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

The European Habitats Directive is a cornerstone of the EU'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.