Biodiversity protection must be included in all EU policy, says Greens

(EurActiv, 15 Jan 2021) The test for the EU’s biodiversity strategy will be whether all EU legislation matches its ambition on nature protection, Green lawmakers argued in an environment committee debate about the strategy on Thursday (14 January).

“The real test is going to be whether all European Union policies follow this biodiversity protection line,” said Ville Niinistö, shadow rapporteur for the Greens.

“The new call of having 10% of the EU budget by 2026 for biodiversity protection is one big step towards actually achieving that,” he added.

The Commission’s biodiversity strategy includes spending aims for biodiversity, including €20 billion per year for nature and 10% of the EU’s seven-year budget to be spent on biodiversity objectives from 2026.

“This strategy is our compass for making sure that our policies contribute to biodiversity, to preventing the loss of biodiversity, stopping the loss of biodiversity or at the very least making sure that we do no harm in what we do elsewhere,” said Karolina D’Cunha, deputy head of biodiversity at the Commission’s environment department.

The strategy also includes proposals for legally binding protections on 30% of land and sea, with 10% strictly protected. The Parliament supported these targets, and wants to make them legally binding.

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EurActiv, 15 Jan 2021: Biodiversity protection must be included in all EU policy, says Greens