28/02/2022 (Agence Europe) – On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Natura 2000 network of protected natural areas, which was celebrated on 25 February at a ministerial conference in Strasbourg, the EU and its Member States have committed themselves to strengthening the implementation of the EU Habitats and Birds Directives, and to extending Natura 2000 ‘to bring nature back into our lives’, as set out in the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The ‘Strasbourg Ministerial Declaration’ provides a roadmap for restoring at least 30% of the EU’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems and achieving the conservation goals it sets out to achieve. It stresses the urgency of taking action, mobilising the necessary financial resources, simplifying access to this funding, increasing scientific knowledge tenfold and involving citizens and local stakeholders in addition to those concerned. See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/iw (in French) (AN)