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State of nature in the EU

Publication Created 20 Aug 2020 Published 19 Oct 2020
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This report describing the state of nature in the EU is based on reports from Member States under the Birds (2009/147/EC) and the Habitats (92/43/EEC) directives and on subsequent assessments at EU or EU biogeographical levels. In addition to an overview on species and habitats status, both at national and EU levels, it also addresses the status of the Natura 2000 network and its possible contribution to the status of species and habitats. Finally, the report provides results on progress towards Targets 1 and 3 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy.
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Publication Created 20 Aug 2020 Published 19 Oct 2020
EEA Report No 10/2020
This report describing the state of nature in the EU is based on reports from Member States under the Birds (2009/147/EC) and the Habitats (92/43/EEC) directives and on subsequent assessments at EU or EU biogeographical levels. In addition to an overview on species and habitats status, both at national and EU levels, it also addresses the status of the Natura 2000 network and its possible contribution to the status of species and habitats. Finally, the report provides results on progress towards Targets 1 and 3 of the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy.

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  • Corrigendum: this version corrected a typo on the percentage of 'exploitation of species' - from 18 % to 13 % - in Figure 4.1.

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Figures used

Improvements across EU Biogeographical Regions The map shows the biogeographical and marine Regions for EU28 countries.
Spatial diversity of habitats covered by the Habitats Directive (marine habitats are excluded) The map shows the number of terrestrial ART17 habitats reports per 10x10km GRID cells (2013-2018)
Total area of Natura 2000 sites This map is a cartogram that distorts the geometry of regions to convey specific information by resizing. The bottom left box refers to the Macaronesian islands (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands). It only includes terrestrial Natura 2000 sites for EU-28 (SPAs, SACs, SCIs and proposed SCIs).
Number of Natura 2000 sites This map is a cartogram that distorts the geometry of regions to convey specific information by resizing. The box on the bottom left refers to the Macaronesian islands (Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands). It only includes terrestrial Natura 2000 sites for EU-28 (SPAs, SACs, SCIs and proposed SCIs).
Spatial distribution of habitats conservation status trends at Member State level represented in a 10 x 10 km grid The map shows an index of conservation status trends of habitats calculated on a 10 x 10 km distribution grid
Biogeographical and marine regions in the EU The map shows the biogeographical and marine regions for EU-28 countries.
Number of reported wintering taxa per country This map is a cartogram that distorts the geometry of regions to convey specific information by resizing. Here, the size of the country shows the number of reported species in relation to the country size. The map do not show all species appearing in a country. Thus, the map shows the reporting result rather than the species diversity of a country. The box on the bottom left refers to the Macaronesian islands (Azores, Madeira and Canary islands). Romania has not reported and is therefore not included in the map.
Natura 2000 Network (terrestrial and marine areas) The map shows the Natura 2000 sites (version 2018) for EU28 countries.
Spatial diversity of species covered by the Habitats Directive (marine species are excluded) The map shows the number of terrestrial ART17 species reports per 10x10km GRID cells (2013-2018)
Spatial distribution of species conservation status at Member State level represented in a 10 x 10 km grid The map shows an index of conservation status of species calculated on a 10 x 10 km distribution grid
Spatial distribution of habitats conservation status at Member State level represented in a 10 x 10 km grid The map shows an index of habitat conservation status calculated on a 10 x 10 km distribution grid.
Spatial distribution of species conservation status trends at Member State level represented in a 10 x 10 km grid The map shows an index of conservation status trends of species calculated on a 10 x 10 km gristribution grid
Number of reported breeding taxa per country This map is a cartogram that distorts the geometry of regions to convey specific information by resizing. Here, the size of the country shows the number of reported species in relation to the country size. The map do not show all species appearing in a country. Thus, the map shows the reporting result rather than the species diversity of a country. The box on the bottom left refers to the Macaronesian islands (Azores, Madeira and Canary islands). Romania has not reported and is therefore not included in the map.
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Distribution of the eight most relevant Level 2 forestry pressures for habitats and species; shown as percentage of pressures within this Level 1 group The figure shows the distribution of the eight most relevant Level 2 forestry pressures for habitats and species

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News and articles

Biodiversity: Three billion additional trees by 2030 – launch of MapMyTree tool Today, the European Commission together with the European Environment Agency (EEA), are publishing a data tool — MapMyTree — for all organisations to join the pledge of planting three billion additional trees by 2030, register and map their planted trees to count the EU target. As part of the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 commits to planting at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030, in full respect of ecological principles. This would increase the EU forest area and resilience, enhance biodiversity, and help with climate change mitigation and adaptation.
What is harming Europe’s nature? European nature is suffering the consequences of long-term exploitation and pollution. Nature keeps providing us with food, clothes, medicines, housing, energy and other resources, but ecosystems and many plants and animals are in decline, sometimes being pushed to extinction. What are the human activities that harm nature the most and how can we stop and reverse current biodiversity loss?
Latest evaluation shows Europe's nature in serious, continuing decline Unsustainable farming and forestry, urban sprawl and pollution are the top pressures to blame for a drastic decline in Europe’s biodiversity, threatening the survival of thousands of animal species and habitats. Moreover, European Union (EU) nature directives and other environmental laws still lack implementation by Member States. Most protected habitats and species are not in good conservation status and much more must be done to reverse the situation, according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) ‘State of nature in the EU’ report, published today.

Related briefings

Scaling nature-based solutions for climate resilience and nature restoration Wider application of nature-based solutions (NBS) to climate change adaptation would deliver multiple societal benefits and contribute to biodiversity conservation. However, there is limited experience scaling solutions beyond local contexts. The lack of standardised methods for assessment and monitoring of NBS is a major challenge for replicating and applying them at a wider scale. This briefing looks into applied assessment frameworks and the scaling potential of selected NBS, and how they may contribute to ecosystem restoration outside protected areas.
How pesticides impact human health and ecosystems in Europe Food production systems in Europe rely on chemical pesticides to maintain crop yields. However, widespread pesticide use is a major source of pollution — contaminating water, soil and air, driving biodiversity loss, and leading to pest resistance. Human exposure to chemical pesticides is linked to chronic illnesses such as cancer, and heart, respiratory and neurological diseases. This briefing summarises the latest knowledge on how chemical pesticides impact human health and the environment, and presents good practices to reduce their use and risk across Europe.
European forest ecosystems: key allies in sustainable development European forests are vital to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 15 and 6, related to life on land, and clean water and sanitation, respectively. Insights into the current state of European forest ecosystems, drivers of societal demands and other pressures, and their governance are essential for effective management and decision-making at local, regional and European levels. This briefing outlines the main characteristics of forests in Europe today and some key trends around their extent and condition.

See also

Ecosystems introduction This section of the zero pollution monitoring assessment examines available knowledge and trends in pollution and associated impacts on ecosystems. In addition to this summary assessment page there are sub-sections providing more detailed analysis on freshwater pollution, marine pollution, air pollution and soil pollution impacts on ecosystems. A collection of ‘Signals’ is also provided which highlight emerging issues and other available knowledge on pollution of ecosystems.
Cross-cutting story 5: Co-benefits of addressing climate change and pollution This cross-cutting story examines the measures being taken to address climate change and pollution. It also explores the potential synergies and trade-offs between measures designed to address these two key societal issues.

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