ABSTRACT
In May 2011 the European Commission and Council adopted the “Communication for the Implementation of a Biodiversity Strategy to 2020” (European Commission [EC], 2011), in line with the time lines to meet the Aichi targets of the Convention of Biodiversity (CBD, 2010). The Headline target for 2020 states “Halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the European Union (EU) by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss.” The Strategy translates this central objective into six specific targets, “Conserving and restoring nature,” “Maintaining and restoring ecosystems and their services,” “Sustainable agriculture and forestry,” “Sustainable fishery,” “Combatting invasive alien species,” and “Addressing the global biodiversity crisis” and 20 concrete actions to achieve them.
