About: EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy

NGOs call for moratorium on controversial ‘gene drive organisms’

After over 78 environmental and agricultural organisations signing a letter this week calling for a moratorium on gene drive technology, EURACTIV took a closer look at the controversial technology to find out about what it is and the implications it holds.

Industrial agriculture linked to insect collapse, says new report

Insect populations are plummeting across the world because of industrial farming and heavy pesticide use, and this decline is a threat to food production, warned a new report released on Tuesday (9 June).

From 10% to 30×30 – no time to waste for marine biodiversity

The EU's new Biodiversity Strategy will increase the EU’s network of marine protected areas, writes Virgilius Sinkevicius

Brussels bares teeth with launch of new biodiversity plan

The European Commission is getting tough on biodiversity with a new set of “nature restoration targets” announced for publication next year, which the EU executive says will be strictly enforced.

Forests are crucial for building resilience in a post COVID-19 world

The Commission's new Biodiversity Strategy shows how forests are crucial for building resilience in a post COVID-19 world, writes Giulia Bondi.

Human impact on wildlife to blame for spread of viruses, says study

Hunting, farming and the global move of people to cities has led to massive declines in biodiversity and increased the risk of dangerous viruses like COVID-19 spilling over from animals to humans, a major study has concluded. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.

NGOs criticise Commission over CAP impact on biodiversity

Environmental NGOs have accused the European Commission of "greenwashing" and cherry-picking positive messages from an EU-funded independent evaluation study about the impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on habitats, landscapes and biodiversity.

DG AGRI backs new breeding techniques for pest management

Tasos Haniotis, the deputy director-general at European Commission's DG AGRI, views new breeding techniques as a way to manage pests in agriculture, according to a leaked document seen by EURACTIV.com.

Romanian national parks and forest at risk

Romania hosts the largest remains of natural and old growth forests in the whole of the EU. However, they are not on the safe side yet, writes Luc Bas.

Human society under urgent threat from loss of Earth’s natural life

A landmark UN report published yesterday (6 May) reveals 1 million species are at risk of extinction, with agriculture and fishing the primary causes of the deterioration, which also threatens humankind. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.

Private sector is part of the solution in bioeconomy, experts say

The private sector has a key role to play in promoting bioeconomy in the agrifood sector, high-level experts have told EURACTIV.com. However, they said the risk of depriving the food production system of organic resources must be weighed up.

The bioeconomy in the post-2020 CAP

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Over 18 million people across the EU were employed in the bioeconomy in 2015 – mainly in the agriculture, food and beverage sectors, according to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre.

EU must prioritise nature in its next long-term budget

The future of Europe is at stake as European leaders meet this week. Now is the opportunity to safeguard European biodiversity, writes Luc Bas.

The Sustainable Blue Economy: EU’s actions must match its words

As global leaders met at the world’s first Sustainable Blue Economy conference this week, the EU must face the sobering reality of the state of our ocean and stand by its commitments to sustainably protect and effectively manage Europe’s seas before it’s too late, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

American lobster ‘not invasive’, US tells Sweden

Canada and the United States on Monday (6 June) rejected Swedish calls for a ban on imports of live American lobsters, saying fears of an invasive species displacing its European cousin are unsubstantiated.

Commission’s ‘green’ CAP questionable, study says

The implementation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2014-2020 is not as “green” as the European Commission is claiming, a new study has found.

Forests: An underused toolbox for enhancing climate resilience

World leaders have to find new ways of tackling the climate issue. One of the answers might be to integrate nature conservation efforts, such as restoring forest landscapes, writes Luc Bas.

Implementation of EU nature legislation needs to be stepped up

Europe is set to miss its target on biodiversity conservation for 2020. It is now becoming clear that there is a disconnect between what the Directives intend, and what is happening on the ground, writes Luc Bas.

New CAP must face biodiversity challenge

The new “greener” Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) could help the EU meet its objective of halting biodiversity loss by 2020, the Commission has told EURACTIV, after its own review showed there had been no significant progress towards stopping environmental destruction.   

Wildlife populations in freefall: A call for action

The need to preserve the ecosystems on which human prosperity depend is well accepted by the environmental community, but is still not clear to corporate CEOs, national leaders, and the public at large, writes Luc Bas.