Restoration of 30% of specific marine habitat types by 2030 with increasing the level of protection of MPAs by increasing their size and by horizontal measures

With this commitment   the need is recognized and measures are undertaken for the restoration of the degraded marine ecosystems, with an aim of the strengthening of their resilience, the long-term recovery of biodiversity and the treatment of climate change.

The adoption of measures for the restoration of natural habitats and habitats of species constitutes a significant obligation of the country for the areas of the Natura 2000 network pursuant to Directive 92/43/EEC while relevant provisions exist also in the national legislation (Article 175 of L. 5037/2024. Furthermore, the new Regulation of the European Union (EU) 2024/1991 on the restoration of nature adopted in June 2024 includes specific objectives and obligations for the adoption of restoration measures which will cover 20% of the land area and 20% of the sea area of the European Union by 2030, and the totality of the ecosystems which need restoration until 2050. In particular, on the marine ecosystems, the Regulation provides for the adoption of measures for the improvement and restoration to a good state of specific marine habitats and sets an initial objective for the restoration by 2030 of 30% of the areas which include these marine habitats.

For the attainment of these objectives, each EU member state must draft a national restoration plan and within this framework carry out a preliminary survey to designate the areas which include marine habitats which are in need of restoration and define the appropriate measures for their restoration.