On the threshold of the third decade of the 21st century, no one doubts how urgent and necessary it is to save the nature around us. Properly functioning ecosystems are the basis and prerequisites of our existence – the source of necessary components of life on Earth, such as clean water and air. Their effective protection and restoration are extremely important, especially now, in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic and in the period of intensive efforts to restore resilience, sustainable development and well-being in the European Union.
The current state of nature is critical, and despite many initiatives and legal guidelines, its protection is still insufficient and fragmented, usually implemented on a small scale. Moreover, the implementation and law enforcement is still unsatisfactory. As you can easily guess, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis are two closely overlapping phenomena, each other inevitably accelerating their further progress.
New directions and priorities in this field are set by the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 announced on May 20, 2020. This is an ambitious strategy aimed at directing the European Union’s society on the path of nature regeneration in the next decade. The Strategy implementation requires close cooperation not only between politicians and decision makers, but also between each of us: citizens, representatives of science and business, local communities, municipalities – all at local, regional, national, European and global levels. The principles of the Strategy will also be applied in the area of research and innovation (R&I), as described below. Moreover, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 is in line with the guidelines of the European Green Deal (EGD). More information about the EGD were presented also on the PolSCA website in summer 2020. In the context of biodiversity, it is worth paying attention to several EGD’s policies: Biodiversity, Eliminating pollution, From Farm to Fork, Sustainable agriculture, Clean energy.
DETAILED OBJECTIVES OF THE EU BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY FOR 2030
1. PROTECTING AND RESTORING NATURE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
As a part of the Strategy, it is planned to create a much larger and coherent network of protected areas, as well as to provide legal protection to at least 30% of the EU land and 30% of the EU sea areas. Still existing in Europe primary and old-growth forests, which require detailed mapping, marking and constant monitoring, are to be exceptionally protected. The Commission’s aim is also to restore tropical and sub-tropical forests, and to protect the carbon-rich peatlands, wetlands, mangroves and seagrass meadows. Equally important are terrestrial ecosystems of high biodiversity value located in the farthest corners of Europe. Thanks to the Strategy, a coherent Trans-European Nature Network will be created in the EU. Ecological corridors designated across countries of Nature Network will require strong cross-border collaboration. They are to create the best possible conditions for the free movement of species and the healthy development of ecosystems. The key to success in this respect will be a clear definition of the objectives and methods of protection, its constant supervision, as well as efficient management of all the protected areas.
2. AN EU NATURE RESTORATION PLAN: RESTORING ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS LAND AND SEA
The state of nature is so critical that simply protecting it from further degradation is definitely not enough. The new EU Nature Restoration Plan envisages a wide range of activities, including introducing transparent legal regulations, soil reclamation, saving pollinators, fighting against illegal fish catches, creating green spaces in cities and much more.
The starting point for the Commission will be to work towards the creation of an EU legal framework, in which Member States will set specific targets, binding time limits, clear definitions, as well as implementation and law-enforcement measures. Later this year, the Commission will present a proposal with legally binding EU targets for the restoration of natural resources. At the same time, it will encourage Member States to strengthen their control over the implementation and compliance with existing legislation, particularly regarding the strict protection of at least 30% of species and habitats requiring urgent assistance, and the revitalization of degraded areas and carbon-rich ecosystems. All this is expected to prevent from natural disasters, to reduce the further progress of ecosystems’ degradation, water pollution and the extinction of pollinators.
An extremely important role from the Commission’s perspective is assigned to the development of entirely sustainable practices, such as organic farming, agro-ecology, agro-forestry and precision agriculture. They are a source of healthy and sustainable food, new jobs, but also make the food production sector more resistant to climate change, economic and social crises. Among the ambitious goals set to be achieved by 2030 are the implementation of organic farming in the area of min. 25% of EU agricultural land, a reduction by 50% the overall chemical pesticides use, and a reduction by 50% of nutrient losses, leading to a reduction of use of fertilisers by at least 20%. All these actions set by the Commission will be linked to the Farm to Fork Strategy and the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The next urgent challenge is soil protection – preventing its erosion and increasing soil organic matter. Chemical pesticides, pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, urban and industrial wastewater cause irreversible consequences on soil, water and air. Defined solutions in this area will be presented already in 2021 in the Zero Pollution Action Plan for Air, Water and Soil Action. Achieving the planned goals will bring positive results on climate, economy, food and medications production sectors. The Biodiversity Strategy also aims to significant reduction of invasive alien species, posing a threat to nature and facilitating the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases among humans and animals.
Another important document, on which public consultations are already underway, will be the dedicated EU Forest Strategy for forests and forest-based sector providing for the extension of forest areas and planting in Europe at least 3 billion additional trees by 2030. The value of forests and wooded areas is invaluable – they protect biodiversity, absorb carbon dioxide, are home to millions of animal and plant species, as well as ensure proper water circulation and air purification. The Strategy will create an European Urban Greening Platform, which will facilitate planting of trees in urban areas and in cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants. It was only the COVID-19 pandemic that brought about greater public awareness of the huge value of even the smallest green areas in cities. It is parks, city gardens, yards, green walls and roofs, urban hedges, city meadows, and allotment gardens that help us to maintain good physical and mental condition, reduce noise, filter the air, protect against heat, floods and droughts.
The European Commission also assumes more decisive and rigorous actions to decarbonise the energy system and to develop energy from renewable sources, including ocean energy, offshore wind, solar-panel farms. Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources supports the shift to advanced biofuels made from waste that can no longer be recycled or reprocessed. It is also planned to prepare new guidelines for the use of forest biomass in energy production.
The last areas that need immediate protection and restoration are freshwater ecosystems, as well as marine and coastal ecosystems. Implementation of the EU water legislation involves, among others, restoring the natural functions of rivers and ensuring free flow of at least 25,000 km of rivers by 2030. The implementation of ecological flows, removal of unnecessary, obsolete barriers, restoration of floodplains and wetlands will be the key actions to be taken by the Member States. The oceans, marine and coastal waters, whose biodiversity has a direct impact on food production and fisheries sectors also require urgent actions. In order to restore biodiversity in these areas, the European Commission will propose to Member States e.g. full and effective implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the wild birds and natural habitats directives and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.Above all, effective measures should be taken to protect endangered species, to eliminate all illegal practices related to fishing and use of marine resources, as well as to limit the use of fishing gear that threatens the biodiversity of the seas and oceans.
The indicative timetable of measures to be taken within the Strategy is presented here.
SCIENCE FOR BIODIVERSITY
The tasks specified in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 are in line with the objectives of the Horizon Europe (HE) framework programme (2021-2027), which provides funding for research and innovation focused on the protection and restoration of nature. Currently discussed and finalized Work programs of Horizon Europe for its first two years 2021 – 2022, especially cluster 5 “Climate, energy and mobility” and cluster 6 “Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and the environment”, set new research priorities, which are in line with the Strategy. One of the instruments implementing these objectives will be European Partnerships between the Member States and the European Commission, in particular those in the area of cluster 5 and 6. The lists of Partnerships applying now for the approval and financing of the European Commission are available through the following links: cluster 5 and cluster 6. Furthermore, under the upcoming framework program five global Horizon Europe Missions addressing specific social needs were designated. In the context of the Strategy implementation three of them deserve to be highlighted: Mission “Healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters”, Mission “Soil health and food”, and Mission “Climate-neutral and smart cities”. The role of research conducted under the Horizon Europe will be – among others – ecosystems’ observation, filling the gaps in the current state of knowledge, as well as putting forward viable, innovative solutions for the protection and restoration of ecosystems.
In order to support the effective management of the Strategy implementation process, in October 2020 the European Commission established the Knowledge Center for Biodiversity, operating within the Joint Research Center. The Center carries out its mission by building and updating an information database, analyzing data and making it widely available to all stakeholders. At the same time, for decision-makers, scientists, representatives of business and civil society the Center provides a space for dialogue on the EU’s policy of protecting and revitalizing ecosystems. You can learn more about the Centre’s activities on its website including e.g. a short animation.
To achieve all the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 the European Union has intention to allocate EUR 20 billion per year, coming from the EU funds, as well as national and private funds. The effective implementation of the Strategy can place the EU in the role of a world leader in the field of nature protection and ecosystem restoration. It is worth emphasizing that planned activities will cover not only Europe, but also Africa. The key to success is the strong implementation and enforcement of the legislation, as well as the involvement of all Member States and their citizens.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND MATERIALS
Already in March 2021, during the online seminar, the PolSCA Office will host representatives of the European Commission and a group of experts who will discuss about the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 through different funding opportunities of the new Horizon Europe (HE) framework programme. All details of the meeting will be published in due time on our website and Facebook profile. If you want to stay up to date and be notified about this event, please subscribe to our Newsletter (available only in Polish).
MATERIALS:
Communication from the Commission – EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
Annex to EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 – Indicative timetable
EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030 in a nutshell
Communication from the Commission – European Green Deal
Report – State of nature in the UE
Published: 2021-01-21, J. Komperda
Translated: 2021-01-28, J. Komperda
Visuals: European Commission
