Europe’s biodiversity is under unprecedented pressure, making strong environmental legislation more important than ever. As the European Commission reviews the effectiveness of the Birds and Habitats Directives through its Stress Test, Generation Climate Europe recognises the opportunity to strengthen implementation while expressing concern that this process could unintentionally weaken the legal safeguards protecting Europe’s nature.
This statement sets out the youth perspective on the future of the Birds and Habitats Directives. It calls for any review to be firmly grounded in scientific evidence, greater investment in implementation, monitoring and enforcement, and meaningful participation of young people throughout the decision-making process. Alongside the statement, GCE presents a set of concrete policy demands aimed at ensuring that Europe’s cornerstone nature laws continue to protect biodiversity while supporting resilient societies and economies. Young people have the greatest stake in Europe’s environmental future, and their voices must play a central role in shaping it.
