1.3 Protected areas

This briefing highlights the growth of protected areas on land and sea, including Natura 2000 sites under the EU’s Birds and Habitats directives, national laws and the Bern Convention. These areas are vital for protecting species, ecosystems and the environment, simultaneously providing significant economic and societal benefits. They create jobs, enhance public health and hold cultural importance. Their growing role underscores their value, with future efforts aiming to continue their expansion and manage them effectively.

Key policies

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and the Birds and Habitats directives, help meet requirements set by international agreements such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022), the Bern Convention (1979) and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sectoral policies such as the Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, common fisheries policy and common agricultural policy also play a key role in supporting these agreements' biodiversity and environmental goals.

Past trends (10-15 years)

Improving trends/developments dominate

Over the past 10 to 15 years, the total area of protected land and sea has grown slowly but steadily. On land, coverage rose from 24.3% in 2011 to 26.1% in 2022 (Figure 1). In marine areas, growth has been more substantial, doubling from under 5.9% in 2012 to 12.3% today (2022) (Figure 2). This expansion has been driven by commitments under consecutive EU biodiversity strategies; the previous (to 2020) and the current (to 2030) strategy with its aim for a 30% protection coverage by 2030. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework mirrors this 30% target, which represents a substantial increase on the Aichi biodiversity targets of 17% for land and 10% for marine areas. Natura 2000 site designation has been a key factor in this growth, often resulting from assessments of the network’s sufficiency. There has also been a steady increase in sites designated under national legislation. Challenges remain regarding mechanisms and methods to assess how effective these sites are in achieving their conservation objectives: just over 3% of protected areas provide assessment reports to the global database on management effectiveness.

Outlook (10-15 years)

Trends/developments expected to show a mixed picture

Over the next 10 to 15 years, the pace of protected area designation must increase to meet the ambitious 30% land and sea coverage targets set by EU and global biodiversity strategies for 2030. Progress on land has been slow, with only a 1.8% increase in protected areas over the past 12 years (marine area protection has grown faster). The gap to the 30% target remains significant. Achieving this target is possible, as several countries have committed to the effort, but it will require a significant increase in designation rates compared to the past decade.

Beyond expanding the areas, it is essential to ensure that protected sites are effectively managed to meet conservation goals. There needs to be increased attention given to repeatedly evaluating how protected areas perform in terms of meeting their conservation objectives. Future policies are expected to exceed the 30% target, and emphasise the parallel need for effective management and ecological integrity. This balance of quantity and quality will be critical to achieving long-term biodiversity goals.

Prospects of meeting policy targets, 2023/2050

2030 Partially on track to meet targets/highly uncertain

The pace of protected area designation has been steady but is insufficient to meet the EU and Global Biodiversity Strategy targets of 30% land and sea coverage by 2030. A significant increase in pace is needed. On land, the gap is less than 4%, but progress has been slow. In marine areas, growth has been quicker, though the gap is larger (17.7%). Accelerating designations and focusing on improving management practices are crucial to achieving 2030 protection and biodiversity goals. The new EU Nature Restoration Regulation prioritises restoring habitats within Natura 2000 sites by 2030, with the intent that this focus helps improve protected area quality in the EU.

2050 No specific policy targets

Robustness

This assessment used long-term data on the coverage of nationally-designated, protected areas in the 32 EEA member countries and six cooperating countries (EEA-38) and EU candidate countries, as well as comparable data on the Natura 2000 and Emerald networks. However, consistent and comprehensive information is lacking on the effectiveness of conservation measures across Europe’s network of protected areas, with just over 3% of protected areas submitting assessment reports to the global database on management effectiveness. Available outlook information, including data contained in pledges made by protected areas, is limited, meaning that the assessments of the outlook and prospects for achieving protected area goals rely primarily on expert judgement.

Charts/maps

Figure 1. Terrestrial protected area coverage in the EU-27, 2011-2022

Figure 2. Marine protected area coverage in the EU-27, 2012-2022