Biodiversity

To put biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030, the EU Commission proposed to step up the protection and restoration of nature by improving and widening the network of protected areas and by developing an ambitious EU Nature Restoration Plan.
As privileged observers and custodians of Europe’s nature, landowners are particularly impacted by the progressive disappearance of numerous species and habitats in the area where they are living and working. Like every citizen, and even before reaching its climax in the public opinion, many land managers were conscious of the necessity of a transformative change towards a more nature-based land management. The imperative of making a living in low-margin land-based activities (farming and forestry) in an era of rapid technical change meant that it has taken time to realise the negative side effects of some activities. At this point of our economic development landowners are of course ready to reshape how they manage land to embrace nature-based approaches to a higher degree and to try and restore lost natural capital.

ELO welcomes with great interest the new strategy of the European Commission. We recognise the intention of inclusiveness with all stakeholders and, when working alongside the institutions to halt the loss of biodiversity, we believe that no sustainable solution leading to reintroduce biodiversity could be achieved without landowners and efficient land management.

The full statement is available on the ELO site : https://www.europeanlandowners.org/