A message assesses the 16 main objectives of the strategy, some of which are further divided into sub-objectives, resulting in a total number of 29 individual sub-goals (sub-goals).

Overall assessment of progress and outlook to 2030:

According to the summary report:

• Progress observed so far:
  • Progress is heading in the right direction for 10 sub-goals.
  • Progress is stagnant for 3 sub-goals.
  • Current trends are going against the desired direction (negative trends) for 2 sub-goals.
  • Progress cannot be evaluated due to lack of data for 14 sub-goals.
• Outlook for fulfillment by 2030:
  • EU is not currently on track to meet any from 13 sub-goalswhich could be evaluated.
  • 9 of these evaluated sub-goals could still be achieved by 2030if the pace of progress will accelerateFor example, the pace of designating new protected areas, converting to organic farming and making fisheries sustainable would need to triple, while the pace of tree planting would need to increase more than 100-fold.
  • 4 evaluated sub-goals it is unlikely to be fulfilled until 2030.
  • View cannot be evaluated due to lack of data for 16 remaining milestones.

Overview of the 29 sub-goals and their evaluation (based on available information in the sources):

The following is a list of the 16 main objectives and their sub-objectives (where indicated) with information on progress and outlook where available in the excerpts provided:

1. Objective 1: Extent of protected areas and trans-European nature network (4 sub-goals)
   • Target 1.1: Legally protect at least 30% of the EU's land area. Progress: Increase the land area coverage of protected areas from 24.3% to 26.1% between 2011 and 2022. Outlook: To meet by 2030, a threefold acceleration in the annual rate of expansion compared to the past decade is needed. (Among 9 that could be met with acceleration).
   • Target 1.2: Legally protect at least 30% of the EU's marine area. Progress: Substantial increase in marine protected area coverage since 2012. Outlook: More than three times the annual rate of expansion over the past 10 years is needed to meet the target by 2030. (Among the 9 that could be met with acceleration).
   • Sub-objective 1.3: Integrate ecological corridors on land (as part of a true trans-European nature network). Progress: The representativeness of the network of protected areas has improved, but the connectivity of natural areas has remained stable. Outlook: The network of protected areas would have to be significantly expanded both quantitatively and qualitatively. (Probably among the 9 that could be achieved with acceleration).
   • Sub-objective 1.4: Integrate ecological corridors at sea (as part of a true trans-European nature network). Progress: Cannot be assessed due to lack of indicators. Outlook: Too early to draw conclusions due to lack of indicators. (Belongs to 14/16 with data deficient).
2. Goal 2: Strict protection (2 sub-goals)
   • Target 2.1: Strictly protect at least a third of EU protected areas (corresponding to 10% of EU land/sea area). Progress: One study estimates the coverage of strictly protected areas on land at 3.4%. Outlook: To reach 10% by 2030, the rate of designation of strictly protected areas must be drastically accelerated. (It is among 9 that could be achieved with acceleration).
   • Target 2.2: Strictly protect all remaining primary and old-growth forests in the EU. Progress: 87% from mapped of primary and old growth forests are under strict protection, but an estimated 4.4 Mha remain unmapped; information is insufficient to assess progress. Outlook: Mapping is unlikely to be completed by 2025; outlook cannot be assessed until extent of strict protection is known. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
3. Objective 3: Effective management of protected areas (1 sub-goal)
   • Progress: No indicator available; too early to track progress. Outlook: Cannot be assessed due to lack of indicators. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
4. Objective 4: Trends and conservation status of habitats and species (5 sub-goals)
   • Target 4.1: By 2030, significant areas of degraded and carbon-rich ecosystems are restored. Progress: No officially approved indicator available; a recent study showed a slight overall decline in soil organic carbon in EU+UK farmland between 2009 and 2018. Outlook: Cannot be assessed due to lack of indicators; despite the negative trend in SOC, the adoption of the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) may help. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
   • Sub-objective 4.2: Habitats do not show deterioration in trends and conservation status. Progress: No officially approved indicator available; the latest State of Nature report (2013-2018) reported that only 43% of habitats of social interest not in good condition had stable or increasing trends. Outlook: Too early to draw conclusions due to lack of recent indicators. (Among 14/16 with data deficient status).
   • Target 4.3: Species do not show deterioration in trends and conservation status. Progress: Common bird indicator shows continued decline in populations. Outlook: It is unlikely but uncertain that common bird populations will stop declining by 2030. (Among 2 with negative trends). (Among 4 unlikely to be met).
   • Target 4.4: At least 30% species that currently do not have a favourable conservation status will achieve a favourable conservation status or at least show a positive trend. Progress: No officially approved indicator available; data from 2013-2018 show that only a small percentage of species in poor/vulnerable status are showing an increasing trend. Outlook: Too early to draw conclusions due to lack of recent indicators. (Among 14/16 with data deficient status).
   • Target 4.5: At least 30% of habitats that currently do not have a favourable conservation status will achieve a favourable conservation status or at least show a positive trend. Progress: No officially approved indicator available; data from 2013-2018 show that only a small percentage of habitats in poor/weak condition show an increasing trend. Outlook: Too early to draw conclusions due to lack of recent indicators. (Among 14/16 with data deficient status).
5. Goal 5: Pollinators (1 sub-goal)
   • Pollinator decline will be reversed. Progress: Grassland Butterfly Index shows linear decline; scientific literature reports declines. Outlook: All available evidence suggests we are not on track to meet target; pollinator decline unlikely to be reversed by 2030. (Among 2 with negative trends). (Among 4 unlikely to be met).
6. Goal 6: Pesticides (2 sub-goals)
   • Target 6.1: The risk and use of chemical pesticides will be reduced by 50%. Progress: No suitable BDS-specific indicator available. Outlook: Outlook cannot be assessed due to the absence of an indicator. (Belongs to 14/16 with data deficient).
   • Target 6.2: The use of more hazardous pesticides will be reduced by 501%. Progress: F2F indicator for use of more hazardous pesticides decreased by 25% (2015-2017 to 2022). Outlook: Unable to assess outlook specifically for biodiversity risk at EU level. (Progress: Probably among 10 heading in the right direction). (Outlook: Among 14/16 with insufficient data for BDS specific assessment).
7. Objective 7: Agricultural land with highly biodiverse landscape features (1 sub-goal)
   • At least 10% of agricultural land has landscape features with high biodiversity. Progress: Share in 2022 estimated at 5.6%; progress cannot be estimated due to lack of data/methodology. Outlook: Outlook cannot be estimated. (Among 14/16 with lack of data).
8. Objective 8: Organic farming and agro-ecological practices (2 sub-goals)
   • Target 8.1: At least 251% of agricultural land is managed under organic farming. Progress: The share of organic farming at EU level has increased from 5.91%3T (2012) to 10.51%3T (2022). Outlook: The pace of transition needs to more than triple to meet the target. (Among 10 heading in the right direction). (Among 9 that could be achieved with acceleration).
   • Target 8.2: The adoption of agroecological practices is significantly increased. Progress: Trends in the adoption of agroecological practices remained stable between 2011 and 2018. Outlook: Significant increases are needed to reach the target in the remaining years. (Among 3 stagnant targets). (Among 9 that could be met with acceleration).
9. Goal 9: Plant three billion additional trees (1 sub-goal)
   • Three billion additional trees to be planted in the EU, while fully respecting ecological principles. Progress: Over 24 million additional trees planted as of January 2025. Outlook: To reach the target by 2030, an annual planting rate more than 100 times higher than that observed so far would be needed. (Among 10 heading in the right direction). (Among 9 that could be achieved with acceleration).
10. Goal 10: Significant progress in the remediation of contaminated soils (1 sub-goal)
    • Progress: As of 2016, 115,000 contaminated sites (8.3% potentially contaminated) had been remediated in the EU; progress varies considerably between countries. Outlook: No data available to assess the outlook. (Progress: Probably among the 10 heading in the right direction). (Outlook: Among the 14/16 with data gaps).
11. Goal 11: Free-flowing rivers (1 sub-goal)
    • At least 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers will be restored. Progress: No indicator available; too early to monitor. Outlook: Too early to monitor based on indicator under development. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
12. Goal 12: Invasive alien species (1 sub-goal)
    • (The exact wording of the sub-objective is missing from the excerpts provided, but it refers to invasive alien species). Progress: No indicator available. Outlook: No data available. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
13. Goal 13: Nutrient Loss (2 sub-goals)
    • Target 13.1: Nutrient losses from fertilizers will be reduced by 50%. Progress: Nutrient concentrations at EU level decreased between 3.2% and 22.4% between 2000 and 2021, depending on the nutrient and the medium. Outlook: The rate of decrease is likely to be insufficient; modelling studies suggest that the 50% nutrient loss reduction target will not be met by 2030. (Among 10 on track). (Among 4 unlikely to be met).
    • Target 13.2: Fertilizer use is reduced by at least 20%. Progress: Inorganic fertilizer consumption has fallen by 7.2% overall since 2012; organic fertilizer consumption has remained stable. Outlook: Projections suggest that the target of reducing fertilizer use by at least 20% by 2030 is unlikely to be met. (Among 10 on track). (Among 4 unlikely to be met).
14. Goal 14: Urban greening plans (1 sub-goal)
    • Cities with at least 20,000 inhabitants have an ambitious plan for urban greening. Progress: No indicator available; early stage of exploration. Outlook: Too early to track. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
15. Goal 15: Marine ecosystems (Name missing from the excerpt provided) (3 sub-goals – number derived from the total number of 29 goals and an explicit list of goals with sub-goals)
    • Sub-goal 15.1: (Name unknown from excerpts). Progress: Data deficient [presumed]. Outlook: Data deficient [presumed]. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
    • Sub-goal 15.2: (Name unknown from excerpts). Progress: Data deficient [presumed]. Outlook: No data available to assess outlook. (Among 14/16 with data deficient).
    • Target 15.3: Good environmental status is achieved. Progress: No relevant indicators available. Outlook: Outlook cannot be assessed. (Belongs to 14/16 with insufficient data).
16. Goal 16: Incidental catches (1 sub-goal)
    • Incidental catches of species are eliminated or reduced to levels that allow for the recovery and conservation of the species. Progress: Available data (with limited scope) suggest that levels of bycatch threaten the long-term viability of most assessed species. Outlook: Difficult to assess; available assessments suggest that reducing bycatch below current levels by 2030 will be at least challenging. (Progress: Likely among 2 or 3 with negative trends). (Outlook: Likely among 9 that could be met with acceleration, but challenging).

The report highlights the need accelerate efforts a improve monitoring capacities, as data gaps prevent progress from being assessed on almost half of the targets. The Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) will continue to work to fill the remaining monitoring gaps. Spring

Glossary of key terms

• EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: The European Union's plan to protect nature, sustainably use natural resources and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
• JRC (Joint Research Centre): The European Commission's Joint Research Centre, which provides scientific and technical support for EU policies.
• EU BDS dashboard (EU Biodiversity Strategy Dashboard): The official tool for monitoring progress towards the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy.
• (Sub)targets: Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound objectives of the EU biodiversity strategy, which can be further broken down for analysis purposes.
• Indicators: Measurable values used to track progress towards (sub)goals.
• Progress achieved so far: Assessment of trends and status relevant to achieving the (sub)goal as of the report date.
• Outlook of meeting them by 2030: An estimate of the probability of meeting the (sub)target by 2030 based on existing trends, modelling, scientific literature or expert opinion.
• Protected areas: Geographically defined areas designated, regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.
• Strictly protect: A higher level of protection within protected areas, often excluding certain human activities in order to preserve natural processes.
• Trans-European Nature Network: The ambition is to create a coherent network of protected areas and ecological corridors across the EU.
• Ecological corridors: Territorial or water belts that connect protected areas and allow for the movement of species and genetic exchange.
• MTA (Mapping and Assessment): Mapping and assessment, often refers to assessing the representativeness of protected areas for different species and habitats.
• Natural area connectivity: The extent to which natural areas in a landscape are interconnected, facilitating the movement of species.
• Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR): EU regulation setting legally binding targets for the restoration of degraded ecosystems.
• Favourable conservation status: The state of a species or habitat at which it is likely to persist as a viable component of its natural distribution area.
• High-diversity landscape features: Features in the agricultural landscape, such as hedgerows, tree lines or small wetlands, that support biodiversity.
• Organic farming: An agricultural system that avoids synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and emphasizes soil health and biodiversity.
• Agro-ecological practices: Agricultural methods that integrate ecological principles to improve sustainability and biodiversity.
• Contaminated soil sites: Areas where the soil is contaminated with harmful substances.
• Remediated sites: Sites where decontamination or restoration has been carried out to remove or reduce pollution.
• Free-flowing rivers: Rivers that are not significantly disturbed by dams, barriers or other obstacles, allowing for the natural flow of water and movement of species.
• Invasive alien species (IAS): Species that have been introduced outside their natural range and have a negative impact on native ecosystems.
• Red List: Global list of threatened species maintained by the IUCN.
• Nutrient losses: The leakage of nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, from agricultural land or other sources into water and air.
• Urban Greening Plan: A plan to increase green spaces and biodiversity in urban areas.
• Sensitive marine species and habitats: Marine species and habitats that are particularly vulnerable to human activities.
• Good environmental status (GES): The objective of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which means that marine waters are ecologically healthy.
• MSFD (Marine Strategy Framework Directive): The EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which sets the framework for the protection of the marine environment.
• By-catch: Unintended catch of non-target species during fishing.
• STAR (Species Threat Abatement and Restoration Metric): A metric used to quantify opportunities to reduce the risk of species extinction through threat management and recovery.