2nd meeting of the Thematic Group on Landscape Features and Biodiversity

The farmed landscape has a large role to play in conserving and restoring biodiversity levels across Europe. Continued ecosystem degradation has led to the European Green Deal calling for sustainable food systems in the Farm to Fork Strategy and enhanced protection of natural resources in agricultural landscapes in the Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The latter sets the target for 10% of agricultural land to incorporate landscape features, or non-productive areas which provide ecosystem services and support biodiversity. The proposed Nature Restoration Regulation also targets the maintenance and creation of landscape features, such as ‘buffer strips, rotational or non-rotational fallow land, hedgerows, individual or groups of trees, tree rows, field margins, patches, ditches, streams, small wetlands, terraces, cairns, stonewalls, small ponds and cultural features’.

The CAP Strategic Plans will be a key tool to promote improved maintenance, restoration and creation of landscape features in agricultural landscapes through conditionality (Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 8) and additional funding within eco-schemes under Pillar 1 and EAFRD-funded agri-environment-climate measures under Pillar 2 targeting various landscape features. 

The second meeting of the Thematic Group on Landscape Features and Biodiversity focused on ways to encourage greater maintenance, restoration, creation of landscape features to meet the Biodiversity Strategy target through farmer buy-in, Member State examples on how to design schemes which maximise diversity of landscape features and benefits for biodiversity, and issues that need to be addressed for successful scheme design and to increase engagement and action. 

Aims of the meeting