Europe has set ambitious policy goals to allow nature to recover and flourish. Creating protected areas, green and blue infrastructure, restoring ecosystems, rewilding and facilitating nature-based solutions to climate change can all contribute to reversing biodiversity loss in the EU.<\/p>\n
Many vital species, habitats and ecosystems in Europe are threatened by\u00a0urban sprawl, unsustainable farming and forestry, and\u00a0pollution<\/a><\/strong>. Roads, railways, urban areas and agricultural land fragment Europe\u2019s landscape, hindering the movement of species.<\/p>\n According to the\u00a0EEA\u2019s report State of Nature in the EU 2020,<\/a>\u00a0only 15% of Europe\u2019s habitats and 27% protected species are in a\u00a0good conservation status.\u00a0<\/strong>We need an overhaul of our key systems, including agriculture and production, in order to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity and ensure that nature continues to provide vital ecosystem services.<\/p>\n EU nature directives\u2014such as the Birds<\/a> and the Habitats Directives\u2014offer protection to around 2000 species and habitats. At the heart of EU conservation efforts is the EU\u2019s\u00a0Natura 2000 network<\/strong>\u00a0of protected areas<\/a>, which currently makes up\u00a018% of the EU\u2019s land area<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a010% of its marine territory<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nature protection<\/strong>\u00a0needs to be complemented by\u00a0nature restoration\u00a0<\/strong>efforts, through actions such as removing barriers on rivers and rewilding. To this end, the European Commission has proposed a\u00a0Nature Restoration Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n A healthy natural environment<\/a> can also provide us solutions. Some of the\u00a0impacts of <\/strong>climate change<\/a>, such as heat islands and urban flooding, can be mitigated through\u00a0nature-based solutions<\/strong>, including green spaces in cities.<\/p>\n The EEA monitors the state of nature based on the data submitted under nature directives. Member States submit, among other things, extensive information on habitats and species<\/a> every six years. According to our latest assessments:<\/p>\n Along with the Birds and the Habitats Directives, the\u00a0EU biodiversity strategy<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for 2030 plays a central role in protecting nature in Europe. The strategy aims to\u00a0increase the protected area<\/strong>\u00a0to at least 30% of EU land<\/a> and 30% of surrounding seas by 2030. One-third of this, areas of very high biodiversity and climate<\/a> value, should be under strict protection. Primary and old-growth forests and other carbon-rich ecosystems<\/a> like peatlands and grasslands will be the focus of strict protection.<\/p>\n The strategy also calls for\u00a0restoring ecosystems<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and planting additional trees to support biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. More\u00a0forests<\/strong>\u00a0will also be managed<\/a> to promote biodiversity-friendly practices.<\/p>\n Recently, the European Commission<\/a> proposed the\u00a0Nature Restoration Law,<\/strong>\u00a0which takes a holistic approach to restore all EU land and sea. The first milestone is set for 2030 when 20% of all EU land and sea must be under restoration measures, while the ultimate target is for 2050 when all EU land and sea in need of restoration must be under restoration measures.<\/p>\n Other initiatives include the\u00a0trans-European nature network<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Emerald Network<\/a>\u00a0by the Council of Europe, to which the EU contributes via Natura 2000 sites.<\/p>\n The EEA regularly assesses the state of nature in Europe, including conservation status of key habitats and species<\/a>, as well as assessments on protected areas and on other topics such as landscape connectivity.<\/p>\n\n