Varying practices of implementing the Habitats Directive in German and British forests

The European Habitats Directive is a cornerstone of the Ell's nature conservation policy. It is based on two pillars: a network of protected areas and a species protection regime. Implementation of both requirements has been a troublesome and contested undertaking for EU member states, not least because of potentially significant implications for on-going land uses like forestry. Even twenty years after its adoption, the Habitats Directive's political and practical implications continue to be a source of contestation. Domestic implementation is characterised by differentiation and emerging varying practices. This article applies a ground-level perspective explaining differential implementation resulting from the spatially and temporally specific interplay of structure and agency. It moves beyond structural and actor centred accounts applying a strategic-relational perspective. Implementation processes in the UK and Germany are studied comparatively focusing especially on the crucial role of local administrations for specific operationalisations of ambiguous requirements. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.