On 18 February 2026, CEPF Vice-president, Ms. Jean-Pierre Piganiol, participated in a high-level implementation dialogue on Nitrates, Water Framework, Habitats and Birds Directives, co-chaired by Commissioners Jessika Roswall and Christophe Hansen. The meeting, held at the Berlaymont, brought together farmers, water sector representatives, environmental NGOs, and foresters to feed into the Commission's ongoing effort to stress-test EU environmental legislation. While the dialogue covered four directives, CEPF focused its intervention on the Habitats and Birds Directives, where the pressure on forest owners is most acut
M. Piganiol came with a clear message: in their current interpretation and implementation, the Birds and Habitats Directives are no longer fit for purpose. ECJ rulings on concepts such as "deliberateness" and "strict protection" have created legal uncertainty that is paralysing active forest management across Europe, not because the directive texts explicitly prohibit it, but because national transpositions and court interpretations have made normal forestry operations legally risky.
He illustrated the point with concrete cases from the ground: safety works halted over fear of prosecution, and approved forestry operations blocked by legal uncertainty. These are not exceptions, they are becoming the norm. The latest EFFIS data tells the same story from another angle: 41% of total burned area in the EU in 2023 was located in Natura 2000 sites, which cover only 18.6% of EU territory. Where active management disappears, risk accumulates.
For CEPF, the Commission's ongoing stress-test of the Nature Directives is not only welcome, it is long overdue. The result of the study expected before the end of 2026 will be a key moment to watch.
