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By the end of 2023, protected areas covered 26.4% of European Union land, with 18.6% of EU land designated as Natura 2000 sites and 7.8% 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 the pace of designation needs to more than double for the EU to meet the 30% target.
Figure 1. Coverage of protected areas in the EU-27 land area in 2011-2023
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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 landscape 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 1,090 million km2. This reflects the high pressure on land use, arising from agricultural intensification, transport and urban development.
The designation of protected areas is important to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. 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, 26.4% of EU land was protected by the end of 2023, with 18.6% of EU land designated as Natura 2000 sites – areas protected under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives – and 7.8% as other complementary national designations.
While the area reported as protected has steadily increased since 2011 (by 1.8 percentage points), it remains uncertain whether the EU will meet its 30% target. For this to occur, an additional 3.6% of the EU's land area would need to be protected, an area larger than the size of Greece.
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 spatially robust, well-connected and effectively managed network of protected areas is a pre-condition to prevent species and habitats being lost. This requires building a network of protected areas that ensures both ecological coherence and connectivity within countries and across borders. To achieve this, Member States would need to establish appropriate conservation objectives and measures for all existing and future sites and ensure their consistent monitoring.
Figure 2. Terrestrial protected area coverage by country and in the EU-27 by the end of 2023
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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 2023, nine Member States had designated more than 30% of their land area as protected: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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 2023. Many countries will need to increase their efforts to help 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.