An EU Biodiversity Law is needed

Bees and other pollinators

Rome [ENA] An EU Biodiversity Law is needed to set the biodiversity governance framework until 2050. On 28 May the European Parliament Environment Committee adopted its position on the “EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives”, with 62 votes to 4 and 12 abstentions, to improve biodiversity in Europe.As nature is declining globally at an exceptional rate with one million out of an estimated

eight million species threatened by extinction (IPBES), it’s more and more needed the determination in the EU Biodiversity Strategy to ensure that by 2050 the world’s ecosystems are restored, resilient, and adequately protected. However, it’s strongly to regret that the European Union has not achieved the 2020 biodiversity objectives and the new strategy must adequately tackle all five main drivers of change in nature: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of organisms; climate change; pollution, and invasive alien species. There is a need to mobilise 20 billion EUR per year for biodiversity action in Europe.

A call for a “Paris agreement” for biodiversity at the UN conference in October 2021, which will set the global biodiversity course until 2030 and beyond is vital. 30% of EU land and marine areas have to be protected. While the EU has the world’s largest network of protected areas, an EU Nature Restoration Plan is still needed. At least 30% of the EU’s land and sea must be protected by 2030 and at least a third of these areas, including all remaining EU primary and old-growth forests, should be strictly protected and left essentially undisturbed. National targets should take into account differences in geographical size and share of natural areas.

A favourable conservation status should be achieved for all protected species and habitats and at least 30% of those that do not currently have it should become favourable or show a strong positive trend in that direction. It’s an imperative duty for the EU to lead efforts to end commercial trade in endangered species and their parts. The set-up of a European Platform for Urban Greening and binding targets on urban biodiversity such as a minimum share of green roofs on new buildings and prohibiting the use of chemical pesticides is another essential .

It more and more important to oppose the reauthorisation of glyphosate after 31 December 2022 and act for the EU Pollinators Initiative to be urgently revised to include an ambitious EU-wide pollinator monitoring framework with clear objectives and indicators to stop the decline of bees and other pollinators, which are crucial for the environment and food security. Last but not least, it’s necessary to get an EU Biodiversity Law similar to the EU Climate Law, to set the governance framework until 2050 in order to protect biodiversity, including binding targets for 2030 with a law to protect and use soil sustainably with a plan to jointly address the climate and biodiversity crises.