Preparation of Finland’s national commitments related to the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy

Goals and results

In the project, proposals will be prepared for commitments that describe how Finland intends to promote the achievement of the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy concerning the development of the network of protected areas and safeguarding and improving the status of species and habitats listed in the annexes to the Habitats and Birds Directives. The Commission requires that the commitments are prepared during 2022. Finland is currently preparing the commitments and will give them to the Commission in 2023.

The first commitment concerns the ways how the Member States will promote the common EU target to protect 30% of the land and sea area and to designate 10% of this to strict protection. This includes the strict protection of the remaining primary and old-growth forests. The second commitment concerns actions by the Member States to ensure the conservation status of species and habitats in the annexes to the Habitats and Birds Directives and, in addition to this, actions by which the conservation status of 30% of them will be improved.