On 12 February, the European Commission published the 7th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on progress in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework. The report concludes that the EU is making progress towards its global biodiversity targets, while stressing that faster implementation will be necessary to safeguard natural systems underpinning water, food, and the economy.

Commenting on the report, Jessica Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, stated: “This assessment shows that the European Union has put a strong framework in place to protect and restore nature, but it also makes clear that implementation must now accelerate…”

The framework establishes 23 global targets to be achieved by 2030. All Parties to the CBD, including the EU and its Member States, are due to report on progress by the end of February. These reports will feed into the Global Review of Implementation at CBD COP17, to be held in Armenia in October 2026.

Hunters witness environmental changes first-hand and are actively involved in thousands of conservation and restoration projects across Europe, as highlighted in the FACE Biodiversity Manifesto (www.biodiversitymanifesto.com).