The map shows the distribution of fragmentation classes across Europe. Classes represent the number of meshes per 1 000 km2. Light colours mean less fragmentation pressure and dark colours mean higher fragmentation pressure of urban and transport infrastructure expansion.
Natura 2000 is the key instrument to protect biodiversity in the European Union. It is an ecological network of protected areas, set up to ensure the survival of Europe's most valuable species and habitats. Natura 2000 is based on the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive. This version covers the reporting in 2018.
Corine Land Cover 2006 (raster 100m) - version 16 clipped by Ireland country
The CORINE Land Cover (CLC) inventory was initiated in 1985 (reference year 1990) to standardize data collection on land in Europe to support environmental policy development. Updates were produced in 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018. Change layers were produced for 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018.
Data Visualization
20 Dec 2018
Data Visualization
28 Nov 2018
Indicator Assessment
27 Jul 2018
Land recycling is still low in all European countries: on average, land recycling accounted for only 13.5 % of total land consumption in European cities in the 2006-2012 period.
The land use densification process, i.e. when land development makes maximum use of existing infrastructure, accounts for the largest proportion of land recycling (10 % of total land consumption). However, in most countries, land take dominates over densification in total land management with the exception of Finland and France.
Grey recycling, i.e. internal conversions between residential and/or non-residential land cover types, is secondary to densification, ranging from 14 % to less than 1 % of total land consumption. Land take predominates over grey recycling in total land management in all countries.
Green recycling, i.e. the development of green urban areas using previously built-up areas, is an important trend that reverses soil sealing, but it is a marginal process in all countries and, on average, it accounts for only 0.2 % of total land consumption.
GIS Map Application
24 Jul 2018
This web map application enables the user to visualise the land recycling indicator for each of the Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) by entering the name of a city in the search window. When clicking the city of interest on the map, the following statistics are displayed in a window: land recycling as a percentage of total land consumption and the three components of land recycling (densification, grey recycling and green recycling) as a proportion of land take. For the three land recycling components, values above 1 indicate that the particular land recycling component predominates over land take. Values below 1 indicate that land take predominates over the particular land recycling component. For a complete overview, consult our interactive data viewer (see assessment text).
Indicator Assessment
26 Apr 2018
Large parts of Europe are highly fragmented because of transport infrastructure and urban expansion.
The Atlantic and Continental biogeographical regions show by far the highest degree of fragmentation in Europe. Around 50 % of the Atlantic region and 40 % of the Continental region are highly fragmented. The area with the lowest fragmentation covers less than 10 % of these regions. In the Alpine, Macaronesian and Arctic biogeographical regions, less than 3 % of the area is highly fragmented.
The Benelux countries are the most fragmented in Europe. In Luxembourg 93 % of the country is highly fragmented, while in Belgium the figure is 80 % and in the Netherlands 67 %. In eastern European countries, in the Mediterranean and in Ireland and Scotland the fragmenting pressure of urban and transport expansion is considerably weaker.
Around 35 % of the cultivated areas, almost 30 % of grasslands and around 12 % of forests are under great fragmentation pressure. In contrast, close to 50 % of the area covered by mires, bogs, fens, heathland, scrub and tundra ecosystems are under low pressure by fragmentation. The forest ecosystems in the Alpine region are under the lowest pressure from fragmentation in Europe.
All over Europe and in all the biogeographical regions, the fragmentation pressure is lower inside Natura 2000 sites than in their surrounding areas.
Although cities and strongly populated areas are generally most fragmented in Europe, 50 % of sparsely populated regions e.g. in France and the Netherlands, are under great fragmentation pressure as well.
GIS Map Application
12 Jan 2018
Classes represent the number of meshes per 1 000 square kilometres. Light colours mean less fragmentation pressure and dark colours mean more fragmentation pressure exerted by urban and transport infrastructure expansion.
Progress in the management of contaminated sites between 2006 and 2011, expressed per management step and against established targets where relevant
Document Actions
Share with others