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The Council had an exchange of views and adopted conclusions on the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.

Following the Environment Council conclusions of June 2011, endorsing the Strategy as proposed in the Commission's communication, the present conclusions constitute the second political response of the Council, intervening in the context of ongoing negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020 and at a time when other EU policies which are relevant to the achievement of the EU biodiversity headline target by 2020 - in particular the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy and the Cohesion Policy – are undergoing a reform process.

Without prejudging the outcomes of these negotiations, the Council stressed the need to integrate biodiversity concerns into all EU and national sectoral policies, in order to reverse the continuing trends of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. It confirms the importance of mobilising both EU and national financial resources from all possible sources as appropriate, including innovative financial mechanisms, in order to ensure adequate levels of funding towards meeting biodiversity objectives for example by providing incentives to attract private sector investments.

The conclusions concern in particular the measures required to reach the main objectives of the Strategy:

Target 1: Fully implement the Birds and Habitats Directives: the Council encourages the Member States to complete, in a timely manner, the establishment of the Natura 2000 network, develop and implement management plans or other equivalent instruments which set out conservation objectives, as well as if appropriate, restoration measures for Natura 2000 sites, including in the marine environment, thereby establishing a solid basis for strategic planning with a view to the subsequent implementation of the MFF 2014-2020.

Target 2: Maintain and Restore Ecosystems and their Services: the Council stresses the need of maintaining, restoring as far as feasible and enhancing ecosystems and their services. They call on the Commission to consider, within the scope of the Green Infrastructure Strategy under preparation, among others, the following issues:

• possible scope and key components of GI;
• possible framework for GI implementation based on existing experience, particularly in spatial planning, including coastal;
• methodological issues related to GI, including with regard to spatial connectivity between protected areas and basic requirements for the delivery of the necessary ecosystem services;
• options to integrate GI in existing policy instruments and importance of GI in terms of climate change adaptation;
• identifying opportunities for financing GI;
• communication and promotion of GI targeting different stakeholders and sectors, and in particular local authorities.

The Council stresses the importance of ensuring appropriate funding at EU and Member States level for maintenance and restoration of ecosystems and their services. It agrees that a common approach is needed for the implementation in the EU of the ‘no net loss’principle.

Target 3: Increase the contribution of Agriculture and Forestry to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity: the Council encourages conservation and sustainable use of all genetic resources, especially genetic resources for food, agriculture and forestry. It calls on the Member States to encourage the widespread adoption and implementation of Forest Management Plans or equivalent instruments, inter alia, through effective application of rural development measures, and stresses the importance to include in forest management plans or equivalent instruments appropriate measures for conservation and recovery of protected species and habitats within as well as beyond Natura 2000 areas.

Target 4: Ensure the sustainable use of Fisheries Resources: the Council supports the ongoing efforts to protect and sustainably use of fish populations and aquatic genetic resources in seas and inland waters, including aquaculture. It calls on the Commission and Member States to strengthen efforts for the collection of scientific data on fish populations, where these are deficient, in order to provide stronger scientific advice.

The Member States are called upon to make sure that their activities comply with the requirements for achieving favourable conservation status of species and habitats in the Birds and Habitats Directives as well as for achieving good environmental status of the marine environment in accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Target 5: Combat Invasive Alien Species (IAS): the Council reiterates the need for an EU strategy on IAS including a dedicated legislative instrument on IAS by 2012, which should consider all aspects of the challenge posed by IAS, including their identification and prioritisation, control and eradication as well as management of their pathways following a risk-based approach and in a proportionate and cost-effective manner.

Target 6: Help Avert Global biodiversity loss: the Council considers it necessary for the Commission and Member States to develop specific initiatives to reduce the negative impacts on natural resources of the EU consumption and production patterns, and to ensure that biodiversity concerns are systematically reflected in all relevant trade agreements concluded by the EU, where appropriate, and in the Union's development cooperation actions and programmes.

The Commission is called upon to:

• include, as part of its work to reform, reorient and/or eliminate environmentally harmful subsidies by 2020, criteria for identification of subsidies harmful to biodiversity at EU level, and to prepare a road map for the achievement of this objective, taking into account the specificities of each Member State;
• deliver on the commitments made at the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10) in Nagoya;
• present a proposal, based on the results of the impact assessment and as regards matters falling within EU competence, for the timely ratification and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation on behalf of the EU in preparation for the first Meeting of the Parties;
• continue promoting a common approach to nature conservation in the whole EU territory, including Member States' outermost regions and overseas territories which are home to several important global biodiversity hotspots.

Lastly, the Council invites the Commission to develop and agree with Member States a common implementation framework to underpin the effectiveness of the Strategy. It calls on the Commission to report back on the progress on the development of the common implementation framework to the Council in early 2012.

PURPOSE: to provide a framework for action to enable the EU to reach its 2020 biodiversity target and set it on the right path to attain the 2050 vision.

BACKGROUND: biodiversity loss is the most critical global environmental threat alongside climate change — and the two are inextricably linked.

Current rates of species extinction are unparalleled. Driven mainly by human activities, species are currently being lost 100 to 1000 times faster than the natural rate: according to the FAO, 60% of the world's ecosystems are degraded or used unsustainably; 75% of fish stocks are over-exploited or significantly depleted and 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost worldwide since 1990.

An estimated 13 million hectares of tropical forests are cleared each year and 20% of the world’s tropical coral reefs have already disappeared, while 95% will be at risk of destruction or extreme damage by 2050 if climate change continues unabated.

In the EU, only 17% of habitats and species and 11% of key ecosystems protected under EU legislation are in a favourable state. This is in spite of action taken to combat biodiversity loss, particularly since the EU 2010 biodiversity target was set in 2001.

The EU mandate: in March 2010, EU leaders recognised that the 2010 biodiversity target would not be met despite some major successes, such as establishing Natura 2000, the world’s largest network of protected areas. They therefore endorsed the long-term vision and ambitious headline target proposed by the Commission in its Communication ‘Options for an EU vision and target for biodiversity beyond 2010’.

• 2050 vision: by 2050, European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides — its natural capital — are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity's intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided.
• 2020 headline target: halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss.

The global mandate: the tenth Conference of the Parties (CoP10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), held in Nagoya in 2010, led to the adoption of a global Strategic Plan for biodiversity 2011-2020, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation (ABS Protocol), and a strategy to mobilise resources for global biodiversity. The EU 2020 biodiversity strategy responds to both mandates, setting the EU on the right track to meet its own biodiversity objectives and its global commitments.

CONTENT: this strategy is aimed at reversing biodiversity loss and speeding up the EU's transition towards a resource efficient and green economy. It is an integral part of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and in particular the resource efficient Europe flagship initiative.

The 2020 Biodiversity strategy includes six mutually supportive and inter-dependent targets that respond to the objectives of the 2020 headline target. Each target is broken down into a package of actions designed to respond to the specific challenge addressed by the target.

Target 1: Conserving and restoring nature: to halt the deterioration in the status of all species and habitats covered by EU nature legislation and achieve a significant and measurable improvement in their status so that, by 2020, compared to current assessments: (i) 100% more habitat assessments and 50% more species assessments under the Habitats Directive show an improved conservation status; and (ii) 50% more species assessments under the Birds Directive show a secure or improved status.

Target 2: Maintaining and enhancing ecosystems and their services: this target incorporates the global target agreed by EU Member States and the EU in Nagoya to restore 15% of degraded ecosystems by 2020.

Target 3: Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture, forestry and fisheries:

• Agriculture: by 2020, maximise areas under agriculture across grasslands, arable land and permanent crops that are covered by biodiversity-related measures under the CAP so as to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and to bring about a measurable improvement in the conservation status of species and habitats that depend on or are affected by agriculture and in the provision of ecosystem services as compared to the EU2010 Baseline, thus contributing to enhance sustainable management.
• Forests: by 2020, Forest Management Plans or equivalent instruments, in line with Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), are in place for all forests that are publicly owned and for forest holdings above a certain size (to be defined by the Member States or regions and communicated in their Rural Development Programmes) that receive funding under the EU Rural Development Policy so as to bring about a measurable improvement in the conservation status of species and habitats that depend on or are affected by forestry and in the provision of related ecosystem services as compared to the EU 2010 Baseline.

Target 4: Ensuring the sustainability of fisheries: the aim is toachieve Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2015. Achieve a population age and size distribution indicative of a healthy stock, through fisheries management with no significant adverse impacts on other stocks, species and ecosystems, in support of achieving Good Environmental Status by 2020, as required under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Target 5: Combating invasive alien species: by 2020, Invasive Alien Species and their pathways are identified and prioritised, priority species are controlled or eradicated, and pathways are managed to prevent the introduction and establishment of new IAS.

Target 6: Addressing the global biodiversity crisis: the EU has pledged to meet the international 2020 biodiversity goals and objectives agreed to under the CBD. This requires taking action within the EU, but also at global level since the EU derives significant benefits from global biodiversity and is at the same time responsible for some of the loss and degradation that occurs beyond its borders, notably due to its unsustainable consumption patterns. Through this strategy, targeted efforts will strive to alleviate pressure on biodiversity emanating from the EU while contributing to greening the economy in line with EU priorities for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The EU will also need to meet specific COP10 commitments relating to resource mobilisation and implement the Nagoya Protocol on ABS if it is to continue to lead international biodiversity policy.

Follow-up: this strategy provides a framework for action to enable the EU to reach its 2020 biodiversity target and set it on the right path to attain the 2050 vision. It will be subject to a mid-term review in early 2014, so that results can feed into the preparation of the EU’s fifth National Report as required under the CBD. The targets and measures will be reconsidered as new information becomes available and progress is made on the objectives set in the strategy.

Because many of the actions taken today to safeguard biodiversity and enhance our natural assets will take a long time to bring about real improvements, implementation of this strategy needs to begin now for the EU to meet its 2020 headline target.