European environment ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 19 June, gave unanimous backing to the action plan proposed by the European Commission to improve application of the two flagship directives for the protection of nature – the habitats and the birds directives (see EUROPE 11809 and 11777).
This level of support comes as no surprise since environment ministers, deeming the directives perfectly fit for purpose, had fought for them to be retained and for implementation to be...