EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Chapter 6: Nature Topic Box 6.5 EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing Nature Back into our Lives In 2020 the EU adopted the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy (EU, 2020a). The aim of the strategy is to put Europe’s biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of the people, climate and planet. It also commits the EU to a leading role in the upcoming post-2020 global biodiversity framework as the world emerges from the COVID-19 crisis. The strategy is a core part of the European Green Deal and it is hoped that it will support a sustainable economic recovery in a post-pandemic landscape. The strategy builds on the existing EU Birds and Habitats Directives and the Natura 2000 network but also sets ambitious targets to achieve healthy and resilient ecosystems (Figure 6.9). Figure 6.9  Examples of targets and commitments from the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 Recreated from the EU factsheet Bringing Nature Back into our Lives (EU, 2020b) TURN AT LEAST 30% OF EU’S LAND AND 30% OF SEAS INTO EFFECTIVELY MANAGED AND COHERENT PROTECTED AREAS REVERSE THE DECLINE OF POLLINATORS RESTORE DEGRADED ECOSYSTEMS AND STOP ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO NATURE ESTABLISH BIODIVERSITY- RICH LANDSCAPE FEATURES ON AT LEAST 10% OF FARMLAND RESTORE AT LEAST 25,000 KM OF THE EU’S RIVERS TO BE FREE- FLOWING MANAGE 25% OF AGRICULTURAL LAND UNDER ORGANIC FARMING, AND PROMOTE THE UPTAKE OF AGRO-ECOLOGICAL PRACTICES REDUCE THE USE AND RISK OF PESTICIDES BY AT LEAST 50% PLANT OVER 3 BILLION DIVERSE, BIODIVERSITY RICH TREES TACKLE BYCATCH AND SEABED DAMAGE The key commitments for the protection of nature by 2030 are: 1. legally protect a minimum of 30 per cent of the EU’s land area and 30 per cent of the EU’s sea area and integrate ecological corridors, as part of a true Trans-European Nature Network 2. strictly protect at least a third of the EU’s protected areas, including all remaining EU primary and old-growth forests 3. effectively manage all protected areas, defining clear conservation objectives and measures, and monitoring them appropriately. It is also intended that the biodiversity strategy will be closely aligned with the new Farm to Fork Strategy and the new CAP (Chapter 13). Progress on implementation of the strategy will be reviewed by the EU in 2024. 145