EU Biodiversity Strategy

As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission presented on 20 May 2020 its Communication on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The Strategy is a comprehensive, ambitious and long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. The Strategy aims to put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, and contains specific actions and commitments.

Amongst others, the European Commission set an objective of legally protecting a minimum of 30% of the EU’s land areas and 30% of the EU’s sea area, of which a third (i.e. 10%) should be strictly protected. The Commission found that the current network of legally protected areas, including those under strict protection, is not sufficiently large to safeguard biodiversity.

The Commission is currently working on criteria and guidance for identifying and designating additional areas, including a definition of strict protection. It is still looking at which activities should be allowed or banned in those protected and strictly protected areas.

It will then be up to Member States to designate the additional protected and strictly protected areas. Member States will then have until the end of 2023 to demonstrate significant progress in legally designating new protected areas and integrating ecological corridors. On this basis, the Commission will assess by 2024 whether the EU is on track to meet its 2030 targets or whether stronger actions, including EU legislation, are needed.

B.An EU Nature Restoration Plan: restoring ecosystems across land and sea

In addition, following an impact assessment, the Commission will seek to strengthen the EU legal framework for nature restoration by putting forward a proposal for legally binding EU nature restoration targets in 2021 to restore degraded ecosystems. The Commission will also request and support Member States to raise the level of implementation of existing legislation within clear deadlines.

In particular, the European Commission put forward an objective of restoring at least 25,000 km of rivers into free-flowing rivers by 2030. The Commission believes that this objective is achievable, notably through the removal of obsolete barriers and the restoration of floodplains and wetlands. To that effect, the Commission will provide technical support to Member States on their measures by 2023.

The Commission will review the strategy by 2024 to assess progress and whether further action is needed to meet its objective.

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