EU biodiversity strategy for 2030

KEY POINTS

To put biodiversity on the path to recovery, the strategy sets out a number of targets and commitments to achieve by 2030 at the latest, in the following four main areas.

1. A coherent network of protected areas

   The network:

   • legally protects at least 30% of the EU’s land area and 30% of its sea area, and integrates ecological corridors as part of a Trans-European Nature Network;
   • strictly protects at least 30% of the EU’s protected areas, including all primary² and old-growth forests³;
   • effectively manages all protected areas, defining clear conservation objectives and measures and monitoring them appropriately;

   With the EU countries, the European Commission will set out and agree criteria and guidance for additional protected and strictly protected areas by the end of 2021.

   EU countries will have until the end of 2023 to demonstrate significant progress in legally designating new protected areas and in integrating ecological corridors.

   The Commission will assess by 2024 whether the EU is on track to meet its 2030 targets or whether stronger actions are needed, including EU legislation.

2. An EU nature restoration plan

   The plan includes the following commitments for 2030:

   • propose legally binding EU nature-restoration targets in 2021, subject to an impact assessment;
   • restore significant areas of degraded and carbon-rich ecosystems;
   • ensure that habitats and species show no deterioration, and that at least 30% of those in unfavourable conservation status reach favourable status, or at least show a positive trend;
   • reverse the decline in pollinators;
   • reduce the risk and use of chemical pesticides by 50% and reduce the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50%;
   • manage at least 25% of agricultural land under organic farming and significantly increase the uptake of agro-ecological practices;
   • remediate significant areas of contaminated soil sites;
   • plant 3 billion trees for biodiversity, according to ecological principles;
   • restore at least 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers;
   • reduce by 50% the number of ‘red list’ species threatened by invasive alien species;
   • reduce losses of nutrients from fertilisers by 50%, resulting in a reduction in the use of fertilisers of at least 20%;
   • support cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants to put in place ambitious urban greening plans by the end of 2021;
   • eliminate or minimise the negative effects of fishing and extraction activities on sensitive species and habitats;
   • eliminate or reduce by-catch⁴ of marine species to a level that allows their recovery and conservation.
3. Enabling transformative change

   To ensure the implementation of the commitments and encourage transformative change, the Commission and the EU countries will do the following.

   • Set out a new EU biodiversity governance framework with implementation obligations and milestones to ensure accountability and co-responsibility by all actors in meeting the biodiversity commitments. The framework will also strengthen stakeholder engagement and transparent and participatory governance. It will include a monitoring and review mechanism with a clear set of agreed indicators to enable regular progress assessment and set out corrective action if necessary. The Commission will assess the approach in 2023, and consider whether a legally binding governance set-up is needed.
   • Step up the implementation and enforcement of EU environmental legislation.
   • Build on a whole-of-society approach to biodiversity protection, engaging business, mobilising private and public funding at national and EU level, guiding investments towards a green recovery and the deployment of nature-based solutions, and strengthening knowledge, education and skills for biodiversity protection and restoration.
4. An ambitious global biodiversity agenda

   The EU will contribute to this agenda by committing to:

   • work with like-minded partners in a high-level coalition for biodiversity and lead by example for an ambitious global post-2020 biodiversity framework;
   • use external action to promote biodiversity protection and restoration, in particular in relation to international oceans governance, trade, international cooperation, neighbourhood policy and resource mobilisation.

   By 2024, the Commission will review the progress and assess whether further action is needed to meet the strategy’s objectives.