As the energy transition advances in the context of interlinked climate, biodiversity and energy crises, its success depends on how well the impacts of new and existing infrastructure on nature are mitigated. For bird species, this means tackling collision and electrocution risks on high- and medium-voltage power lines through strategic planning, targeted mitigation, trusted collaboration among key stakeholders and strong legislative frameworks.

Protecting birds depends not only on the measures implemented, but also on the processes and partnerships that enable them. Each country’s regulatory, technical, and institutional context shapes the effectiveness of such efforts, and understanding these differences helps identify transferable lessons.

RGI’s learning excursion explored Slovakia’s regulatory approach, its practical implementation, and the long-standing collaboration model between grid operators and NGO. The event brought together over 40 participants from 13 European countries, including transmission and distribution system operators, environmental NGOs, technical experts, and public authorities.

The event started with a half-day workshop during which RGI presented successful initiatives such as SafeLines4Birds and RISKY, and Slovak experts shared their success stories and lessons learned. 

The second day offered participants the opportunity to visit sites where best practices have been collaboratively implemented and to gain first-hand insights from Slovak experts. We visited sites such as Integrated Vegetation Management and sites where anti-collision and anti-electrocution measures were installed to protect vulnerable bird species.

The outcomes of the discussion and the main points have been summarised in the report below.

Workshop Summary Report

Download the report

Download the report