More than 80 percent of the European Union's natural habitats are in poor or bad condition and more must be done to protect them, the European Environment Agency (EEA) warned in a report Monday.
The report, which covers the period 2013-2018, shows a deterioration from the 2007-2012 period when 77 percent of natural habitats were in "unfavourable" condition.
"We clearly need a large-scale restoration in Europe," one of the authors of the report, EEA expert Carlos Romao, told reporters.
"This is a must not only for biodiversity but also for the climate change agenda," he said.
Common farmland species such as the skylark, and habitats such as wet heaths, are declining across the continent.
Habitats and species are facing numerous pressures, including intensive agriculture, urban sprawl coupled with tourism and recreation unsustainable forestry activities, and pollution, among others.
Climate change, with increasing drought and decreasing rainfall, also poses a challenge.
In the six-year study, the EAA registered over 67,000 types of human activities that harmed the environment in the 28 EU member states, including Britain.
Less than half of bird species in the EU, 47 percent, have a "good" conservation status, five percentage points fewer than in the previous 2007-2012 reporting period.
Habitats important to pollinators are another area of concern, as they are crucial to the planet's biodiversity. Their conservation status has deteriorated more than others, the report showed.
But the conclusions are not all dire.
The number of animal species whose conservation status was "good" was 27 percent, which, while low, was four percentage points higher than in the previous study.
And conservation efforts are paying off.
Natural habitats covered by the EU's Natura 2000 network are doing better than other habitats, the EEA said.
As a result, a number of species and habitats have improved, such as the agile frog in Sweden, coastal lagoons in France and the bearded vulture across the EU.
The areas protected by Natura 2000 covered 18 percent of EU land, unchanged from 2012, and 10 percent of marine areas, up by four percentage points.
Danish environmental group Noah, a member of the "Friends of the Earth" umbrella organisation, said however that this was not enough.
"At least 30 percent of land and 30 percent of marine areas in the EU should be protected by law, and environmental corridors should be made a part of a real trans-European nature network," it said in a study in early October.
AFP RELAXNEWS
Tue Oct 20 2020
Habitats and species are facing numerous pressures, including intensive agriculture, urban sprawl coupled with tourism and recreation unsustainable forestry activities, and pollution, among others. -AFPRelaxpic
'Kekurangan maklumat mekanisme rasionalisasi subsidi antara punca sentimen pengguna lemah'
Kekurangan maklumat mengenai rasionalisasi subsidi dilihat antara penyebab mengapa sentimen perbelanjaan pengguna berkemungkinan kekal lemah selain inflasi yang tinggi.
Tarikh akhir pengemukaan e-Borang Tahun Taksiran 2023 dilanjutkan ke 15 Mei
Ia meliputi pembayar cukai kategori Individu Pemastautin dan Individu Bukan Pemastautin.
Tahun kelima kempen 'We Care for Society’ Hada Labo terus bantu golongan terpinggir
RM50,000 disumbangkan dengan kerjasama Watsons Malaysia kepada Women of Will (WOW) dan Perstuan Kechara Soup Kitchen untuk salur bantuan kepada golongan memerlukan.
Ringgit susut berbanding dolar AS pada sesi awal
Pada 9 pagi, ringgit merosot kepada 4.7770/7825 berbanding dolar AS daripada 4.7745/7775 pada Khamis.
MAQIS tahan dua ekor anjing dari China, identiti mengelirukan
Pemeriksaan mendapati nombor mikrocip yang diimbas pada badan anjing tidak sepadan dengan nombor mikrocip yang diikrar dalam permit import.
Panggilan Google Meet kini boleh dipindahkan antara peranti tanpa henti
Pengguna kini boleh memindahkan panggilan Google Meet antara telefon pintar dan pelayar web tanpa henti.
Niaga SPOTLIGHT: Sustainability & palm supply chains
Kerentanan Android TV menyebabkan akaun Gmail boleh dirampas
Sebuah kerentanan yang agak serius wujud membolehkan sesiapa sahaja mengakses akaun Gmail yang di log masuk ke TV.
Rumah terbuka Selangor di Kuala Kubu Bharu Sabtu ini langgar akta - Bersih
Bersih persoal lokasi dan masa penganjuran rumah terbuka ini kerana majlis ini dianjurkan di kawasan dan ketika PRK Kuala Kubu Bharu.
AWANI Ringkas: Kedutaan AS sangkal dakwaan Prof Gilley
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Dewan Rakyat: Wujud 'pelobi' yang lihat industri sawit sebagai pesaing - Fadilah
Timbalan Perdana Menteri akan mengadakan pertemuan dengan Ketua Pengarah Alam Sekitar di bawah Suruhanjaya EU, Florika Fink-Hooijer pada 28 Jun ini.
Rusia umum bakal usir 20 diplomat dari Republik Czech
Ia sebagai tindak balas Republik Czech yang menghalau 18 diplomat Rusia pada Sabtu.
Vaksin COVID-19: Sekatan eksport EU akibatkan situasi 'rugi-rugi'
Kenyataan dikeluarkan seorang eksekutif Pfizer susulan blok itu memperketatkan pengawasan penghantaran vaksin di luar sempadannya.
Eksport biodiesel Malaysia dijangka susut tahun ini - MBA
Presiden Persatuan Biodiesel Malaysia (MBA), UR Unnithan berkata eksport biobahan api berasaskan sawit dianggarkan mencecah 378,582 tan pada tahun lepas.
Suruhanjaya Eropah umum lanjut mekanisme eksport vaksin COVID-19
Mekanisme ini bertujuan memastikan pengeluar vaksin memenuhi komitmennya kepada negara anggota Kesatuan Eropah (EU) terlebih dahulu.
COVID-19: EU gesa ketelusan syarikat pembuat vaksin
Ia susulan kelewatan penghantaran vaksin oleh dua syarikat, yang menjejaskan pelancaran program vaksin di beberapa negara anggota EU.
Malaysia mulakan tindakan undang-undang ke atas EU berikutan kempen antiminyak sawit
KPPK telah memulakan tindakan undang-undang terhadap Kesatuan Eropah (EU) serta negara-negara anggotanya berikutan kempen antiminyak sawit.
Tidak peduli rayuan Itali, Kesatuan Eropah akhirnya tampil mohon maaf
Selepas Rom mendakwa permohonan bantuan perubatan dalam usaha memerangi pandemik COVID-19 tidak mendapat respons bulan lalu, Kesatuan Eropah (EU) tampil membuat permohonan maaf kepada negara itu.
COVID-19: Itali dakwa 'dipinggirkan' EU, terima bantuan China
Rom sebelum ini ada meminta bantuan daripada Kesatuan Eropah (EU), namun tidak dipedulikan sehingga China sendiri menghantar bantuan pakar dan alatan perubatan.
Boris Johnson berterima kasih kepada penyokong di England Utara
JOHNSON BERSEDIA UNTUK MEMULAKAN PROSES PADA MINGGU HADAPAN BAGI MENOLAK PERUNDINGAN BREXIT MENERUSI PARLIMEN BAGI MEMASTIKAN BRITAIN MENINGGALKAN EUROPEAN UNION (EU) PADA 31 JANUARI 2020./