EU budget shake-up: will nature finally get the funding it deserves?

The EU’s next long-term budget is a pivotal opportunity to enhance funding for biodiversity conservation and restoration, according to a new paper co-authored by WWF, BirdLife Europe, Bankwatch and EuroNatur. By directing funds to nature, the EU can achieve its objectives and ensure long-term ecosystem health and resilience across the bloc. The publication outlines opportunities and challenges for boosting financing for biodiversity under a system of national plans floated by the European Commission in recent communications.

"We need to put our money where our mouth is by ensuring that the next long-term budget delivers on the EU’s nature promises. The national plans proposed by the European Commission can serve as a critical link between achieving our conservation and restoration objectives, and the EU budget”, said Carl Richter, EU Budget & Public Finance Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office.

“Biodiversity is the key factor in making our societies more resilient to crises and increasing climate risks. Nature, therefore deserves a special treatment through increased public funding and strong safeguards. A performance-based Multiannual Financial Framework could work for the EU, provided that nature conservation and restoration remain political priorities”, said Thomas Freisinger, Senior Policy & Advocacy Officer at EuroNatur.

“With an estimated financing gap of almost 200 billion to achieve the EU’s biodiversity objectives for 2030, now marks a critical moment to improve EU biodiversity financing. If the Commission wants to move ahead with a national plan approach, as was used for the EU’s recovery funds, a thorough review must first take place to build on previous experience.”, said Daniel Thomson, EU Policy Officer for Biodiversity, CEE Bankwatch Network.

“Nature isn’t a luxury - it’s the foundation of our economy and our security. Yet we’re still bankrolling its destruction while the cost of inaction skyrockets. Europe must stop funding the problem and start funding the solution. Invest in nature now to ensure its societal and economic resilience. A future-proof EU budget must put nature at its core, with dedicated funding to protect and restore biodiversity”, said Anouk Puymartin, Policy Manager at BirdLife Europe.

Effective and well-targeted biodiversity funding is key to achieving the EU’s 2030 biodiversity objectives and closing the investment gap for nature. The recommendations in the paper are designed to ensure biodiversity is sufficiently financed and are directly based on experiences with the current EU budget, as well as the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Should the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) be based on a system of national plans, the following proposals should be included:

1. A mandatory mechanism linking the EU budget to agreed and existing biodiversity objectives, to earmark dedicated funding and ensure that EU funds deliver on EU policy priorities, notably based on Prioritised Action Frameworks and National Nature Restoration Plan;
2. A spending floor expressed in percentage terms to ensure minimum earmarking for biodiversity within every national plan;
3. A set of high-quality, monitored output, outcome and result indicators to verify the achievement of milestones and targets, disburse funds to Member States and report on the impact of biodiversity spending;
4. A transparent and participatory drafting and implementation process based on the European Code of Conduct on Partnership;
5. A sector-based application of the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ (DNSH) principle fully excluding the provision of EU funds to activities that are harmful to biodiversity;
6. A set of horizontal conditions requiring the full implementation of key pieces of EU environmental legislation to access EU funds; 
7. Requirements and incentives to consider nature-based solutions before grey solutions for certain types of activities, including climate adaptation and infrastructure projects;
8. Reforms and investments to improve operational capacity at national, regional and local level and remove obstacles to programming and absorbing funds for biodiversity.