Introduction
The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 addresses the on-going biodiversity decline through an EU Nature Protection and Restoration Plan across land and sea, including through the deployment of a truly coherent TEN-N increasing and interconnecting the current network of protected areas. The strategy includes key commitments for 2030 for legally protecting a minimum of 30% of the EU’s land area and 30% of the EU’s sea area and strictly protecting one third of the EU’s protected areas, including all remaining EU primary and old-growth forests. Additionally, setting up and integrating ecological corridors will be important to prevent genetic isolation, allowing for species migration and dispersal, and for maintaining and enhancing healthy ecosystems. This is particularly relevant for increasing resilience of the network with respect to climate change.
Scope
The successful proposal should set out a clear plan to collaborate with national authorities and stakeholders, relevant projects under this call the EU Biodiversity Partnership, the Science Service under HORIZON-CL6-2021-BIODIV-01-19: ‘A mechanism for science to inform implementation, monitoring, review and ratcheting up the new EU biodiversity strategy’ as well with the EU Natura 2000 Biogeographical Process which will be the main forum for discussion of the targets between the Commission, Member States and stakeholders. To this end, proposals should include dedicated tasks and dedicate appropriate resources for coordination measures, and, where possible, foresee joint activities and joint deliverables. The successful proposals should provide knowledge to Convention on Biological Diversity (e.g. SBSTTA/SBI) and to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services processes where relevant. Projects should ensure that all evidence, data and information will be accessible through the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity.
Objectives
– Development of a coherent and resilient trans-European nature network of protected areas, by supporting Member States on the key commitments for protecting at least 30% of EU land area, and strictly protecting at least 10% of EU land area.
– Setting up of ecological corridors – within and outside the network – to prevent genetic isolation, allowing for species migration including the response to climate change, and maintaining and enhancing healthy ecosystems, and delivering multiple ecosystem services.
