laws and policies
1979
EU Bird Directive
Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds, commonly referred to as the Birds Directive, is the EU’s oldest piece of nature legislation and one of the most important, creating a comprehensive scheme of protection for all wild bird species naturally occurring in the Union.
It was adopted unanimously by the Members States in 1979 as a response to increasing concern about the declines in Europe's wild bird populations resulting from pollution, loss of habitats as well as unsustainable use.
It was also in recognition that wild birds, many of which are migratory, are a shared heritage of the Member States and that their effective conservation required international co-operation.
Further reading
Bird Directive