{"id":172565,"date":"2024-05-17T09:35:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T08:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=172565"},"modified":"2025-09-23T12:24:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T11:24:11","slug":"policy-brief-the-eu-road-towards-healthy-wetlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/publication\/policy-brief-the-eu-road-towards-healthy-wetlands\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy brief: the EU road towards healthy wetlands"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Europe\u2019s biodiversity continues to decline. This also concerns wetland ecosystems: 80 percent of European wetlands have been lost in the last 100 years<\/a>. Throughout most of human civilisation, wetlands have been considered \u2018unproductive land\u2019 and were drained for agricultural purposes and urbanisation. As a consequence, wetlands, including bogs, mires and fens, are now among the most degraded ecosystems in Europe. They are essential in tackling the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution \u2013 if managed well. Without existing EU legislation, member countries would be further away from reaching the 2030 climate and biodiversity targets. Nevertheless, there is a need for more effective measures to achieve wetland restoration, both at EU and national level.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Header photo: a kingfisher in a wetland area in the Netherlands. \u00a9 Kenny Goossen via Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Analysis of EU environmental policy<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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As part of REWET<\/a>, IUCN NL conducted an analysis of and developed recommendations for EU environmental policy related to wetland restoration. The policy brief<\/a> underscores the importance of translating global policies into national legislation and local actions to restore healthy wetlands for the generations to come. Political will, financial resources, local and regional stakeholder involvement and policy coherence at various government levels, and across all sectors, are critical enabling factors for successful wetland restoration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Recommendations to EU Member States for healthy wetlands<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Without existing EU legislation, such as EU evaluations (fitness checks) for the Nature Directive, the water and nitrates directives and the evaluation of the EU 2020 biodiversity strategy, member countries would be further away from reaching the 2030 climate and biodiversity targets. Nevertheless, there is a need for more effective measures to achieve wetland restoration, both at EU and national level.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The REWET analysis led to the following key recommendations:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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