The report summarises the state of play with the development of biodiversity targets for habitats and species within the EU (including in the proposed Restoration Law) and the UK. It compares theEU’s proposals with the targets that have been proposed so far in England and Northern Ireland, and concludes that they are not as ambitious, comprehensive or coherent as most of those of the EU. Whilst the legal requirement in England to halt the decline in species abundance is potentially world leading, as currently formulated, the species and habitat targets could be met whilst major declines in biodiversity continue, including in natural and semi-natural habitats and particularly vulnerable species groups.
Today, wildlife-rich habitats and key species group numbers are in decline, prompting governments to produce legislation to protect them and reverse downward trends. In order to do so, the EU has proposed targets for biodiversity and nature conservation, as well as the UK, and its four constituent nations. However, the extent and scope of these protections need to be properly assessed to ensure that targets are to be met in the future.
To date, the EU has agreed a set of non-binding biodiversity objectives and actions in its Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Central to this is a new nature restoration Regulation (Restoration Law) proposed by the European Commission with legally binding restoration targets for ecosystems habitats and species.
When Ursula von der Leyen presented one of the most ambitious political projects to date in EU history, aiming at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent, nobody could imagine that just a few months later, an unprecedented pandemic would lock down the whole EU. Yet, and despite strong pushes to derail the European Green Deal agenda as an immediate reply to the crisis, the Green Deal stayed afloat and was even slightly boosted through the national recovery and resilient plans.
The long-awaited proposal for an EU nature restoration regulation was finally presented on 22 June by the European Commission, highlighting an ambitious legislative framework to restore degraded ecosystems in the EU.
Two years after publication of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, we take stock of the implementation of its targets and commitments, and of the progress that has been made since.
The new EU Soil strategy offers a policy framework to achieve good soil health in Europe by 2050. To reach this goal, there is a strong need to ensure an effective legal framework for soils coherent with other key EU policies such as the proposal for a nature restoration law, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation.
This blog was written by Michael Nicholson, Head of UK Environmental Policy at the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), who attended COP26 as an IEEP delegate. The statements expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of IEEP.
New technical screening criteria for Biodiversity, Water, Pollution, Circular Economy to guide private investments are out for review under the EU Taxonomy framework.
A recent webinar co-hosted by IEEP and the Thin Green Line Foundation UK discussed the central role of rangers in delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, both in Europe and globally. The event followed the launch of a guidance demonstrating how area-based conservation can help to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the world.
This event highlights the central role of rangers in managing protected and conserved areas in a way that brings benefits to both biodiversity and people. It follows the launch of a pioneering, action-oriented guidance demonstrating how area-based conservation can help to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the world.
To celebrate World Environment Day 2021, we took the opportunity to interview a biodiversity policy expert from one of our Think Sustainable Europe Platform members, The Green Tank from Greece. Ιoli Christopoulou is a partner and policy director at the Green Tank specialising in biodiversity policy and spoke to us about the progress Greece has made in reaching its biodiversity targets and the challenges and opportunities that remain in the upcoming years.
The OECM framework provides ample opportunity to promote biodiversity conservation in the EU, can complement existing protected areas across landscapes and seascapes and contribute to achieving ambitious conservation targets. Nevertheless, the concept is still new, especially in the EU, and their role needs to be carefully evaluated.
We look back at October’s tumultuous CAP and biodiversity week and reflect on its implications for the achievement of the European Green Deal’s biodiversity objectives and the fresh EU commitments for an ambitious new global deal for nature.
A scoping study prepared by IEEP and partners fed into an EEA briefing on the management effectiveness in the EU's Natura 2000 network of protected areas.
As the EU decision-makers argue over the direction for the urgently needed transition in the livestock sector, how can they align the most relevant policies with the 'Farm to Fork' objectives?
A recent virtual seminar co-hosted by IEEP and the Mission of Canada to the EU discussed the future of biodiversity conservation in the COVID-19 context. The seminar was part of a series of events the Mission of Canada to the EU is organising on shared ‘green’ policy priorities on the Canada and EU agendas.
IEEP has led the production of a new guidance document to support better implementation of the EU nature directives and Natura 2000. This document aims to answer frequently asked questions on how the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation can support the implementation of the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.
To celebrate the annual Natura 2000 day, IEEP's biodiversity intern Anya Coutinho spoke to Dr Mike Clarke, who recently became an IEEP associate and is the former Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
