The laws that protect Nature in Europe – the Nature Directives – are still under threat. Over the last two years, the European Commission has been scrutinizing these laws and it is about to decide their fate.

The Birds and Habitats Directives are a European Union success story. They are widely recognized as the cornerstone of EU wide efforts to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity. The nature conservation framework they establish aims for the effective protection of Europe’s rare and threatened species, and has led to the creation of the largest network of protected areas in the world – the Natura 2000 network.

There has been unprecedented support from businesses, members of the European Parliament, environment ministers and over 500,000 European citizens who took part in the European Commission’s consultation on the Directives in 2015 asking that these laws are saved and better implemented. This was the largest response to any Commission consultation to date. Even the European Commission’s own evaluation has deemed these laws “fit for purpose”, meaning that they are good – just as they are! Nature just needs them to be put into action.

The European Commission has stalled for months and with every tick of the clock, Nature is being destroyed. Now finally, on Wednesday, 7 December, all 28 European Commissioners must decide to act to save our nature laws and put them into action.

To make sure we get the result that Nature needs, we must show the key Commissioners that we are all still on high ‘Nature Alert’ – and tell them we expect them not to tamper with these laws but to protect them and ensure that they are better funded and better implemented. So join us and tell them NOW!

Go to BirdLife’s Nature Alert campaign website on http://www.birdlife.org/campaign/NatureAlertAction to send Karmenu Vella, the European Commissioner for the Environment, Frans Timmermans the First Vice-President of the European Commission and Jean-Claude Juncker the President of the European Commission a message and show your support for Nature.