitats Directives is the single biggest threat to UK and European nature and biodiversity in a generation.

The groups - which include Friends of the Earth, the RSPB, the Marine Conservation Society, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Wildlife Trusts - are urging members of the public to take action to defend the directives which are currently under review as part of an EU deregulation drive.

The directives offer legal protection to nature sites - the network of protected sites, known as Natura 2000, is described by the European Commission as the “centrepiece of EU nature and biodiversity policy.” The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats.

The laws also help safeguard a specific list of more than 1,400 rare or threatened species in Europe by restricting harmful activities such as hunting and insensitive development. The European rules have been instrumental in the recovery of some iconic species, such as the bittern.

The coalition of 100 UK NGOs has collectively submitted a response to the European Commission’s consultation on the review of the Nature Directives.

Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland is also working with its partners in Friends of the Earth Europe, Birdlife, EEB and WWF to coordinate a EU wide defence of the directives. The action launched today will be promoted across 28 European countries in 31 languages.

THe NGOs are now urging members of the public to respond to the European Commission’s public consultation by taking online action. Submission of responses to the EU public consultation can be made via the ‘Nature Alert’ electronic tool. Click here

Click here to download the Joint Links Position Statement