In just ten days, the European Commission received an unprecedented response from citizens concerned about the future of EU nature protections. A total of 196,118 messages were submitted through the #HandsOffNature campaign, urging the Commission to halt any attempts to roll back environmental laws under the guise of “simplification.”
The Call for Evidence, launched by the Commission at the end of July, aimed to collect opinions from EU citizens, businesses, and organizations on reducing administrative burdens within environmental legislation. While the initiative framed itself as a way to streamline procedures and cut red tape for businesses, critics warned that it could undermine essential environmental safeguards, giving more power to industries that harm nature and potentially eroding decades of protections.
The overwhelming public response highlighted strong opposition to any weakening of environmental laws. Citizens stressed the need to protect nature for current and future generations, defend public health, prevent deforestation and water pollution, and maintain the progress achieved through EU nature legislation.
The #HandsOffNature coalition, including BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, the European Environmental Bureau, and WWF EU, emphasized that citizens are demanding stronger enforcement of environmental laws rather than their dismantling. The coalition stated that weakening these protections would not only go against public sentiment but also threaten health and long-term sustainability.
The European Commission is expected to review the feedback collected through the Call for Evidence and outline its proposals in the environmental Omnibus, scheduled for release by the end of 2025.
