Review of progress on implementation of the EU green infrastructure strategy

Summary:

Report presented on 24 May 2019 by the European Commission assessing the progress made and challenges encountered at both EU and Member State level in carrying out the strategy's four priority work streams, and putting forward some suggestions for the further implementation of the strategy.

Further information:

Green infrastructure is defined in the EU green infrastructure strategy as ‘a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. It incorporates green spaces (or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas. On land, green infrastructure is present in rural and urban settings’.

Unlike single-purpose grey infrastructure, biodiversity-rich green spaces can perform a variety of extremely useful functions, often simultaneously and at very low cost, for the benefit of people, nature and the economy.

The Commission adopted an EU strategy on green infrastructure (GI strategy) in 2013 to enhance the economic benefits by attracting greater investment in Europe’s natural capital to achieve its biodiversity objectives by 2020. It included four priority work streams: promoting GI in the main policy areas; improving information, strengthening the knowledge base and promoting innovation; improving access to finance; and contributing to the development of GI projects at EU level.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2019)184: Additional information on the review of implementation of the green infrastructure strategy https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2019:184:FIN

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