Ecosystems

Priority 4: Restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems dependent on agriculture and forestry

Pressures on the environment are still very prevalent. For example, only 17 % of EU habitats and 11 % of ecosystems are considered to be in a ’favourable‘ state, nutrient surpluses persist in some water bodies (despite progress in others), and 45 % of EU soils suffer from problems of quality. These challenges need to be remedied and the positive environmental contributions of farming and forestry should be strengthened.

Areas of Intervention:

• Restoring and preserving biodiversity (including in Natura 2000 areas and areas of high nature value farming) and the state of European landscapes
• Improving water management
• Improving soil management