===== 5 Conclusions and next steps =====

[[intro|← Introduction]] |
[[background|Background & definitions]] |
[[methodology|Methodological approach]] |
[[findings|Preliminary findings…]] |
[[annexes|Annexes]] |
[[bibliography|Bibliography]]

==== 5.1 Key conclusions ====
# Existing EU and international policies **do not forbid** the use of citizen‑science
(CCLA/CGD) in environmental compliance assurance.  
# Horizontal (cross‑cutting) policies (Aarhus, Access‑to‑Info, EC 2024) provide the
legal scaffolding for public participation, information flow and access to justice.  
# The most **explicit** thematic opportunities are found in the **Nature Restoration
Regulation (2024)** and the **Deforestation‑Free Products Regulation (2023)**.  
# Many policies remain **ambiguous** – the real impact will depend on how Member States
transpose and implement the provisions.

==== 5.2 Next steps (Phase 2 of Task 1.1) ====
1. **Methodology refinement** – incorporate lessons learned, improve the colour‑coding
framework, and add quantitative indicators.  
2. **Expand policy set** – analyse additional EU directives, implementing decisions,
and national transposition measures.  
3. **Develop national‑policy templates** – to be used by WP 3 case‑studies.  
4. **Strategic engagement** – feed the findings into WP 4 (T4.5) to influence policy
revision and to design outreach material for policymakers.  
5. **Dissemination** – publish the final Deliverable 1.9 (month 24) and a policy‑brief
targeted at EU institutions and national agencies.

==== 5.3 Implications for the more4nature project ====
* The **policy‑mapping tool** (template + colour code) can be reused across
different environmental domains.  
* Early identification of “low‑hanging fruit” (e.g. the Deforestation‑Free Products
Regulation) enables the project to pilot citizen‑science pilots that can be
scaled up later.  
* Understanding the **implementation gap** helps the consortium to tailor capacity‑building
activities for national authorities and citizen groups.