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Environmental information systems
By the end of 2022, protected areas covered 26.1% of European Union land, with 18.6% of EU land designated as Natura 2000 sites and 7.5% under other complementary national designations. The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 sets out a target of protecting at least 30% of EU land by 2030, while ensuring that all protected areas are managed effectively. The area reported as protected has steadily increased since 2011, by 1.8 percentage points, yet there are no signs of growth in the last years. It is currently uncertain whether the EU will meet the 30% target, unless rate of designation of protected areas more than doubles by 2030.
Figure 1. Coverage of protected areas in the EU-27 land area in 2011-2022
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Protected areas benefit species, ecosystems, and the environment. They provide significant economic and societal benefits, including employment opportunities, contribute to human health and well-being, and have significant cultural value. Historically, protected areas have taken many forms and have been established for different purposes, such as protecting wild game resources, preserving natural beauty and, more recently, safeguarding biodiversity.
The EU's protected areas are highly diverse, varying in size, aim, and management approach. They are large in number – over 100,000 sites in total – but mostly small in size, with an overall protected surface of 1,079 million km2. This reflects the high pressure on land use, arising from agricultural intensification, transport and urban development, and the increasing competition for land for production of renewable energy and biofuels.
Designation of protected areas is an important policy tool to halt biodiversity decline. One target of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 is to legally protect and effectively manage a minimum of 30% of EU land by 2030. The CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework also includes a similar coverage target. Based on Member States reports, 26.1% of EU land was protected by the end of 2022, with 18.6% of EU land designated as Natura 2000 sites – areas protected under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives – and 7.5% as other complementary national designations.
While the area reported as protected has steadily increased since 2011 (by 1.8 percentage points), it has not done so in recent years and presently, it is rather uncertain whether the EU will meet the 30% target. For this to occur, the rate of designation of protected areas is required to more than double by 2030.
The designation of protected areas is not a guarantee of biodiversity protection, as their management is a decisive factor in achieving conservation aims. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information on how effectively these areas are managed. A well-connected and effectively managed network of protected areas is a pre-condition to prevent species and habitats being lost. This requires building an ecologically coherent network that ensures both spatial and functional connectivity within countries and across borders. Member States will need to establish appropriate conservation objectives and measures as well as consistent monitoring for all the existing and future sites to achieve this.
Figure 2. Terrestrial protected area coverage by country and in the EU-27 by end of 2022
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The environmental diversity of Europe’s countries and biogeographical regions is matched by the diversity in its protected areas. By the end of 2022, nine Member States had designated more than 30% of their land area as protected (Figure 2): Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Five EU Member States with 15% or less of protected areas will need to significantly intensify their efforts to reach the target .
While Natura 2000 is the backbone of the protected areas network in the EU, it is complemented by additional areas designated at national level. The different patterns among Natura 2000 and other national designations reflect the diversity of historical, geographical, administrative, political and cultural circumstances and the management regime. However it is clear that the designation of Natura 2000 sites has significantly increased protected areas in Europe.
Protected areas coverage in non-EU EEA member countries and cooperating countries varied hugely by the end of 2022. Many countries will need to strongly increase their efforts to reach the target for protected areas adopted as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
In addition, Figure 2 shows the contribution of the Emerald network of sites, established under the Bern Convention, to protect species and habitats in those countries.