This legal briefing by Wetlands International Europe supports national authorities, river basin managers, and environmental practitioners in interpreting and implementing Article 9 of the EU Nature Restoration Law, which mandates the restoration of at least 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030. Europe’s rivers are fragmented by an estimated 1.2 million barriers, many obsolete, impacting water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The document outlines the ecological and legal basis for barrier removal, the scale of river fragmentation in Europe, guidance on applying EU law to support effective freshwater restoration, the role of river connectivity in meeting biodiversity and climate goals. Co-published by Living Rivers Europe and Client Earth, this resource emphasizes the cost-effectiveness and ecological benefits of restoring natural river flows by removing unnecessary artificial barriers.
