European ecosystem assessment : concept, data, and implementation : contribution to Target 2 Action 5 Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020

This report summarises EEA contributions to Target 2 Action 5 'Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES)' for the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 (EC, 2011), the Strategy of the EU to meet the global targets of the Convention of Biodiversity (UN, 2010). Europe is becoming greener (Fuchs et al., 2014) but, at the same time, losing biodiversity. At least one-out-of-three species in Europe is threatened with extinction (IUCN, 2011a-d). Many ecosystems are pushed towards the provision of one service - mainly food production - at the cost of the other services they usually provide. The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 aims towards 'healthy' ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity and provide multiple services for human well-being. Implementation is based on a common agreement between the EEA, the Commission Services (DG-ENV) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), to share the work of European level assessment. As described in this report, the EEA is in the lead for mapping and assessing ecosystems and their conditions. The information, combined with the assessment of ecosystem services (JRC), will provide information about ecosystem conditions and their capacity to provide services on a European level.