Implementing Biodiversity Conservation: Nearly Half of EU Biodiversity Strategy Suggestions Currently Executed

The EU's Biodiversity Odyssey: Journey Towards Biodiversity Recovery by 2030

Europe aims to take its biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, benefiting humans, the climate, and the planet. Biodiversity and its services sustain human life, regulate air and water quality, offer food, energy, and medicines.

While some strides have been made in policy development, these efforts have not been sufficient to halt biodiversity loss and reverse the decline. Recently, an assessment report, prepared by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, detailed the current state, planned monitoring framework, strategy implementation progress, and the likelihood of achieving targets by 2030.

The report scrutinizes the progress of 29 distinct sub-targets, evaluating their current status and the likelihood of meeting them by 2030. Owing to a lack of data, 14 sub-targets have yet to be evaluated by 2030.

Europe's Progress so Far

According to the EU Biodiversity Strategy Actions Tracker, half of the actions under the strategy's four pillars (protecting areas, restoring ecosystems, fostering transformative change, and external action) have been completed. Most of the remaining actions are underway, with only a few experiencing delays, such as the full implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Progress is being made for ten sub-targets addressing measures to mitigate human pressures on biodiversity, including designating protected areas at sea and land, reducing pesticide and fertilizer use, and increasing tree planting. However, some stagnation is observed in the uptake of agro-ecological practices, and declines in common bird and pollinator populations persist.

The Road to 2030 Targets

Currently, the EU is off-track to meet any of the 13 sub-targets that could be evaluated. In order to meet the remaining 16 sub-targets, data is crucial for evaluation. Comparing the pace of progress observed so far, the pace of designation of new protected areas and transition to organic farming would need to triple to stay on course for 2030.

Four sub-targets are unlikely to be met, including efforts to halt deterioration of conservation species, reversing the decline of pollinators, cutting soil nutrient losses by 50%, and reducing the use of fertilizers by 20%. Meeting the strategy's targets requires stronger enforcement of existing environmental policies and the full implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

Background and Future Work

Published in May 2020 as a central pillar of the European Green Deal, the Biodiversity Strategy aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on a recovery path by 2030. It covers targets and actions for protecting nature, restoring ecosystems, fostering transformative change, and stepping up external actions for biodiversity.

The assessment report is part of the work of the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, supported by the Commission and the European Environment Agency. The centre will focus on closing the remaining monitoring gaps and delivering a comprehensive EU Biodiversity Strategy dashboard by 2030. It will also look to align with EU and national action to track the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, enhancing and integrating monitoring to help policy makers achieve a healthier, more sustainable environment beyond 2030.

The EU's Biodiversity Strategy aims to place Europe's biodiversity on a recovery path by 2030, recognizing that human life, the climate, and the planet benefit from biodiversity and its services, which sustain a variety of needs such as food, energy, medicines, and air and water regulation.
While some progress has been made in policy development, European scientists and environmental agencies recently reported that Europe is off-track to meet any of the 13 evaluable sub-targets to halt biodiversity loss, highlighting the urgency for stronger enforcement of environmental policies and the full implementation of regulations like the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.
According to the EU Biodiversity Strategy Actions Tracker, while half of the actions under four strategy pillars (protecting areas, restoring ecosystems, fostering transformative change, and external action) have been completed, Europe should triple the pace of progress observed in designating new protected areas and transitioning to organic farming if it hopes to meet the 2030 targets.
The assessment report, prepared by the European Commission and the European Environment Agency, also noted ongoing issues such as stagnation in the uptake of agro-ecological practices, declines in common bird and pollinator populations, and the unlikely achievement of sub-targets like halting deterioration of conservation species, reversing the decline of pollinators, and cutting soil nutrient losses by 50%.
The future work of the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, supported by the Commission and the European Environment Agency, will involve closing remaining monitoring gaps, delivering a comprehensive EU Biodiversity Strategy dashboard by 2030, and aligning with EU and national action to track the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, ultimately aiming to create a healthier, more sustainable environment for the benefit of future generations.

Implementing Biodiversity Conservation: Nearly Half of EU Biodiversity Strategy Suggestions Currently Executed