THE CONTEXT: A STATE OF URGENCY
Europe has a rich diversity of unique wild plant and animal species and habitats, many of which exist nowhere else in the world. But many are in danger; a recent IUCN assessment revealed that up to 25% of European animal species are threatened with extinction. 1 in 3 bee and butterfly species are in decline, while around 1 in 10 are threatened with extinction; 39% of bird species (a 7% increase since 2012) and 81% of habitats are in poor or bad conservation status. The worst affected habitats are wetlands, peatlands, grasslands and dune habitats. Europe's marine biodiversity too is under pressure: a high proportion of marine species is in an unfavourable conservation status, and there is inadequate information to analyse the status of many marine species and habitats. On the other hand, every euro invested in nature restoration adds €8 to €38 in benefits. The loss of wild pollinators, such as birds and bees, is a case in point. Around 80% of crop and wild-flowering plant species in the EU depend, at least in part, on animal pollination. Without pollinators, many plant species would decline and eventually disappear along with the organisms that depend on them, threatening the survival of nature, human wellbeing and the economy.

Agricultural intensification is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation in Europe. It has transformed formerly diverse landscapes, consisting of many small fields and habitats, into uniform terrain managed with large machines––leading to a decline in the abundance and diversity of natural vegetation and animals. The EU's multifunctional forests serve environmental, economic and social purposes. Although forest cover has grown in the past 30 years, the condition of forests is deteriorating. The use of Europe's seas is taking its toll on marine ecosystems: from changes in the composition of marine species and habitats to a shift in the seas' overall physical and chemical characteristics. Sustainable management practices will be key to deriving benefits from these sectors while combating and reversing biodiversity loss.

The EU failed to meet its headline target to halt and reverse overall biodiversity loss by 2020, and did not meet the voluntary target to restore at least 15% of degraded ecosystems (in line with Aichi Target 15 of the CBD). New and enhanced approaches are needed in light of all these facts, and are being adopted in all relevant sectors, and at multiple levels in European actions to 2030, 2050, and beyond. EU action on biodiversity conservation consists mainly of EU policies and EU support for projects and initiatives on biodiversity conservation.

EU action on biodiversity conservation consists mainly of EU policies and EU support for projects and initiatives on biodiversity conservation. Click on section titles to access the following pages:

EU policies on biodiversity conservation

EU-supported projects and initiatives on biodiversity conservation