Nature priorities for the new EU Mandate: Proposals from the European Habitats Forum for the European Commission and Parliament

During the 2019-2024 mandate of the European Commission, tackling biodiversity loss and ecosystem destruction was recognized as a political priority of the EUs flagship Green Deal. Despite the historic adoption of the Nature Restoration Law and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Agreement, the changing geopolitical landscape threatens to derail nature protection and restoration across the EU. Nature legislation is being framed as an obstacle to food and energy security, leading to calls for deregulation.

Reckless calls for a ‘pause’ in further environmental action and deregulation will only push nature and our economies closer to the brink of collapse, as the costs of inaction continue to rise.

We call on EU decision-makers to respond to the urgency of the interlinked crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution by implementing a strengthened European Green Deal to achieve a nature positive Europe by 2030.