The European continent is home to a wealth of habitats and species — both land-based and marine. Centuries of human activities, however, have taken a toll on Europe’s biodiversity. Our nature has been transformed and heavily impacted, with most of Europe’s species and habitats facing an uncertain future unless urgent and more ambitious action is taken.
Despite some progress, most protected habitats and species have either poor or bad conservation status. Destruction of habitats, overexploitation of resources, pollution, climate change, the introduction of invasive species, urban sprawl and landscape fragmentation are only some of the reasons behind this decline, which affects terrestrial and aquatic species, their habitats and ecosystem services.
The good news is that there are signs of recovery in some areas thanks to ongoing efforts to reduce certain impacts, such as those caused by contaminants, eutrophication and overfishing in marine ecosystems.
Awareness of the importance of biodiversity is also growing and many initiatives and policies are already in motion. Both the number and area of protected sites under the EU’s Natura 2000 network have increased. With new legislation like the Nature Restoration Law, Europe wants to strengthen its efforts not only to preserve and protect but also to restore Europe’s nature.