Experts Say Private Land Conservation is Essential for the EU to Achieve its Biodiversity Targets. Here’s What Research Shows.

Carolina Halevy – ILCN Regional Representative for Europe, Project Manager at Eurosite

Anne-Sophie Mulier – Project & Policy officer at the European Landowners’ Organization

Private land conservation (PLC) is an essential part of Europe’s nature and biodiversity strategy. Without it, European Union (EU) nations lack the necessary land to achieve nature and biodiversity targets, as nature is indifferent to land ownership. But PLC offers more than just statistical benefits for achieving area-based goals. These lands harbor biodiversity hotspots, keystone and rare species, and critical habitats. Many are dedicated as part of the EU nature protection network, Natura 2000. Additionally, PLC enables a bottom-up operating structure that engages a variety of stakeholders, acting to depolarize and strengthen local identities and civil society.

Conservationists and policymakers have been exploring how a broad range of EU policies could benefit from including PLC in their strategy. Links could, for example, be made to the EU Nature Restoration Law, Natura 2000, the Common Agricultural Policy, the Water Framework Directive, and the Farm-to Fork-Strategy.

Europe’s current legal framework limits how regulatory tools can be used to efficiently achieve nature targets on private land, but pilot cases there and models from other regions have shown that frameworks encouraging voluntary action from private landowners is effective. The ENPLC project highlights several examples of effective voluntary nature conservation [1].  An example from Italy shows how a private landowner is contributing to the protection of the Lesser Kestrels, which are at danger of extinction [2]. In these cases, PLC is not used as a substitute, but rather as a complement to regulatory measures. 

Land ownership responsibilities and shared benefits

From a legal perspective, land ownership comes with a broad range of rules specifying, proscribing, or authorizing actions on the part of the owner. Land ownership does not only entail rights for the owner, it also imposes responsibilities. This includes paying taxes and adhering to laws, such as environmental protection regulations and building codes.

Private land conservation can be described as a voluntary conservation initiative on private land undertaken by individuals, collectives, corporations, or non-governmental organizations. Its primary objective is to safeguard or rehabilitate habitats or species within an area under voluntary stewardship.

In contrast to private land conservation, mandatory land conservation by public authorities relies on regulatory mechanisms. These include the public designation of protected areas or other administrative actions by government authorities to enforce conservation measures.

Private land conservation has myriad benefits that are uniquely beneficial to a wide array of people, organizations, and stakeholders. PLC empowers unity, rather than generating opposition, as it is accomplished through allyship among individuals, non-profits, governments, and others. Support for PLC also spans party lines. In the LIFE ENPLC project, the topic has brought together organizations from the landowner and conservationist sides [3] . It also expands the types of tools available for achieving the nature, land, and biodiversity conservation targets Europe has committed to on a global stage.

Private land conservation has the potential to improve policy implementation in Europe

The EU traditionally relies on national governments to establish and oversee protected areas and achieve its biodiversity targets, but it has become evident that this approach alone is insufficient. An evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 showed that 77 percent of habitats still had an unfavorable conservation status and highlighted the need for much greater effort [4].

As a result, the current EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy emphasizes the need for additional measures and a coherent, transnational network of protected areas [5]. Member State pledges describe how each EU country is aiming to translate these targets into the national context, including how the countries plan to identify necessary additional protected areas.

Private land conservation already contributes to EU nature and biodiversity targets

Privately Protected (PPAs) are lands under private governance recognized, dedicated, and managed for long-term conservation. PPAs must prioritize nature conservation; make a long-term commitment to conservation through legal designation or binding agreements; and be governed by private entities with decision-making power over establishment, management objectives, and resource allocation on the property.

An example of this on-the-ground is unfolding in Italy, where a European PPA network is developing through the Italian chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The program designates privately protected land as “Oasi affiliates” and provides support and assistance to landowners. From 2016-2024, this was supported by the LIFE ELCN and ENPLC projects, which concluded in May 2024. There are currently eight Oasi affiliate areas and two more are joining in May of this year. An additional four are under evaluation [6].  

Catalonia provides another strong example. There, formal stewardships are created through conservation agreements between organizations and landowners. Under Catalan civil code, conservation stewardship differs from other private agreements because it serves the public interest. The latest conservation stewardship inventory in Catalonia (2021) revealed that conservation stewardship agreements cover 41,744 ha (approximately 103,152 acres), about 1.3 percent of Catalan territory. 47 percent of that is on private land ^[7].

PPAs could be used by EU Member States to expand the extent of protected areas and achieve targets. However, despite existing and growing recognition for the potential of PLC, most submitted Member-State pledges do not include PPAs [8].

Significant data on PPAs is still missing

Lack of data may be one reason why PPAs are excluded from many Member States’ strategies.

Natura 2000 is a network of protected areas covering Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It is the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world, extending across all 27 EU Member States, both on land and at sea. The network does include PPAs, but the percentage of land within the network that is under private ownership or management is unknown because documentation procedures do not include questions about ownership. This is reflective of the state of data tracking across Europe, with no number available to represent the full extent of privately protected land across the region.

Data availability differs greatly among EU countries. Belgium has a national database that records privately managed areas. The Netherlands is reporting privately protected areas to the European Environmental Agency (EEA) Database. And some countries, like Catalonia, are working on developing a stewardship register to gain a better overview of private land protection.

Many private landowners have a generational perspective

Private landowners have various motivations to go beyond legal requirements in nature conservation. In addition to financial incentives, recognition from peers can serve as a strong motivator to engage in land protection efforts. Perhaps most influential, though, is their care for later generations.

Many property owners view land as capital to pass on to the next generation in a steady or improved condition. A landowner may want to ensure that their investments in natural values of the land, such as soil health and intact forest ecosystems, remain in perpetuity. In that case, they may elect to enter into a binding agreement with a conservation NGO or governmental agency to ensure the long-term dedication of parts of the property to nature conservation.

Conservation easements can ensure long-term stewardship

Private land conservation is one way of changing land use for the benefit of an ecosystem. It can work in tandem with legal requirements, such as conservation easements, and broaden the toolkit for achieving nature protection objectives.

A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency. By will, the landowner passes off private property rights for the benefit of nature to the easement holder, which is the land trust or government agency.  

One key feature of conservation easements is that they “run with the land”, meaning they become part of the property title and are not bound to a specific owner. This characteristic makes the mechanism appealing to a wide range of stakeholders, as the stewardship and protection of the land can be guaranteed over generations. In many jurisdictions, conservation easements can last up to 99 years or even in perpetuity.

Conservation easements are also highly flexible and can be adapted to various uses. They permit economic activities that align with nature conservation objectives. Some conservation easements even provide landowners with financial compensation.

To achieve the widest possible impact, a wide array of tools is essential

There is great variety in the values, interests, and needs of landowners. The broader the menu of private land conservation tools available, the more likely a landowner will be to protect their land.

Expanding Europe’s toolkit for nature conservation is undoubtedly valuable for nature, but it can also bring institutions long-term financial gain. Private land conservation by individuals is, most often, self-financed. Complementing it with public funds can often lead private landowners to make matching contributions. In some cases, EU funding is even set up to require a co-financing contribution to the public-invested money. 

In the United States, conservation-based tax deductions can reduce private landowners’ tax burdens

In some nations, tax incentives are successfully compelling private landowners to participate in private land conservation. In the United States, tax incentives, rather than direct payments, compensate landowners for the loss in value of their property associated with foregoing development and committing to a conservation easement. In some cases, these lower tax burdens can be a significant enticement for private landowners, many of whom hold conservation values, but feel they cannot afford to preserve their property otherwise.

There are strong indications that similar schemes would reap high returns in Europe. For example, every euro invested in Catalan Natura 2000 areas regenerates 7.5 euros [9]. Most Catalan stewardship initiatives are located within the Natura 2000 network, which shows that investments into these private land conservation initiatives are likely to have a similar financial benefit.

Private land conservation has many non-financial benefits

Private landowners engaged in conservation often serve as dedicated stewards for the land, illustrating sustainable land-management practices that benefit biodiversity and ecosystem health. They are often involved in opportunities for public education and awareness. When landowners participate in conservation efforts, they can educate their communities about the importance of biodiversity and inspire others to join in conservation initiatives.

In these ways, private land conservation complements publicly designated protected areas; adds areas that would otherwise not contribute to conservation goals; fosters social acceptance of public conservation initiatives; and addresses a range of co-benefits from cultural and social aspects of the practice.

Have news? Share updates from your organization or country by emailing ilcn@lincolninst.edu.

[1] https://enplc.eu/ambassadors/

[2] https://enplc.eu/bianca-stefancu-and-roberto-generali/

[3] https://enplc.eu/

[4] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/652207/IPOL_BRI%282020%29652207_EN.pdf

[5] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/protecting-biodiversity-commission-advises-how-designate-additional-protected-areas-2022-01-28_en

[6] www.wwf.it/cosa-facciamo/progetti/oasi-affiliate/

[7] https://xcn.cat/projecte/inventari-de-custodia/

[8] https://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/help/pledge

[9] https://www.miteco.gob.es/content/dam/miteco/es/biodiversidad/temas/espacios-protegidos/beneficios_economicos_n2000_web_2019_tcm30-498070.pdf