Nature restoration

What is the state of nature today?

Nature in the EU is severely declining. Species populations and the natural areas they inhabit are shrinking and degrading, leading to serious consequences for people and the planet.

The EU has been protecting nature for decades through the birds and habitats directives, which safeguard over 1 200 rare and threatened species and over 27 000 natural areas.

Despite these efforts and some limited improvements, however, the 2025 assessment of the state of the EU's environment by the European Environment Agency portrayed an alarming scene.

A number of factors are exerting pressure on ecosystems and species populations, including:

• habitat loss
• over-exploitation of natural resources
• climate change
• pollution
• invasive species

Why is restoring nature key?

Nature depends on essential interrelations between species and their habitats. It is a fine balance which ensures a healthy and well-functioning natural environment.  

When nature is off balance, ecosystems degrade and lose their ability to deliver vital services necessary for human life, such as:

• supplying nutritious food
• producing oxygen
• providing natural resources
• absorbing CO₂ and mitigating climate change

What nature provides for free

food for humans and animals

fertile soil

raw materials

mental health benefits

fresh water

medicines

Nature is the foundation of the world's economy. Over half of global GDP is dependent on materials and services that are delivered by ecosystems. For example, raw materials are key for industry and construction, and genetic resources are needed in farming and medicine.

Restoring nature means supporting the recovery of degraded or destroyed ecosystems by improving their structure and functions, with the overall goal of improving resilience and biodiversity in nature.

Healthy ecosystems can ensure, among other things:

• increased agricultural productivity
• greater resilience to climate change
• improved biodiversity
• reduced risk of floods, droughts and heat waves

How will EU countries restore nature?

EU countries within the Council have adopted a nature restoration law, which aims to return nature and ecosystems to good conservation condition.

These rules are the first ever focused specifically on the recovery of nature in EU member states.

The rules aim to set a binding target at EU level, which requires member states to put in place effective restoration measures to cover at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030. By 2050 measures will have to be in place for all ecosystems in need of restoration.

The target builds on the international commitment undertaken by the EU and its countries as a party to the global convention on biological diversity. A landmark agreement to restore terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030 was reached at the United Nations biodiversity summit in December 2022.

• Council approves conclusions for UN biodiversity summit in Montreal (COP15) (press release, 24 October 2022)

The nature restoration law concerns:

• degraded land and sea habitats
• pollinators
• agricultural ecosystems
• urban areas
• rivers and floodplains
• forests

Some exemptions to the restoration rules apply for areas used for the purpose of national defence and for renewable energy projects.

Degraded land and sea habitats

The new rules aim to restore habitats in EU countries that are in poor condition. This concerns ecosystems in land, coastal, marine and freshwater habitats.

The goal is to put in place restoration measures for at least 30% of these habitats EU-wide by 2030. Efforts should be continued to cover 60% of the habitats by 2040 and 90% by 2050.

The measures to be established and implemented by member states should favour connectivity between habitats, that is ensuring that habitats are to the greatest possible extent interlinked, so as to allow wildlife to move between them.

Pollinators

Wild bees are the best know pollinators. Nonetheless, other insect species also contribute to pollinating flowers, which is crucial for ensuring that crops can grow. Almost €5 billion of the EU’s annual agricultural output is directly attributed to insect pollinators.

The new rules aim to reverse pollinator decline and increase populations by 2030.

Pollinators in Europe include butterflies, beetles, bees, hoverflies, moths and wasps.

Agricultural ecosystems

As in the case of pollinators, agricultural productivity depends on healthy ecosystems.

Impoverished soil and degraded agricultural ecosystems have a more limited ability to produce food. Today, up to 73% of agricultural land experiences soil degradation.

The nature restoration law aims to enhance biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems. In particular, the goal is to restore and increase the populations of:

• grassland butterflies
• farmland birds

Over 50% of grassland butterflies have been lost since 1991.

In addition, EU member states have to take measures to:

• restore 30% of drained peatlands under agricultural use by 2030, and 50% by 2050 (a lower percentage can apply for countries that are heavily affected) 
• enhance the carbon stock in mineral soils
• increase high-diversity landscape features on agricultural land (such as hedgerows, flower strips, fallow land, ponds and fruit trees)

Restoration measures are essential to face threats to food security. It is fundamental to enhance biodiversity and increase sustainability in agriculture in order to ensure food production in the medium to long term. As an example, using natural pest control and reducing reliance on chemical fertilisers increases the nutrient richness of soils and improves the health of ecosystems.

Urban areas

Urban ecosystems represent 22% of the EU's land surface. Parks, gardens, trees and meadows are important habitats for plants, birds and insects.

With the new rules, the EU aims to increase green spaces in cities, towns and suburbs. The targets ensure:

• no net loss of green space by 2030, compared to the year when the nature restoration rules enter into force (unless the urban environment has already 45% of green space)
• an increase in the amount of tree cover in cities

Rivers and floodplains

Europe’s rivers contain more than one million man-made barriers, such as dams, weirs and ramps.

Free-flowing rivers allow the movement of water, sediment, fish and other organisms, and are key to improving the condition of EU waters and enhancing biodiversity.

The new rules aim to remove many of the existing barriers in EU rivers, in order to ensure greater continuity in river networks.

As data about river barriers is still scarce, one of the goals of the new rules is to develop an inventory of barriers that are present across the EU.

The focus of removal efforts is on obsolete and unused barriers.

Forests

Forests, which cover nearly 40% of EU territory, are essential to climate change mitigation, as they act as carbon sinks and also host much of Europe’s biodiversity.

The new restoration rules aim to enhance biodiversity in forests.

To this end, EU countries have to improve the state of forests through specific indicators that help measure the health of forests ecosystem. This includes measuring:

• the amount of deadwood, which provides a habitat to many forest organisms and contributes to soil formation
• the number of bird species

In addition, member states have to contribute to the planting of at least three billion trees by 2030 at the EU level.

The restoration rules in practice

The nature restoration law requires EU countries to develop national restoration plans. These plans should define the restoration measures required to meet the binding targets set in the law and specify the total area to be restored, as well as a timeline.

The restoration plans should cover the period up to 2050. The measures should be aligned with other relevant legislation, such as rules on nature protection, renewable energy and agriculture.

Examples of restoration measures include:

• removing non-native plants on grasslands, wetlands and in forests
• rewetting drained peatlands
• improving connectivity between habitats
• stopping or reducing the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers
• promoting wilderness preservation

The regulation requires the Commission to review and assess the application of the rules and their impacts on the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, as well as its wider socio-economic effects in 2033. 

The Council adopted the nature restoration law in June 2024, following the European Parliament's adoption in February of the same year.

• Nature restoration law: Council gives final green light (press release, 17 June 2024)

See also