4 
 
efforts are needed and the EU itself needs to do more and better for natur e and build a 
truly coherent Trans-European Nature Network.  
Enlarging protected areas is also an economic imperative. Studies  on marine systems 
estimate that every euro invested in marine protected areas would generate a return of at 
least €319. Similarly, the Nature Fitness Check20 showed that the benefits of Natura 2000 
are valued at between €200-300 billion per year. The investment needs of the network are 
expected to support as many as 500,000 additional jobs21. 
For the good of our environment and our eco nomy, and to support the EU’s recovery 
from the COVID-19 crisis, we need to protect more nature. In this spirit, at least 30% of 
the land and 30% of the sea should be protected in the EU . This is a minimum of an 
extra 4% for land and 19% for sea areas as compared to today22. The target is fully in line 
with what is being proposed 23 as part of the post -2020 global biodiversity framework 
(see Section 4).  
Within this, there should be specific focus on areas  of very high biodiversity value or 
potential. These are the most vulnerable to climate change and should be granted special 
care in the form of strict protection24. Today, only 3% of land and less than 1% of marine 
areas are strictly protected in the EU. W e need to do better to protect these areas. In this 
spirit, at least one third of protected areas – representing 10% of EU land and 10% of 
EU sea – should be strictly protected . This is also in line with the proposed global 
ambition.  
As part of this focus  on strict protection, it will be crucial to define, map, monitor and 
strictly protect all the EU’s remaining primary and old -growth forests25. It will also 
be important to advocate for the same globally and ensure that EU actions do not result in 
deforestation in other regions of the world. Primary and old-growth forests are the richest 
forest ecosystems that remove carbon from the atmosphere, while storing significant 
carbon stocks. Significant areas of other carbon -rich ecosystems, such as peatlands, 
grasslands, wetlands, mangroves and seagrass meadows should also be strictly protected, 
taking into account projected shifts in vegetation zones.  
Member States will be responsible for designating the additional protected and strictly 
protected areas26. Designations should either help to complete the Natura 2000 network 
or be under national protection schemes. All protected areas will need to have clearly 
defined conservation objectives and measures. The Commission, working with Member 
                                                 
19  Brander et al. (2015), The benefits to people of expanding Marine Protected Areas.  
20  Fitness Check of the EU Nature Legislation (SWD(2016) 472). 
21  Member States’ Prioritised Action Frameworks 2020; Mutafoglu et al. (2017), Natura 2000 and Job s: 
Scoping Study. 
22  Latest EU -27 statistics ( European database of nationally designated protected areas ) v. 2019, and 
Natura 2000 dataset ‘end 2018’ . Today, 26% of the EU’s land area is already protected, with 18% as 
part of Natura 2000 and 8% under national schemes. Of EU seas, 11 % are protected, with 8% in Natura 
2000 and 3% under additional national protection. To note: offshore wind projects will be possible if in 
compliance with relevant environmental and nature protection legislation. 
23  Zero draft of the post -2020 global biod iversity framework  (CBD/WG2020/2/3), available at 
https://www.cbd.int/conferences/post2020/wg2020-02/documents. 
24  Strict protection does not necessarily mean the area is not acce ssible to humans, but leaves natural 
processes essentially undisturbed to respect the areas’ ecological requirements.  
25  https://www.cbd.int/forest/definitions.shtml; Natura 2000 and Forests. 
26  Additional Natura 2000 designations will be implemented with support from EU funds and  
enforcement as appropriate.