On Friday 16 December the Commission published its final report on the fitness check of the Birds and Habitats Directives in the format of a Staff Working Document (SWD) with the conclusions that they are “fit for purpose”.

On 13 July the European Commission adopted the very first Union list of Invasive Alien Species (IAS). The list contains 37 species, which are foreseen to cause damage on a scale that justifies dedicated measures across the Union.