EU Ministers and the Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius participated in a ministerial session and adopted a joint declaration.

Addressing the Conference, Virginijus Sinkevičius said:

Natura 2000 network is now more important than ever. These protected areas ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats, preserving biodiversity and helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change. I warmly welcome today’s declaration demonstrating our reinforced joint commitment to EU biodiversity targets and will work to see this momentum also at the COP 15 on biodiversity.

The Conference held discussions on governance, efficiency, restoration and financing of the network, and the role of the LIFE programme in its successful management. The role of Natura 2000 and the LIFE programme in delivering the European Green Deal was another key topic of discussion, with a particular focus on the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 to put biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030, by expanding and effectively managing protected areas, and stepping up nature restoration.

The Strasbourg Declaration (English, French), signed by Ministers on 25 February 2022, underlines the commitment to significantly strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the Birds and Habitats Directives and to support the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. It supports actions to increase biodiversity mainstreaming and calls for a reflection on the opportunity and possible shape of a funding tool dedicated to biodiversity at European level. Ahead of the crucial COP 15 meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Declaration calls on parties and organisations to join one of the major global coalitions (High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People or the Global Coalition United for Biodiversity) working to raise awareness about the need to protect biodiversity and recalls the commitment to build on the Natura 2000 network and ensure that all ecosystems in Europe and globally are restored, resilient and sufficiently protected by 2050.

Read more:

• • EC Press Release 25 February 2022
  • Strasbourg Declaration 25 February 2022