EU Biodiversity Strategy
Overview Summary
The EU Biodiversity Strategy is a key pillar of the European Green Deal, designed to protect and restore nature and put Europe’s biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030. The strategy aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, strengthen the EU’s global leadership on nature protection and support a sustainable, resilient economy. It also serves as a foundation for the EU’s stance in international biodiversity negotiations.
Scope of Coverage
The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 has EU‑wide geographic and thematic coverage, targeting both land and sea areas across all EU Member States. It commits to legally protecting at least 30% of the EU’s land and sea areas, forming a coherent, EU‑wide network of protected sites.
The strategy covers all major ecosystems within EU boundaries and affects the respective sectors:
– Agriculture
– Forestry
– Fisheries
– Urban planning
– Pollution and pesticide reduction policies
– Energy
– Mining and extraction
– Infrastructure and construction
Affected Entities
The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 impacts a broad spectrum of economic and social actors operating in land and sea use, resource extraction, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, urban planning and supply chains:
– Large companies operating in land, sea or natural resources use due to the requirements on reduced pollution and pesticide use, sustainable sourcing and restoration and conservation requirements in their supply chains
– Small to medium-sized enterprises active in sectors tied to biodiversity-sensitive activities
– Importers and exporters of natural-resource-intensive goods
– Retailers, operators and traders in the agri-food sector
Applicability & Compliance Timeline
Overall applicability period: 2020–2030:
2020 → The strategy was adopted, but its targets and compliance milestones are phased toward 2030.
2024 → The Commission assessed whether the EU is on track to meet the 2030 biodiversity targets, and may propose stronger actions or legislation if progress is insufficient in the future.
2030 → 30% of EU land and 30% of EU sea will be legally protected, with one‑third of protected areas strictly protected.
What This Means for Companies
The strategy requires wide-ranging changes across agriculture, forestry, fisheries and supply‑chain practices. These changes mean companies will need to reduce their impacts on land, water and ecosystems to align with targets such as lowering pesticide use, restoring habitats and sourcing materials sustainably. To demonstrate compliance, companies will increasingly need robust environmental data—including evidence of sustainable sourcing, biodiversity‑friendly land management and progress toward restoration or pollution‑reduction targets. MCS supports in mapping biodiversity risks across operations and supply chains, gathering baseline ecological data and developing transition plans.
Status
Adopted
Key Links
EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM:4459196
EU Biodiversity Strategy Website: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en