European Commission launches public consultation to restore Europe’s ecosystems
25/02/2021
Restoring Europe’s damaged ecosystems will help to increase biodiversity, mitigate and adapt climate change and prevent and reduce the impacts of natural disasters. This is one of the key elements of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the European Green Deal. To this end, the European Commission has launched an online public consultation, which will serve as an impact assessment to support the development of the EU’s nature restoration objectives, and to assess their potential environmental, social and economic impacts. Views and ideas from the public and stakeholders will contribute to the impact assessment and will be presented by the end of 2021.
The consultation is open to any interested public or private organisation or individual until 5 April. The views of bodies and individuals involved in biodiversity management, restoration and protection, or affected by different aspects of EU biodiversity policy, such as all levels of government and management authorities, non-governmental organisations, academia, consultancy, land managers, planners and developers, industry, business and representatives of the financial sector, will be particularly welcome.
The purpose of this consultation is to gather information and feedback from stakeholders and the wider public on the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and on the application of the EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species, as well as to inform the Impact Assessment that will underpin the Commission’s proposal for binding EU nature restoration targets.
Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius recalls: “Human activities have significantly altered three quarters of the Earth’s lands and two thirds of oceans in recent decades, destabilising our climate and our natural life support systems. Restoring natural ecosystems is a triple win for nature, climate and people. It will help solve the biodiversity crisis, tackle climate change and reduce the risks of future pandemics. It can also stimulate recovery in a post-pandemic world, creating jobs and sustainable growth”.
