EU Launches Biodiversity Strategy for 2030

The European Commission (EC) has today set out its plans for restoring and protecting ecosystems over the next 10 years.

The EC plans to protect at least 30% of EU land and seas by 2030, and overhaul the agriculture sector by encouraging agroecology. The strategy has a budget of at least €20 billion per year.

EU member states will be asked to designate new protected zones and ecological corridors by 2023, however, there have been calls for clarification on what is meant by ‘protected status’.

The strategy also commits to promoting green infrastructure and nature based solutions, as well as planting three billion additional trees across the EU by 2030.

A separate plan to protect marine ecosystems and conserve fisheries resources is expected in 2021.