Joint to that, recommendations for the post 2020 EU Biodiversity Strategy, on the opening day of the EU Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: a common agenda to 2020 and beyond conference.

Today, 23 May, the members of the European Habitats Forum (EHF) published their assessment on the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and joint recommendations for the post 2020 EU Biodiversity Strategy, on the opening day of the EU Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: a common agenda to 2020 and beyond conference.
 
It is evident that the EU is set to fail its 2020 target to halt biodiversity loss. Both the 2015 Mid-term evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the recently published 2019 IPBES Global Assessment confirmed the continuing decline of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU and globally. Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history and unless this negative trend is stopped, we will not be able to fulfil commitments to address climate change and to achieve sustainability.  

The main reasons the EU is failing to halt biodiversity loss have been known for a long time and they remain the same: 1) The insufficient implementation of existing nature, water and marine legislation; 2) The lack of ownership and mainstreaming with other sectors and policies; 3) The lack of resources and continuation of perverse subsidies.