Assessing progress in monitoring and implementing the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030

The aim of this science for policy report is twofold. First, it presents the state of play and the next steps in developing a monitoring framework for the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (EU BDS). Second, it provides an overview of progress made in implementing the EU BDS to date, as well as an assessment of the likelihood of reaching its targets by 2030. It mobilises various data sources – the official EU BDS and other policy-relevant progress monitoring tools, scientific literature and expert opinions – to provide a state of play of key achievements and remaining gaps in both monitoring and implementing the EU BDS as we approach its mid-term mark. Almost half of the actions are completed; the remaining half are mostly in progress, and a few are delayed. Indicators are published to track progress towards more than 40 % of the EU BDS targets and, with the notable exception of those on the state of biodiversity, the EU is showing progress in the right direction towards most of the evaluated targets; however, the pace of progress needs to accelerate massively to reach the 2030 targets. Further effort and engagement with the scientific community is needed to fill the remaining monitoring gaps, while a better implementation of the environmental policies would be necessary to meet the maximum of targets by 2030.