The 5th EUBP Meeting took place on 24-25 April 2024
In 2024, the European Commission (EC) organised five EU Biodiversity Platform (EUBP) meetings, including an ad hoc session on biodiversity financing and subgroup meetings on green infrastructure, monitoring & assessment, and marine topics.
BioAgora observers participated in each session, contributing with valuable insights. Below is a summary of the main policy topics discussed during these meetings.
Key updates discussed at the meeting
- New Environmental Crime Directive: Enters into force on 20 May, and envisions stricter law enforcement, recognition of citizens’ role, and development of organizational capacities;
- Forest Strategy 2030: This legislation was adopted in November 2023, but requires new parliament negotiation. It envisions a greater emphasis on balancing remote-sensing and field-based monitoring;
- European Environmental Accounts:Member states must report to the EC their ecosystem accounts from 2026 onward. Focus on ecosystem size, state, and services with monetary indicators requested by policymakers;
- Nature Restoration Law (NRL): Process of adoption currently blocked, but it is expected to be revisited by the presidency before the term ends;
- Soil Monitoring Law: Currently, there is a debate on the level of ambition of the proposed legislation;
- European Biodiversity Observation Centre (EBOC): €5 million allocated for a pilot project on terrestrial and marine habitats. Call for proposals to be published in the third quarter of 2024;
- DG Clima Update: Need for biodiversity-linked climate adaptation, emphasizing risk management and nature-based solutions. EU and Member States to adopt strategies guided by scientific knowledge. Identified 36 key climate risks, including biodiversity impacts.
- National Biodiversity Strategies: France, Ireland, and Luxembourg approved ambitious and innovative strategies. Highlighted need for research focused on policy needs and effective translation of scientific knowledge to policy.
- KCBD and Future Science Service: Developing a ticketing system for knowledge-for-policy requests. Emphasis on multiscale knowledge provision.
- Butterfly Conservation Success Story: Successful citizen engagement in data collection leading to policy change (butterfly index included in the dashboard);
- DG ENV Capacity Development: Technical support to Member States through yearly cycles and upcoming flagships for 2024.
On 17 April, the Monitoring & Assessment subgroup convened to discuss the monitoring framework for the targets outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy, in alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework. The meeting concentrated on the development and implementation of biodiversity indicators, emphasizing the necessity of establishing mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and reviewing these indicators. The discussions also highlighted the importance of ensuring Europe’s actions are directly related to the Global Biodiversity Framework, with an eye towards readiness for the upcoming COP16 in Colombia.
The Working Group for Green Infrastructure held a session on 24 March. During the meeting, participants reviewed the 2013 EU EU Green Infrastructure Strategy, evaluating its current relevance and alignment with newer policies such as the Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the upcoming Nature Restoration Law. The 2019 review of the strategy’s implementation, which highlighted both its strengths and weaknesses, was discussed. Working group members identified a pressing need for enhanced support and capacity building in funding, financing, and procuring urban nature-based solutions for regional and local administrations. Additionally, they emphasized the necessity of defining satisfactory levels of urban ecosystems and establishing related targets and indicators that consider both the extent and quality of green areas.
The second ad hoc session on biodiversity financing was held on 19 March. Policy officers from the EC’s Recovery and Resilience Task Force presented future implementations of the ‘Do-No-Significant Harm’ (DNSH) principles and shared practical lessons from the ground. They discussed the application of the DNSH principle under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, as outlined in a report published by the Bankwatch Network in December 2023. The report on EU Green Budgeting indicated that biodiversity actions are relatively limited, with a stronger focus on climate actions. DG Environment presented EU guidance on identifying non-energy environmentally harmful subsidies, with guidelines for member states expected by summer 2024. France showcased their approach to reforming biodiversity-harmful subsidies, evaluating each state budgetary expense based on six environmental objectives.
Additional information and materials about the EUBP’s meetings are available on the CIRCABC platform here.