92/43/EEC Habitats Directive
The Habitats Directive protects over a thousand species and 230 habitat types, aiming to maintain or restore them to a favorable conservation status in the EU. Adopted in 1992, it requires Member States to implement strict protections for species listed in Annex IV, prohibiting actions like deliberate capture, disturbance during key life stages, and habitat destruction. This framework ensures long-term recovery and sustainability of Europe’s biodiversity.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/habitats-directive_en
EUR-Lex – 31992L0043 – EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu)
Annex II: Animal and plant species of community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation
Annex IV: Animal and plant species of community interest in need of strict protection
79/409/EEC – Birds Directive
The Birds Directive protects all naturally occurring wild bird species in the EU and their vital habitats, ensuring their long-term recovery and sustainability. Established in 1979 and amended in 2009, it mandates Member States to maintain or restore bird populations by prohibiting deliberate capture, significant disturbance during breeding, and destruction of nests and eggs. This legislation is essential for safeguarding Europe’s avian biodiversity.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/birds-directive_en
EUR-Lex – 32009L0147 – EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu)
Protects all naturally occurring wild bird species on EU territory
Annex I: species that are subject of special conservation measures concerning their habitat:
(a) species in danger of extinction;
(b) species vulnerable to specific changes in their habitat;
(c) species considered rare because of small populations or restricted local distribution;
(d) other species requiring particular attention for reasons of the specific nature of their habitat.
Similar measures for regularly occurring migratory species
Zoos Directive
Protecting wild animal species beyond their natural habitats is crucial for biodiversity conservation, and the Zoos Directive plays a vital role in this broader legislative framework. Established by Directive 1999/22/EC, the directive aims to enhance the conservation of wild animal species by reinforcing the role of zoos in biodiversity efforts. It requires Member States to implement licensing and inspection measures to ensure zoos comply with essential conservation practices. While EU countries are responsible for enforcement, there is limited EU oversight. For guidance, stakeholders can refer to the Good Practices document to support implementation of the directive’s requirements.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/zoos-directive_en
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A31999L0022
Zoos have to:
- Participate in research from which conservation benefits accrue to the species
and/or provide training in relevant conservation skills
and/or exchange information relating to species conservation
and/or, where appropriate, take part in captive breeding, repopulation or reintroduction of species into the wild
- Promote public education and awareness in relation to the conservation of biodiversity, particularly by providing information about the species exhibited and their natural habitats
Supporting Better Implementation of the Zoos Directive
The EU project “Supporting Better Implementation of the Zoos Directive,” carried out by VetEffecT and Milieu from 2019 to 2022, aimed to enhance the effectiveness of the Zoos Directive. These stakeholder meetings served as a platform for discussing challenges and solutions identified during the Directive’s evaluation, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise. Topics covered included good practices in licensing, conservation contributions of zoos, and the importance of public awareness.
For inspiration about EU species projects and cooperation with authorities/NGOS, you can find the zoos meetings’ documents on CIRCABC:
Second meeting is here: https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/6aefcdfb-b297-410b-be9f-74baf2750868/library/7ee951ad-cb8d-4f7f-8d06-b1157d4b302b?p=1&n=10&sort=modified_DESC
EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
The EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 is an ambitious and long-term plan aimed at protecting nature and reversing ecosystem degradation. It sets forth specific actions and commitments to restore Europe’s biodiversity by 2030, contributing to the upcoming global post-2020 biodiversity framework and supporting a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy also focuses on enhancing resilience to future threats, including climate change, forest fires, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks, by protecting wildlife and combating illegal wildlife trade. Key actions include expanding the EU’s network of protected areas, particularly by enlarging existing Natura 2000 sites to ensure strict protections for areas with high biodiversity and climate value.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/biodiversity-strategy-2030_en
- Ensure no deterioration in conservation trends and status of all protected habitats and species by 2030, listed under the Habitats and Birds Directive
- Ensure that at least 30% of species and habitats not currently in favourable status are in that category or show a strong positive trend.
Nature Restoration Law
The Nature Restoration Law represents a groundbreaking, continent-wide initiative under the EU Biodiversity Strategy, focusing on binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, particularly those capable of capturing carbon and mitigating natural disasters. With over 80% of Europe’s habitats in poor condition, the law aims to rejuvenate ecosystems across land and sea, ensuring the long-term recovery of diverse and resilient nature. It also supports the EU’s climate goals and international commitments. By restoring wetlands, rivers, forests, grasslands, and marine ecosystems, the law seeks to enhance biodiversity, provide essential ecosystem services, limit global warming to 1.5°C, and bolster Europe’s resilience against natural disasters and food security threats.
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/nature-restoration-law_en
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022PC0304
Species conservation status under the EU nature directives are publicly available:
- Article 17 biogeo level (Habitats Directive): nature-art17.eionet.europa.eu/article17/species/summary/
- Article 17 national level (Habitats Directive): nature-art17.eionet.europa.eu/article17/species/report/
- EU Red Lists:The European Red List of Threatened Species – European Commission (europa.eu)
Suggested priorities for species to reach 30% improvement target
biodiversity_nature – Library (europa.eu)
- Highest immediate risk of extinction at national or EU level, due to unpredictable (“stochastic”) events that may affect their last remaining populations. Identified by combining information from the reporting under Article 17 with information from the European Red List of species.
- Species for which a Member State has a higher responsibility compared with other Member States, using country-level indicators such as: “proportion of global or EU occurrence” , “within-species level of genetic diversity
- Umbrella effect on biodiversity: species the improvement of which would have positive impacts on other species (incl. endemic or red-listed species not covered by the EU nature directives).
- „Low-hanging fruit“ approach: prioritizing species based on their higher likelihood to show, on the basis of relevant measures taken, (at least) a strong positive trend by 2030. Such an approach may prioritize, for example, species with successfully ongoing conservation programs, the continuation of which is likely to lead to further improvements by 2030.
- dashboard for the pledges on the BDS 30% Protected Areas (PA) target: Workbook: PA per biogeographical region (europa.eu)
IUCN Commission Statement on the role of botanic gardens, aquariums, and zoos in species conservation
The IUCN SSC Position Statement highlights the important roles that botanic gardens, zoos, and aquariums play in conserving species and their genetic diversity. It calls on these institutions to maximize their efforts in ensuring the survival of animals, fungi, and plants in the wild, while encouraging the global conservation community to collaborate in addressing biodiversity loss
Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted at COP 15 after four years of consultations and negotiations. This landmark framework supports the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention’s previous strategies, charting a bold path towards a 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature. It outlines 4 key goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.
Implementation of the GBF is backed by decisions from COP 15, including a monitoring framework, financial resources, capacity development strategies, and a global awareness campaign. Nations are now committed to setting and reporting on national targets to achieve these goals. For the official text of the GBF, see decision 15/4.
https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf
GBF Section H. Global targets for 2030
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework includes 23 action-oriented global targets for urgent implementation by 2030. These actions, to be carried out in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity and other international commitments, aim to achieve the framework’s 2050 goals, considering national priorities and socioeconomic conditions
https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets
Biodiversity pledges – conservation status improvements
The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 sets ambitious targets to restore Europe’s natural habitats and species, aligned with the global Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A key goal is to protect at least 30% of Europe’s land and sea by 2030, with 10% under strict protection, allowing for active biodiversity support if needed. Additionally, the strategy aims to improve the conservation status of at least 30% of species and habitats currently in poor condition. EU Member States were expected to submit plans in 2023 detailing how they will meet these voluntary targets.
https://reportnet.europa.eu/public/dataflow/705
EAZA Field Conservation Standards
The EAZA Field Conservation Standards, developed by the EAZA Conservation Committee, outline expectations for EAZA Members’ contributions to in situ species conservation efforts. They provide guidance on planning, managing, financing, and implementing field conservation activities, while also aligning with other EAZA Standards and strategies. The Standards emphasize that conservation efforts should be of high quality and impactful, regardless of the scale of operations, and the EAZA Conservation Committee is committed to supporting members in achieving these goals.
EAZA Conservation database
Wildlife conservation is the primary focus of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and its members, extending beyond ex situ breeding programs to include in situ projects, research, education, advocacy, and habitat protection. The EAZA Conservation Database is an online tool designed to enhance collaboration and communication on conservation initiatives both within and beyond the zoo community.
https://www.eazaconservation.org/ (EAZA members only)