text: efforts are needed and the EU itself needs to do more and better for nature 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 economy, 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 proposed23 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. We 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. 