3 
 
build on the headline ambition to ensure that by 2050  all of the world’s ecosystems are 
restored, resilient, and adequately protected. The world should commit to the net-gain 
principle to give nature back more than it takes. As part of this, the world should commit 
to no human-induced extinction of species, at minimum where avoidable.  
This strategy sets out how Europe can help make this happen. As a milestone, it aims to 
ensure that Europe's biodiversity will be on the path to recovery by 2030  for the 
benefit of people, the planet, the climate and our economy, in line with the 2030 Agenda 
for Sustainable Development and with the objectives of the Paris Agreement on Climate 
Change. It addresses the five main drivers of biodiversity loss, sets out an enhanced 
governance framework to fill remaining gaps, ensures the full implemen tation of EU 
legislation, and pulls together all existing efforts. This strategy is enterprising and 
incentivising in spirit and action. It reflects the fact that protecting and restoring nature 
will need more than regulation alone . It will require action by citizens, businesses, 
social partners and the research and knowledge community, as well as strong 
partnerships between local, regional, national and European level. This strategy is in line 
with the ambitions and commitment set out in President von der Leyen’s Political 
Guidelines and in the European Green Deal.  
Adopted in the heart of the COVID -19 pandemic, this strategy will also be a central 
element of the EU’s recovery plan. It will be crucial to prevent and build resilience to 
future zoonosis outbr eaks and to provide immediate business and investment 
opportunities for restoring the EU’s economy.  
All n ew initiatives and proposals will be underpinned by the Commission’s better 
regulation tools. Based on public consultations and on the identification of the 
environmental, social and economic impacts, impact assessments will contribute to 
ensuring that all initiatives achieve their objectives in the most effective and least 
burdensome way and live up to a green oath to “do no harm”. 
2. PROTECTING AND RESTORING NATURE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION  
The EU has  legal frameworks, strategies and action plans to protect nature and restore 
habitats and species. But protection has been incomplete, restoration has been small -
scale, and the implementation and enforcement of legislation has been insufficient17. 
To put biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030 , we need to step up the protection 
and restoration of nature. This should be done by improving and widening our network 
of protected areas and by developing an ambitious EU Nature Restoration Plan.  
2.1. A coherent network of protected areas 
Biodiversity fares better in protected areas. However, the current network of legally 
protected areas, including those under strict protection, is not sufficiently lar ge to 
safeguard biodiversity. Evidence shows that the targets defined under the Convention on 
Biological Diversity are insufficient to adequately protect and restore nature 18. Global 
                                                 
17  Mid-term review of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020  (COM(2015) 478 and SWD(2015) 187); 
Fitness Check of the EU Nature Legislation (Birds and Habitats Directives ) (SWD(2016) 472); Fitness 
Check of the EU Water Legislation (SWD(2019) 439). 
18  The global Aichi biodiversity targets are that protected areas should cover 17% on land and 10% at sea, 
while scientific studies’ figures range from 30% to 70%. See e.g. IPBES 2019.