Biodiversa+ regularly brings together policymakers, R&I decision-makers, experts, and stakeholders to identify emerging needs and priorities for environmental and research policy in Europe. These “dialogue events” are crucial for bridging the gap between research and on-the-ground implementation.
Our most recent dialogue, held in Paris on 15-16 May, focused on the National Restoration Plans (NRPs), a critical component of the new Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). Following a similar event in May 2024 that addressed broader NRR needs and knowledge gaps, this session brought together 20 Member State representatives and 6 experts from the BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub. The event was held back-to-back with the annual BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub meeting to foster connections.
Discussions were organised around two key themes, identified via a pre-event survey of Member States:
- Focus 1: Baseline and monitoring. How are habitat conditions being baselined, and how is adaptive monitoring of degradation or restoration trends being planned?
- Focus 2: Stakeholder collaboration and conflict management. How are Member States designing collaboration with stakeholders, and how are they addressing potential conflicts?
Several cross-cutting issues emerged from the discussions, including:
- The need for multidisciplinary approaches to stakeholder engagement, supported by expert facilitation;
- Opportunities to leverage citizen science for mapping species and habitats;
- Significant knowledge gaps related to areas outside the Natura 2000 network and in marine environments;
- Capacity and funding constraints, especially regarding long-term monitoring;
- Short timelines for NRP preparation posing planning challenges;
- The role of passive restoration as a cost-effective option;
- The importance of quantifying the costs of inaction versus the benefits of restoration;
- Strengthening existing frameworks to reduce duplication and enhance synergies;
- Promoting Nature-based Solutions that deliver benefits for both biodiversity and people.
The event concluded with summaries from the group sessions delivered by Knowledge Hub experts, followed by a presentation of the Hub’s workplan. Member State representatives then shared additional knowledge gaps, prompting fruitful exchanges with the experts on possible collaborations within the Knowledge Hub’s framework.
