The Communication on the “European Green Deal” released by the European Commission in December 2019 is a positive step towards integrated efforts to protect natural resources and biodiversity. Wetlands International welcomes this effort and calls the EU for an additional step forward by committing to draft and approve a Nature Restoration Plan for Europe, in which wetlands have a prominent place.
In January 2020, the European Commission launched a public consultation to collect feedback on its Roadmap to ‘Safeguarding nature – EU 2030 biodiversity strategy’. Wetlands International’s feedback focused on three recommendations for the EU:
1. The Biodiversity Strategy 2030 can and should recognise the importance of wetlands and prioritise actions to protect, restore and sustainably manage these ecosystems;
2. The EU should commit to adopt a Nature Restoration Plan linked to a nature investment plan aimed at helping Member States and communities to shift to a new way of living, working with and thinking of nature, in particular wetlands;
3. The Roadmap does not envisage any further public or stakeholder consultation on the strategy before the Commission will publish the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy. We urge the Commission to organise a proper public/stakeholder consultation on the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy before its publication.
Please read our full submission here.